Hanna, Thiele to Play for 100th Nebraska Women's Match Play Title
Quarterfinals and Semifinals Conducted Tuesday at Happy Hollow Club
OMAHA (June 6, 2023) - Omaha's Kaitlyn Hanna and Wahoo's Lindsey Thiele will face-off in the Final of the 100th Women’s Match Play Championship after advancing through the Quarterfinals and Semifinals on Tuesday at Happy Hollow Club in Omaha.
Thiele is back in the Championship Final for a second-straight year, while Hanna is there for the first time, though she owns two NebGolf titles. Hanna won the 2019 Nebraska Girls' Amateur and the 2022 Nebraska Girls' Match Play. Thiele is looking to breakthrough for her first NebGolf title, and join her three sisters (Haley, Hannah and Lauren), who all hold multiple titles.
Hanna had to hold off Lincoln's Isabella Elgert in the Quarterfinals, surviving a late charge to win 1 up. That setup a rematch of the 2022 Nebraska Girls' Match Play Final with Omaha's Katie Ruge, the No. 1 seed. Ruge, the 2020 Champion and 2022 Nebraska Girls' Amateur Champion, rolled through her first match, winning 7 and 6 over Lincoln's Naryn Kim.
Ruge and Hanna made zero birdies in their Semifinal match, but battled until the end. Hanna took an early lead by winning Nos. 5 and 6 with pars, the start of a stretch of 13-straight pars. The two tied 11-straight holes with pars and Hanna closed out the match with a two-putt par on No. 17, 2 and 1.
Thiele, who just made it into the bracket after a three-hole playoff, had a grueling morning, but made up for it in the afternoon. She had gained a 3-up lead through 13 holes over Cecilia Arndt of Columbus, but Arndt battled back to tied the match after No. 17. They went into extra holes, and Thiele chipped in for birdie on the 19th hole, before Arndt knocked down a birdie putt to extend the match again. Finally, on the long par-4 fourth, Thiele stuck her approach shot close and rolled in a birdie to win in 22 holes.
After playing 39 holes on Monday, including her qualifying round, the playoff and an 18-hole match, followed by 22 holes on Tuesday morning, Thiele was looking for a quick Semifinal match. She wasted no time against UNK golfer Allison Comer, winning the first three holes of the match. Thiele made the turn 5 up over Comer, and then moved to 6 up with a win on No. 11. The par-5 12th was the only hole Thiele lost, but she bounced back to win the next hole to close out the match in 13 holes, 6 and 5.
Hanna, who now plays at the University of Iowa, and Thiele, who plays for the University of Nebraska, will face-off in the 100th Nebraska Women's Match Play Championship Final at 8:20 a.m. at Happy Hollow Club.
There are also Finals in fourth other flight brackets. In the Founders Bracket in the Championship Division, Papillion's Sydney Taake and Omaha's Nicole Hansen will square up.
In the Tournament Division, Omaha's Debbie Wilbeck will face Omaha's Jane Pohlman in the Gross Bracket. Omaha's Linda Costello and Sherri Monson will play in the Net Bracket 1 Final. Sarah Nordlund of Nickerson and Phyllis Hall of Norfolk will play in the Net Bracket 2 Final, and Omaha's Pam Carmines takes on Bennington's Shari Strong in the Net Bracket 2 Final.
The updated brackets are available on the championship website below, along with additional information.
Nebraska Women's 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.
