Gutschewski Closes out Nebraska Junior Match Play Title
Championship Final Conducted Thursday at Norfolk Country Club
NORFOLK (July 11, 2024) - Omaha's Trevor Gutschewski finally broke through after a year of heartbreaks and defeated Omaha's Tommy Kelley to win the 35th Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship on Thursday at Norfolk Country Club.
Gutschewski had spent 2024 picking up silver medals, finishing runner-up at the NSAA Class A Championship, Nebraska Junior Amateur and Nebraska Match Play. Thursday was different though, as he pushed through to defeat Kelley in the Final, 1 up.
It's a second NebGolf title for Gutschewski, who won the 2022 Nebraska Junior Amateur, before finishing runner-up the last two years at that championship. He joins his brother Luke, who won in 2019, as a Nebraska Junior Match Play Champion. They are also the first pair of brothers to both win each of the NebGolf junior championship, with Luke winning the 2020 Nebraska Junior Amateur.
Kelley will be a junior at Omaha Creighton Prep, while Gutschewski will be a senior at Omaha Westside, and is committed to play golf at the University of Florida.
The Final started with fireworks, as Gutschewski made birdie on the par-5 first and Kelley answered with a birdie on the par-4 second hole. Gutschewski then drove his tee shot into the greenside bunker on the 360-yard par-4 third hole, and converted the sand save for birdie to get his lead back.
Kelley responded once again though, rolling in a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 5 to tie the match. Gutschewski would then took the advantage at the turn, after hitting a great approach shot to a back left hole location on No. 9. He rolled in the short birdie putt to regain his 1-up lead.
The lead was short-lived though, as Gutschewski lipped out a birdie putt on the short par-4 10th, and Kelley dropped his in to tie the match again. They both had several birdie chances throughout the back nine to break the tie, but six-straight holes were tied with pars. Both players knocked down clutch par putts on No. 15, and Gutschewski had a short birdie attempt on No. 16 that slid by the edge.
Both were waiting for the other to make a mistake, and on the par-3 17th, it happened. Kelley missed long and left, and nearly pulled off an impossible up-and-down, but made just the third bogey of the match. Gutschewski left his birdie putt in conceded par range, and he was 1 up with one hole to play.
The par-5 18th made for an incredible finish, as Gutschewski snap hooked his drive into the left trees, and hit an impressive low, hooking punch shot just short of the green. Meanwhile, Kelley had hit a perfect drive and followed with a perfect second shot to five feet for his eagle attempt.
Gutschewski chipped up to about three feet, and Kelley had a putt to force extra holes. His eagle putt slid by on the low side and left Gutschewski with a chance to end the match. The birdie putt rolled right in the heart, and Gutschewski closed out the Final, 1 up.
The brackets are available under the Scoring tab of the championship websites below, along with full qualifying results and additional information.
Nebraska Girls' Match Play Championship
Nebraska Junior 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.
