Full Field of 156 Ready for 56th Nebraska Match Play Championship
Championship Begins Monday at Beatrice Country Club
BEATRICE (June 23, 2023) – The 56th Nebraska Match Play Championship is set for June 26-30 at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice with several of Nebraska top players competing.
It will be the third time hosting for Beatrice Country Club, which hosted the championship in 1982, when Lincoln’s Mike Schuchart won, and again in 1997, when Lincoln’s Judd Brewer won.
The championship begins with 36 holes of Stroke Play Qualifying on Monday and Tuesday, after which the field will be cut to 32 players and seeded into a match play bracket. Match play begins Wednesday, with the Rounds of 32 and 16, followed by the Quarterfinals and Semifinals on Thursday, and the 36-hole Championship Final on Friday.
The full field of 156 players includes the defending champion, Johnny Spellerberg of Bennington, who defeated York’s Reed Malleck in last year’s final. Spellerberg has had a stellar start to 2023, winning the Nebraska Four-Ball in May with partner, Austin Miller of Elkhorn, and then earning a spot in U.S. Open Final Qualifying, through Local Qualifying at Omaha Country Club the following week. He currently holds the No. 2 spot in NebGolf Point Standings.
Past champion Luke Kluver of Norfolk (2020) will also be looking for a second title and currently holds the top spot in NebGolf Point Standings, based on his win at the Tom Dinsdale Automotive Amateur Championship at Riverside Golf Club in Grand Island, and a runner-up finish at the Fremont Invitational at Fremont Golf Club. Kluver is scheduled to play Stroke Play Qualifying with Malleck and Omaha’s Charlie Zielinski.
A couple other past champions are in the field, including Ryan Nietfeldt of Elkhorn, the 2003 Champion. He is looking for his 11th career NebGolf title, and another championship win would tie him with Fremont's John Sajevic for the most career men’s titles.
The 2004 Champion, Travis Minzel of Lincoln, is competing once again. The Husker assistant coach is paired with Creighton golfer Kolby Brown of Omaha, and Thomas Bryson of Lincoln, who just finished runner-up at the Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship last week.
The 2021 Nebraska Amateur Champion, David Easley of Lincoln, looks to win his first match play title and NFL veteran running back Danny Woodhead of Elkhorn is also competing in Beatrice after earning medalist honors and the No. 1 seed last year. Woodhead will play qualifying with Nietfeldt and the 2022 Nebraska Junior Match Play Champion and Husker commit, Jackson Benge of Omaha. Easley is paired with the 2022 Nebraska Junior Amateur Champion, Trevor Gutschewski of Elkhorn, and Matthew Schaefer of Fordyce, who fell in the semifinals to Spellerberg last year.
Owen Tucker of Lincoln, who just won the 34th Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship at Wayne Country Club is in the field as well.
Beatrice Country Club is a par-72 layout that will measure around 7,169 yards for the championship. Play begins at 8 a.m. for Monday and Tuesday's Stroke Play Qualifying. Pairings for qualifying are available on the championship website below, along with the scoring page and additional information.
Nebraska Match Play Championship
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.
