Husker Teammates Malleck and Murray Tied for 54-hole Lead at Nebraska Amateur
Round Three Conducted on Thursday at Fremont Golf Club
FREMONT (July 18, 2024) – A pair of Husker teammates, Reed Malleck and Hamish Murray, are tied for the lead at the 116th Nebraska Amateur Championship after the third round at Fremont Golf Club on Thursday.
Malleck, a York native who recently graduated, and Murray, a senior from Australia, both shot their third-straight rounds under par to grab the 54-hole lead at 204 (-9). Murray was the first in with his round of 67 (-4), and Malleck matched him with a 68 (-3).
It was a beautiful but wild day at Fremont Golf Club, as it was the third-straight day with temperatures in the low 80s and hardly any wind. The action was furious though, as several players were in the mix throughout the day, and at one point there were five players tied for the lead.
The Huskers rose to the top though, as Murray was the one to break the five-way tie. He escaped from the trees on the par-5 eighth to about five feet with his third shot, and rolled in the birdie putt to get to 7-under. Malleck, a couple groups behind, answered with a chip and a putt for birdie on the same hole to tie his teammate again.
The back nine provided more drama, as Malleck and Murray had some ups and downs. Meanwhile, the 2021 Champion David Easley of Lincoln was making his presence felt. Bogeys were abound on the back nine, but Easley kept away from them, finishing out a bogey-free round of 67 (-4). He was in at 205 (-8) and tied for the lead when he finished.
Murray had moved to 8-under with a birdie on No. 12, but No. 13 was his last par. He made bogeys on Nos. 14 and 16, but also made three birdies, including one on No. 17 and one from long range on No. 18 to take the lead at 9-under.
Malleck also birdie No. 12, but hit his tee shot out of bounds on No. 13. He recovered with a great save for bogey, and came back with a birdie on the par-5 15th. Another birdied dropped on the par-3 17th hole to tie Murray at 9-under, and he closed out his round with a par on the last.
Easley is third at 205 (-8), and is followed by a host of players tied for fourth at 208 (-5). Brock Kuhlman of Columbus is one of those players, after running into the clubhouse with a back nine 31 (-5), finishing off a round of 67 (-4). Another Husker, Evan McDermott of Spring Lake, Michigan, Ashland's Coltrane Mittag and Omaha's Luke Gutschewski are all at 5-under.
The 36-hole leader, Trevor Gutschewski of Omaha, has been under the weather the last two days and fell back with a round of 75 (+4). He's in eighth at 209 (-4) and will play alongside his older brother, Luke, in the final round.
Omaha's Jon Oswalt followed up his second round 64 (-7) with a 71 (E), and is in ninth at 210 (-3). Grant Jabenis, another Husker from Omaha, shot a 69 (-2) and rounds out the top 10 at 211 (-2).
The final round begins at 7:30 a.m. off the No. 1 tee on Friday. Malleck and Murray are in the final pairing at 12:20 p.m. Pairings are available on the championship website, along with the scoring page and additional information.
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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.
