Bartels Qualifies for U.S. Junior, Gregg and Nachmann Qualify for U.S. Girls' Junior
GOTHENBURG (June 25, 2019) – Lincoln’s Josh Bartels qualified for the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and Julia Gregg of Farmers Branch, Texas and Elle Nachmann of Boca Raton, Florida advanced to the 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship on Tuesday at Wild Horse Golf Club in Gothenburg
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Bartels, a University of Nebraska-Omaha commit, was in good position headed to the back nine. He made three straight birdies on the front nine and was 2-under. However, back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13 dropped him back to even-par, and two players ahead of him had posted 2-under 70s. That didn’t faze the Lincoln Southwest graduate though, as he bounced right back with four straight birdies to get to 4-under. He had a chance at another on the finishing hole, but a par on No. 18 closed out a round of 68 (-4) to give him medalist honors and the lone qualifying spot by two strokes.
Alec Nachmann of Boca Raton, Florida and Inigo Izuzquiza of Madrid, Spain tied for second at 70 (-2) and went into a playoff to decide the alternate positions. Nachmann birdied the first playoff hole to earn first alternate. Izuzquiza will be the second alternate.
Gregg was on fire from the start to earn medalist honors for the girls’ qualifier. The Arkansas commit birdied seven of her first 13 holes to jump into the lead at 5-under. She made par on her final five holes to post the lowest round of the day, a 5-under 67. It will be Gregg’s fourth time playing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior, where she’s made match play once. Elle Nachmann had a different round, but a similar result. She was even-par through 13 holes, and finished with three birdies on the final five holes to shoot 69 (-3) and earn the second qualifying spot.
Wahoo’s Lindsey Thiele is the first alternate after shooting a round of 73 (+1). Thiele was in contention for a qualifying spot after an eagle on the par-5 14th pushed her to 1-under, but two more bogeys dropped her into an alternate position. Sophie Simon of Potomac, Maryland birdied the 18th hole to clinch the second alternate position with a 76 (+4).
Bartels, who finished runner-up at the Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship last week, will next play at the 72nd U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, July 15-20. Gregg and Nachmann advance to the 71st U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, July 22-27.
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