Landmand to Host 101st Nebraska Women's Match Play
Stroke Play Qualifying Begins Tuesday at Landmand Golf Club
OMAHA (July 21, 2024) - As a new century begins with the 101st Nebraska Women’s Match Play Championship, a first-time venue will host next week, July 23-26, with Landmand Golf Club in Homer as the stage for 73 players.
After celebrating 100 years last year at a historic venue, Happy Hollow Club in Omaha, one of the newest clubs in the state will start a new chapter. Landmand Golf Club will host its first women's championship, after hosting the Nebraska Mid-Amateur the past two years. The King-Collins design was named the 2022 Best New Public Course by Golf Digest, and recently made the Top 200 Modern Courses in the U.S. by Golfweek, checking in tied for 40th.
A strong field of 41 players will compete in the Championship Division, including one past champion. Omaha's Katie Ruge, the 2020 Champion, is looking for a sweep of the women's majors. She rolled the competition at Oak Hills Country Club in Omaha last month to win the 50th Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship by eight strokes.
Ruge earned an exemption into the U.S. Women's Amateur with that win, and will compete in that championship in August. She is looking for her third NebGolf title, also having won the 2022 Nebraska Girls' Amateur. Ruge, a Millard North graduate, played the first two years of her collegiate career at Kansas University, but recently transferred to play for the Omaha Mavericks this fall.
Omaha's Julia Karmazin is also in the field after a dominant run on the junior circuit this year. She swept both girls' championships, winning her second-straight Nebraska Girls' Amateur title in June, and following it up with a victory at the Nebraska Girls' Match Play earlier this month.
Kelli Taulbee of Papillion, who finished third at the 2024 Nebraska Women's Amateur, is in the field as well. She's looking for her first NebGolf title after recently moving to the state.
Lincoln's Naryn Kim would be the youngest champion in history at 13 years old. The 2023 Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion finished runner-up to Karmazin in her bid for back-to-back titles. Kim fell to Ruge in the Quarterfinals last year.
Ruge is the only returning Semifinalist from last year, although Isabella Elgert of Lincoln, Cecilia Arndt of Columbus and Emily Krzyzanowski of Scottsbluff all return from the Quarterfinals, in addition to Kim.
The championship begins Tuesday morning with an 18-hole Stroke Play Qualifying round. In 2024, the bracket has been expanded, so the top 32 will advance to the championship bracket. The Rounds of 32 and 16 will be conducted on Wednesday, with the Quarterfinals and Semifinals slated for Thursday. Friday morning brings the 18-hole Championship Final.
Landmand Golf Club is a par-73 course measuring 6,165 yards for this year’s championship.
In addition to the championship competition, the Tournament Division will feature gross and net matches from a shorter set of tees. Omaha's Theresa Wanek, the 1975 Champion, is competing in the Tournament Division.
Play begins at 8 a.m. off No. 1 for Tuesday's Stroke Play Qualifying Round. Pairings for qualifying are available on the championship website below, along with the scoring page and 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.
