Thiele Comes Back Again to Win Nebraska Women's Match Play Final
Final Conducted Thursday at Hillcrest Country Club
LINCOLN (July 31, 2025) - Wahoo's Lauren Thiele came back to win the Final of the 102nd Nebraska Women’s Match Play Championship on Thursday at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln.
Thiele defeated Husker teammate Brooke Bream, 1 up, in the Final to take her first NebGolf women's title. She's the third Thiele sister to win the championship, and it's her third NebGolf title, adding to her two Nebraska Girls' Match Play titles.
It looked like it would be an ideal day for golf, but rain poured during the early morning hours, and the Finals were pushed back from a 7:30 a.m. start to a 1 p.m. start. The rain soaked the course and made it unplayable until the afternoon.
It was another comeback for Thiele, who was 2-down after the first nine holes. She had trailed another Husker teammate, Olivia Lovegrove of Lincoln, on Wednesday in the Semifinals, 3 down at the turn. Thiele came back to win that match with birdies on the last two holes. She made a similar run on the back nine against Bream.
Thiele, a redshirt junior at Nebraska, couldn't quite get the pace of the wet greens down early, and fell behind. Bream took advantage, winning three of the first six holes, dropping one, to take a 2-up lead.
The next four holes were all tied, and Thiele faced a similar deficit. That's when she made her move. Thiele made her first birdie of the day on the par-5 11th, and won No. 12 with a par to tie the match. Bream had some tree trouble on No. 13, and Thiele made an easy par to take a 1-up lead.
Bream, a redshirt senior from Phoenix, Arizona, answered with a birdie on No. 14, sticking her approach shot close and rolling in the putt, tying the match. She had more tree trouble on No. 15 though, and Thiele took the lead back. Bream nearly dropped a birdie putt on No. 17, but it hung on the lip and did not drop.
Thiele went to the 18th hole with a 1-up lead, and both players faced short par putts. Bream rolled hers in, and Thiele calmly answered, dropping hers in for the win.
Thiele j0ins her sisters Hannah (2016) and Lindsey (2023) as Nebraska Women's Match Play Champions. She's the second Thiele to win a title this year, with Brooke winning the Nebraska Girls' Amateur in June.
The final bracket is available on the championship website below, along with additional information.
Nebraska Women's Match Play Championship
About NebGolf
The Nebraska Golf Association (NebGolf), founded in 1966, is comprised of all members of public and private clubs and/or municipal or regional golf associations which utilize an approved handicap service recognized by the USGA and provided by NebGolf. Our mission is to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values to all golfers in Nebraska. Among the duties of the Association include governance of member clubs and service as their handicapping and course rating authority, conduct of state golf championships, local USGA qualifying & other notable competitions, promotion of junior golf, presentation of worthwhile educational programs and support of allied golf organizations in Nebraska. The Nebraska Golf Association is an Allied Golf Association of the USGA and carries out core services including Handicap Administration and Oversight, Course Rating, Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status, Tournaments and USGA Championship Qualifiers and USGA Initiatives and Community Programs.
