Sajevic Wins First Nebraska Mid-Amateur
Final Round Conducted Sunday at Awarii Dunes Golf Club
AXTELL (August 30, 2020) – Omaha's Andy Sajevic added to his trophy collection on Sunday, winning the 22nd Nebraska Mid-Amateur Championship on a record-setting day at Awarii Dunes Golf Club.
Sajevic, now an eight-time NGA champion, fired a second-straight 69 (-3) to finish with a championship record 138 (-6) total. He secured the win with a par on the 18th hole, holding off a charging Jay Moore of Lincoln, who set the single round scoring record with a 65 (-7) to finish runner-up at 139 (-5).
It was a steady round for Sajevic on Sunday, which included five birdies, the same amount he made just on the back nine on Saturday to get back into position with a first round 69 (-3). Sajevic made birdies early on Nos. 2 and 4 to climb into the lead, however he was back to even-par for the day after bogeys on Nos. 6 and 10.
Red numbers were abundant again on Sunday, with a couple players making deep runs ahead of Sajevic. Lincoln's Jay Moore was the first to make a move, and set some records on the way. He was the only player to complete a bogey-free round during the championship, posting a Nebraska Mid-Amateur record round of 65 (-7). Moore started the day at 2-over, after opening with a 74 (+2). He then proceeded to make seven birdies, making the turn in 33 (-3) and following with a 32 (-4) on the back nine to break the scoring record by one stroke.
Omaha's Trent Morrison, the 2014 Champion, held the lead after a front nine 34 (-2), but two bogeys and no birdies on the back nine left him in third place at 140 (-4), after a round of 72 (E).
O'Neill's Kris Koelzer made a similar run, as he birdied four of his first six holes on the front nine, and then made three more birdies in the first five holes of the back nine to get to 6-under total. He was leading after 16 holes, but finished with a bogey on No. 17 and a double-bogey on No. 18 to drop back to 141 (-3), with a final round 69 (-3).
Ogallala's Eric Anderson, Lincoln's Chad Geiger, Bennington's Curtis Taylor and Omaha's Patrick Duffy all tied Koelzer for fourth at 141 (-3). Anderson birdied three of his last five holes, while Geiger made birdie on four of his last seven holes. Taylor made the turn in 35 (-1), while Duffy did in 38 (+2), but made a couple birdies on the back nine to get back into the top five.
Four players tied for ninth at 142 (-2) to round out the Top 10, including South Sioux City's Christopher Rager, Omaha's Dylan Heng, Kearney's Brett Hoffman and Bennington's Johnny Spellerberg.
Another four players finished at 143 (-1), tied for 13th, including Omaha's Eric Peel, Lincoln's Scott Tridle, Omaha's Mike Siwa and Omaha's Miles Russell. That sets the record for the most players under-par for 36 holes at the Nebraska Mid-Amateur, with 16 total. The previous record was just three players in 2015 at Fremont Golf Club.
Sajevic has now won eight NGA titles, including four Nebraska Amateurs, a Nebraska Match Play, Nebraska Junior Match Play, Nebraska Junior Amateur and this Nebraska Mid-Amateur. He is now tied for fifth with Omaha's Bob Astleford on the all-time NGA men's title's list. Sajevic finished as the runner-up in all four of his previous Nebraska Mid-Amateur appearances.
Final results are available on the championship website below.
Nebraska Mid-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.
