Nebraska Girls' & Junior Amateur Begins Tuesday
SCOTTSBLUFF (July 6, 2020) - The championship season continues on Tuesday, as 117 of the state's best junior golfers with compete at Scotts Bluff Country Club for the 20th Nebraska Girls' Amateur Championship and the 53rd Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship.
The girls' championship features 36 holes of stroke play, with 36 girls set to battle it out for the title. While 81 boys will compete over 54 holes of stroke play to crown a champion.
Neither defending champion is in the field this week, but the championships still have a packed lineup.
The 2018 champion Jason Kolbas of Lincoln is in the field after missing the championship last year. His 213 (-3) total at Elks Country Club was good for a two-stroke win that year. He will play with Isaac Heimes of Norfolk, who made it to the semifinals of this year’s Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship, and Rex Soulliere of Omaha.
2018 Nebraska Junior Amateur Champion Jason Kolbas of Lincoln
Reed Malleck of York will try to sweep the junior championships this week, fresh off his win in the Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship last month in Oakland. He starts his week at 9:10 a.m. MDT Tuesday, and will be joined by Marcus Eriksen of Grand Island, and Ian Lundquist of Oakland.
2020 Nebraska Junior Match Play Champion Reed Malleck of York.
The 2019 Nebraska Junior Match Play champion Luke Gutschewski of Elkhorn will also tee it up this week. He’s paired with Teddy Peterson of Omaha and Jake Hagerbaumer of Hooper. Another group to watch is the 9:40 a.m. time off No. 1, which includes 2019 Junior Cup team member Jake Kluver of Norfolk, Christopher Atkinson of Omaha and Geran Sander of Lincoln.
On the girls’ side, Danica Badura of Aurora comes into this championship just a few weeks after her win at the Nebraska Girls’ Match Play Championship. She defeated Nicole Kolbas of Lincoln in the final to take home her first NGA title. She plays with Madi Schlaepfer of Gering and Baylee Steele of North Platte.
2020 Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion Danica Badura of Aurora.
Kolbas will try and join her brother in winning a junior title. She is coming of a big win at the Midwest Junior Championship in Iowa, where she cruised to an eight-stroke victory against tough competition from several different states. Kolbas gets her week started with fellow Girls' Four-State team member Emily Karmazin of Omaha, and Harley Hiltibrand of Brule.
The championship kicks off Tuesday at 8 a.m. at Scotts Bluff Country Club, with boys in the morning wave, and girls in the afternoon. The fields switch on Wednesday, with the girls' final round starting at 8 a.m. and the boys' second round beginning at 1 p.m. The boys' field will be cut to the low 40 scores and ties after the second round, with the final round scheduled for an 8 a.m. start on Thursday.
Scotts Bluff Country Club last hosted the Nebraska Junior Amateur in 2006, when McCook's Brandon Crick won the boys' title and Lincoln's Alexis Holmes won the girls' title.
Groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the boys' championship, and the first round of the girls' championship are available under the Pairings tab of the championship websites below.
Nebraska Girls' Amateur Championship
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.
