Campbell Secures Historic Win at 114th Nebraska Amateur
Final Round Conducted Thursday at Firethorn Golf Club
LINCOLN (July 28, 2022) – It was a historic day for Creighton University's Shaun Campbell, who held on during the final round to win the 114th Nebraska Amateur Championship at Firethorn Golf Club in Lincoln on Thursday.
Campbell, who is from Tauranga, New Zealand, transferred to Creighton from Kansas this spring and is the first out-of-state player to win the Nebraska Amateur since 1992, when Oklahoma native Craig Poet won. Campbell shot a final round 75 (+4) to win by two strokes with a 282 (-2) total. He's also the first player to finish under-par at a Nebraska Amateur at Firethorn.
It was a better start to the final round for Campbell, who parred the first two hole and then made birdie on the par-5 third hole to move to 7-under. Then he faltered though, making bogeys on Nos. 4 and 6 to fall back to 5-under. In the meantime, Bennington's Johnny Spellerberg, playing alongside Campbell, made a run. He birdied three of the first five holes to move within two strokes of the lead.
Campbell bounced back with a birdie on No. 8, but followed with another bogey on No. 9 to make the turn at 5-under with a three-stroke lead over Spellerberg. He started the back nine strong though, birdieing No. 10, but he followed with a bogey on the par-5 11th.
The final round proved difficult for scoring, as the contenders fell back and Campbell played steady golf. Only one play broke par during the round, Omaha's Andy Sajevic, a four-time Nebraska Amateur Champion. Despite a double-bogey on No. 7, Sajevic played a flawless back nine 33 (-2), posting a 70 (-1) for a third-straight under-par round. He finished at 284 (E), two strokes back to take runner-up honors.
Meanwhile, Campbell made bogey on No. 14, but came in with pars on the next three holes to take a four-stroke lead into the 18th hole. He made double-bogey on the 18th hole, but it was still enough to win by two strokes over Sajevic.
Spellerberg fell back with two late double-bogeys to finish tied for eighth at 289 (+5) with a final round 76 (+5). The 2002 Champion Ryan Nietfeldt of Elkhorn had a solid round going as well, firing a 71 (E) to move into third at 285 (+1). Omaha's Charlie Zielinski made an early eagle on No. 2 to put pressure on Campbell, but finished with a 73 (+2) to take fourth with a 286 (+2) total.
Lincoln's Thomas Bryson and Elkhorn's Luke Gutschewski were tied for fifth at 287 (+3). Both players shot 76 (+5) in the first round and were under-par the rest of the way. Bryson, who shot the round of the championship with a second round 66 (-5), earned Low Junior honors.
Aurora's Caleb Badura, the 2019 Nebraska Match Play Champion, was seventh at 288 (+4), while Spellerberg and Elkhorn's Alex Farrell tied for eighth at 289 (+5). Rounding out the Top 10 was Table Rock's Matthew Schaefer, who finished 0th with a 290 (+6) total.
Final results are available on the championship website, along with additional information.
About the NGA
The Nebraska Golf Association, 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 the NGA. 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.
