Nebraska Cruises to Win 38th Junior Cup
Singles Matches Conducted Wednesday at Landmand Golf Club
HOMER (August 9, 2023) – Team Nebraska clinched early during Wednesday's Singles matches and cruised to the second-largest win ever at the 38th Kansas-Nebraska Junior Cup at Landmand Golf Club in Homer.
After jumping out to a nearly insurmountable lead, 7.5-0.5, after the first day, Nebraska followed that by winning the Singles session on Wednesday, 4.5-3.5. It added up to a 12-4 win for Nebraska, tied for the second largest winning margin in Junior Cup history, only 0.5 points from the record. Nebraska reclaimed the Cup, which had been held by Kansas for three-straight years, and narrowed the all-time series to 22-16, Kansas.
Unlike the first day, Kansas took the lead in several matches early. However, with Nebraska needing just one point to clinch the win, it wasn't long before the matches were decided, with several yet to finish. Omaha's Sam Vocelka, competing for the first time, led off for Nebraska and battled back from a front nine deficit to tie his match against Wichita's Carson Wright, and pull the team within a half-point of the Cup.
Omaha's Porter Topp was right behind Vocelka, battling with Olathe's Tyler Strong. Neither player led more than 1 up, and with the match tied, Topp birdied the 17th hole to take the lead and guarantee the clinching half-point. Strong won the 18th to tie the match, but the half-point for Topp gave Nebraska the 8.5 points needed to clinch the Cup for the first time since 2019.
Kansas notched the first two wins of the day in the following matches, with Wichita's Conner Geist defeating Gretna's Beau Petersen, 4 and 2, and Leawood's Alex Hogan defeating Lincoln's Owen Tucker, 4 and 3. The latter half of the matches were all very close, with three going to the 18th hole.
Omaha's Connor Steichen was the only Nebraska player to close out his match early, winning 2 and 1 over Hutchinson's Ty Adkins. Omaha's Jackson Benge also battled back from an early deficit, pushing his match to the closing hole, where he won to close out Overland Park's Ty Lasley.
Lincoln's Thomas Bryson earned a half-point with his tie against Shawnee's Jacob Fratzel, while Elkhorn's Trevor Gutschewski won the 18th hole to defeat Noah Holtzman of Wichita for a second-straight year, 1 up.
Gutschewski and Steichen were the top point earners for Nebraska, going 3-0 and earning all three possible points in their matches. All eight players on Team Nebraska earned at least two points. Benge, Topp and Vocelka each earned 2.5 points as well.
Nebraska, led by Captain Jake Hirz, fell a half-point shy of the record winning margin and total points, only trailing the 2007 Nebraska win at Wild Horse Golf Club in Gothenburg, 12.5-3.5.
Additional information, including full results, is available at the Junior Cup website below.
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.
