Karmazin Secures Sweep at Nebraska Girls' Match Play
Gutschewski, Kelley to Face-off for Junior Match Play Title
NORFOLK (July 10, 2024) - Omaha's Julia Karmazin secured the sweep by winning the 62nd Nebraska Girls' Match Play Championship on Wednesday at Norfolk Country Club, while Omaha's Trevor Gutschewski and Tommy Kelley will face-off in the Final of the 35th Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship.
Karmazin defeated the Defending Champion, Naryn Kim of Lincoln, 2 and 1 in the Final to earn yet another title. It's her third NebGolf title in the last two years, and she becomes the seventh player to sweep the girls' championships in the same summer. Aurora's Danica Badura was the last to accomplish the feat in 2020.
It was a battle for Karmazin, who is headed to Creighton to play golf, as she had to fight through two matches that made it to the 18th hole. Her morning Semifinal match against Omaha's Lauren Murnan went the distance, after Murnan erased a 3-up lead, winning Nos. 14, 15 and 17. However, Karmazin came up clutch with a par on the 18th hole to win another match 1 up.
Karmazin dealt the first blow in the Final, jumping out to a 1-up lead over Kim with a par on No. 2. Kim answered by winning No. 4 with a par, but Karamzin dropped a long birdie putt on No. 5 and also won No. 6 to push her lead to 2 up. Both players birdied the par-3 seventh, and the Kim made her move.
The 13-year-old Kim won three of the next four holes to steal the lead away, and it looked like she might be in position for back-to-back titles. However, Karmazin came up clutch once again. She rolled in a downhill birdie putt on No. 13, and then stuck her approach close on No. 15 and added another birdie to get her lead back.
After a par on No. 16 pushed her lead back to 2 up, Karmazin needed just a two-putt par on No. 17 to close out the match and clinch the title.
On the boys' side, Gutschewski and Kelley each notched two more wins on Wednesday to advance to the Final. Gutschewski kept up his torrid pace, taking down Grand Island's Prestin Vilai in the Quarterfinals, 4 and 2. That setup a matchup with his former Omaha Westside teammate and the 2022 Champion, Jackson Benge of Omaha.
The two teammates tied the first eight holes of the Semifinal match, but Gutschewski took a 1-up lead at the turn with a par on No. 9. Gutschewski turned it on from there though, with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 to go 3 up. He won No. 13 with a par, and then rolled in a birdie on the par-3 14th hole to close out the match, 5 and 4, over Benge.
Kelley survived a battle with Omaha's William Barth in the Quarterfinals, winning the par-5 18th hole to finish off a 1-up win. Then it was a matchup with the 2023 Nebraska Junior Co-Golfer of the Year, Coltrane Mittag of Ashland.
Mittag took the first lead, but Kelley won three-straight holes on Nos. 3-5, and then never trailed again. Mittag fought back to tie it up, but Kelley birdied Nos. 10 and 11 as well to take a 2-up lead.
Mittag had some chances to cut into the lead, but couldn't get the putts to drop, and Kelley answered with some clutch putts to maintain his lead. They tied the next six holes, and Kelley rolled in a short par putt on No. 17 to win the match, 2 and 1.
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 Boys' Final is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. 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.
