Hastings to Host Nebraska Girls' and Junior Amateur
Championship Begins Monday at Lochland Country Club
HASTINGS (July 7, 2022) - Lochland Country Club is set to host the 23rd Nebraska Girls' Amateur Championship and the 56th Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship, Monday through Wednesday next week.
Both championships feature 54 holes of stroke play, with 36 girls and 113 boys set to compete. The fields will be cut following Tuesday, with the low 36 scores and ties on the boys' side and the low 15 scores and ties on the girls' side advancing.
Elkhorn's Trevor Gutschewski is returning to defend his title after winning last year at Beatrice Country Club. He'll try to become the first player to win back-to-back titles since Omaha's Alex Schaake won three straight in 2014-2016. He's paired with 2021 Junior Amateur Champion Connor Steichen and 2022 Junior Match Play Champion Jackson Benge.
There is no defending champion on the girls' side, as the 2022 champion, Katie Ruge of Omaha, is in college and not eligible to compete. Only one NebGolf Champion is in the field, Naryn Kim, who, in June, became the youngest Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion at 12-years-old. She's paired with North Platte's Karsen Morrison, who qualified for the 74th U.S. Girls Junior through qualifying Awarii Dunes Golf Club in June, and Izabella Pesicka of Omaha.
Lincoln's Owen Tucker is another notable player on the boys' side. Tucker had an impressive June, winning the Junior Match Play and making it to the Round of 16 in the Nebraska Match Play the following week. He's paired with Tommy Kelley of Omaha and Elkhorn's Ryan Lingelbach.
The championship kicks off Monday at 8 a.m. at Lochland Country Club, with boys in the morning and afternoon wave, and girls just in the afternoon. The girls will play in the morning on Tuesday, with boys in both waves again. The final round is scheduled for an 8 a.m. start on Wednesday.
Lochland Country Club has hosted the Nebraska Girls' Amateur twice before, in 2005 and for the inaugural edition in 2001. It has been 41 years since the Junior Amateur visited the club in 1982, and Lochland was the first course outside of Lincoln to host the event in 1974. The par-72 layout designed by David Gill will play 5,904 yards for the girls and 6,989 yards for the boys.
Groupings and starting times for the first two rounds of the championship are available under the Pairings tab of the championship websites below.
Nebraska Girls' Amateur Championship
Nebraska Junior Amateur 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.
