Peters Surges into 36-hole Lead at Nebraska Junior Amateur
BEATRICE (July 24, 2019) – Josh Peters of Omaha surged into the lead with the low round of the day, during a slightly breezy second round of the 52nd Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship at Beatrice Country Club on Wednesday.
Peters began the day five strokes back of first round leader Reed Malleck of York, who shot a 67 (-5) in the opening round. It was a precarious start to Peters’ second round though, as he made bogeys on four of his first six holes, and at one point, he was trailing by double digits. Malleck birdied two of his first four holes, pushing him to 7-under total. However, from there it was a complete reversal, as Peters birdied six of his final 12 holes to post a round of 70 (-2), and jump into the lead.
Malleck struggled after his hot start, making double-bogey on No. 6 and a bogey on No. 8. He bounced back with a birdie on No. 9, but couldn’t carry the momentum over to the back nine, coming in with a 41 (+5) and dropping back to even-par for the championship with a round of 77 (+5).
Peters, on the other hand, caught fire. The UNO commit birdied Nos. 7 and 9 to turn in 38 (+2), then made another birdie on the par-3 11th. He made his second birdie-2 of the back nine on the 221-yard par-3 15th hole, starting a stretch of three straight birdies. Peters stuck his third shot to five feet on the par-5 16th and made the putt, then rolled in another birdie on the par-4 17th hole from 15 feet. A par on the finishing hole gave him the low round of the day by one stroke, and a two-stroke lead at 142 (-2).
Malleck is in second at 144 (E), and will join Peters in the final pairing at 11:40 a.m. The 2019 Nebraska Junior Match Play Champion, Luke Gutschewski of Elkhorn played a solid round of even-par 72 and is in third at 146 (+2). Gutschewski made two birdies and a double-bogey, playing alongside Peters.
Josh Bartels of Lincoln dropped back into a tie for fourth at 148 (+4). He followed his first round 68 (-4) with a second round 80 (+8). He’s tied with Lincoln’s Connor Vandewege and Norfolk’s Jake Kluver, who played another steady round for his second straight 74 (+2), which included nine straight pars on the back nine. Vandewege had an under-par round going, with four birdies on the day, but a triple-bogey on the finishing hole also gave him his second straight 74 (+2).
Grand Island’s Marcus Eriksen was the only other player to break par today, shooting a 71 (-1) to leap into the top 10. He’s in seventh place at 150 (+6). Cambridge’s Preston Carbaugh, the NSAA Class C Champion, is in eighth at 151 (+7), and Omaha’s Rex Soulliere is ninth at 153 (+9). The top 10 is rounded out by a large group of players tied for 10th at 154 (+10), including Isaac Heimes of Norfolk, who shot an even-par 72. Others at 10-over, including Grand Island’s Noah Vahle, Papillion’s Mason Burger, Omaha’s Charlie Zielinski, Seward’s Tyler Welch and Lincoln’s Hunter Hall.
The cut was made at 167 (+23), with 45 players advancing to play the final round on Thursday. The final round begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday, with the leaders set to start at 11:40 a.m. Full results and final round pairings can be found on the championship website below.
Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship
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.
