50th Nebraska Women's Amateur & 46th Nebraska Senior Women's Amateur to Kick Off Next Week
Championship Begins Tuesday at Oak Hills Country Club
OMAHA (July 31, 2024) – The stage is set at Oak Hills Country Club in Omaha for the 50th Nebraska Women’s Amateur Championship and the 46th Nebraska Women's Senior Amateur Championships next week, June 4-6.
It is the third time hosting the Nebraska Women's Amateur for the club, which previously hosted in 1979 when Omaha's Nanette Circo defended for back-to-back titles. The club hosted again in 2002, when Lincoln's Sarah Sasse-Kildow won her fifth title in six years. The club also hosted the Nebraska Women's Senior Amateur in 2008, when Omaha's Jane Pohlman won her third of five titles.
The championship begins Tuesday for the 49 players in the Women's Amateur, with one past champion in the field. The 25 players in the Senior Amateur begin play on Wednesday, with three past champions set to compete.
The defending Nebraska Women's Amateur champion, Husker golfer Miu Takahashi, headlines the field and is looking to go back-to-back for her second title. Originally from Japan, Takahashi also qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur last year and was named the 2023 Nebraska Women's Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Takahashi is paired with a Big Ten foe, Lincoln's Nicole Kolbas, who just finished her freshman year at Indiana University. Kolbas is also chasing her second NebG0lf title, having won the 2021 Nebraska Girl's Amateur Championship. The two will tee off at 10:10 am on Tuesday alongside Papillion's Kelli Taulbee.
There's no shortage of talent in the Women's Senior Amateur either, as three past champions will compete with a combined 14 Senior Championships among them. Last year's champion, Anne Robertson of Columbus, will look to win two-in-a-row for her second NebGolf title as she tees off with Pohlman, a five-time champion, and Jill Pilkington of Lincoln at 9:40 a.m. on Wednesday. Also in the field is record holder Susan Marchese of Omaha, who holds 26 NebGolf titles. She is seeking her first since winning eight of the nine Senior Amateurs between 2010 and 2018.
Another player to watch in the Women's Amateur is Kansas Jayhawk Katie Ruge of Omaha. Ruge held the lead heading into the final round last year, but fell behind Takahashi on the back nine and eventually finished tied for third. Ruge will play alongside Husker golfer Arden Louchheim and Omaha's Kaitlyn Hanna, an Iowa Hawkeye. Louchheim won last year's Utah Women's Amateur and looks to continue her success in her new home. Hanna, the 2021 Nebraska Girls' Amateur Golfer of the Year, was one of three Hawkeyes to compete in every tournament this season.
Papillion's Sydney Taake and Wahoo's Lauren Thiele were in contention last year, finishing tied for fifth, and are paired together for the first round this year. Thiele, a two-time Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion, is looking to join her sisters Haley and Hannah as a Women's Amateur Champion. They are paired with Lincoln's Olivia Lovegrove at 10:30 a.m..
Two of last year's girls' champions will play together, including Julia Karmazin of Omaha, the 2023 Nebraska Girls' Amateur Champion, and Naryn Kim of Lincoln, the 2023 Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion. They will play with Elly Honnens of Lincoln at 9:50 a.m.
Oak Hills Country Club is a par-71 layout, and will measure around 6,053 yards for the championship. The Women's Amateur features 54 holes of stroke play, with the Senior Amateur field playing 36 holes over two days from a shorter distance, 4,911 yards.
Play begins at 8:30 a.m. for Tuesday’s first round, which features just the Women's Amateur field. The Senior Amateur field starts play on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Pairings for the first round are available on the championship website below, along with the scoring pages and additional information.
Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship
Nebraska Women's Senior Amateur 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.
