Csipkes Wins Third-Straight Nebraska Senior Golfer of the Year Award
Second Player to Three-Peat
OMAHA (November 13, 2024) - The Nebraska Golf Association is proud to announce the selection of Gretna's Brian Csipkes as the 2024 Nebraska Senior Amateur Golfer of the Year for a third-straight year.
Csipkes becomes just the second player to win the award in three consecutive years. He joins Fremont's John Sajevic, who holds the record with five-straight awards from 2015-2019, and also owns a record eight total. Csipkes has now won the award each full season he's had as a senior golfer, beginning in 2022.
Csipkes won the points race again this year, despite not capturing a NebGolf title for the first time since 2021. He swept the senior championships in 2022, and notched his second Nebraska Senior Match play in 2023. Csipkes did not raise a trophy, but continued his stellar play and proved to be the class of the senior circuit once again.
It was a third-straight top 5 finish at the 26th Nebraska Senior Amateur Championship in June for Csipkes. He shot rounds of 73 (+1) and 74 (+2) at Wayne Country Club to finish tied for fifth with Bellevue's Matt Haynes at 147 (+3).
In September, it looked like Csipkes would roll to a third-straight title at the 14th Nebraska Senior Match Play at Oakland Golf Club. He was the only player to break par in Stroke Play Qualifying, shooting a 70 (-2) for medalist honors and the No. 1 seed.
Csipkes cruised to a 6-and-4 win in the opening round of a stacked bracket, and then edged out Elkhorn's Steve Ritzman in the Quarterfinals. He won holes No. 16 and 17 to flip the match and win, 1 up. However, he ran into Haynes, the 2018 Champion, in the Semifinals. Csipkes' 10-match winning streak came to an end, as Haynes led throughout and won 2 and 1, on his way to a second title.
In July, Csipkes was one of four seniors to make the cut at the 116th Nebraska Amateur at Fremont Golf Club. He finished tied for 41st with a 294 (+11) total. A month later, he tied for 21st in a strong field at the 26th Nebraska Mid-Amateur Championship at Platteview Golf Club. Csipkes shot rounds of 73 (+1) and 76 (+4) for a 149 (+5) total, finishing lower than any other senior in the field.
In addition, Csipkes finished solo-second and tied for second in the senior divisions of the Indian Creek Invitational and the Fremont Invitational, respectively.
Csipkes will be honored at the Nebraska Golf Association's Celebration of Champions, featuring the Golf Channel's Rich Lerner, on Friday, December 6 at the Embassy Suites in La Vista (Tickets can be purchased here). In addition, NebGolf will recognize its Amateur Golfer of the Year, Women’s Amateur Golfer of the Year, Girls’ Amateur Golfer of the Year and Junior Amateur Golfer of the Year.
For more on the award, link below.
About NebGolf
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.
