Kolbas, Whittaker Star on Day One of Nebraska Women's Match Play Championship
Stroke Play Qualifying and Round of 16 Conducted Tuesday at Elks Country Club
COLUMBUS (May 31, 2022) - The conditions were excellent Tuesday morning for Stroke Play Qualifying for the 99th Nebraska Women’s Match Play Championship at Elks Country Club in Columbus, and Elkhorn's Megan Whittaker and Lincoln's Nicole Kolbas stole the show.
Whittaker, a Husker golfer, and Kolbas, a soon-to-be-senior at Lincoln Pius X, shot rounds of 71 (-1) to take co-medalist honors. Kolbas took the No. 1 seed and Whittaker the No. 2 seed after a random draw.
Seventeen players finished the day with scores of 81 (+9) or better, so a playoff was necessary for the 16th seed between Madi Schlaepfer of Gretna and Emily Karmazin of Omaha. Karmazin won on the second playoff hole to face Kolbas in the Round of 16.
The Round of 16 followed qualifying in the afternoon. Kolbas was able to head comfortably into the Quarterfinals with a 6-and-4 win over Karmazin, and Whittaker finished her match with five holes left, winning 6 and 5 over Brooke Thiele of Wahoo.
Whittaker will take on the defending Nebraska Women's Mid-Amateur Champion Carrie Bostar, who defeated Abby Brodersen of Albion 2 and 1 to advance. Kolbas is slated to take on Wahoo's Lindsey Thiele, who also won 6 and 5 on Tuesday, over North Platte's Karsen Morrison.
Beatrice's Kirsten Baete, the defending Women's Match Play Champion, also cruised into the Quarterfinals, taking down Katie Ruge, who won the championship in 2020, 4 and 3. Baete will take on Aurora's Danica Badura, who fought back from being 2-down to Haley Thiele to win the match in 17 holes, 2 and 1.
Papillion's Sydney Taake upset the No. 6 seed, Julia Karmazin, in the opening round, 2 and 1. She'll take on UNK golfer Allison Comer, who drained a 20-foot putt on her 17th hole to defeat Emily Krzyzanowski of Scottsbluff, also 2 and 1.
The Quarterfinals start at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Visit the the championship website below for the updated bracket and more.
Nebraska Women's Match Play Championship
About the NGA
The Nebraska Golf Association, 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 the NGA. 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.
