Nebraska Takes Another Director's Cup Title
OMAHA (September 19, 2023) – Team Nebraska made a singles run on Tuesday to comeback and secure the 12th Director’s Cup at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta, Kansas.
The biennial event pits top amateur golfers from Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri in a team Match Play format. Nebraska won for the second-straight time, and now owns six of the 12 matches played.
Missouri jumped out to the lead after the first day of matches on Monday, earning 5 points in the morning Four-Ball session and another 5.5 points in the afternoon Foursomes, for a total of 10.5 points. Kansas was close behind, winning the Foursomes session with 6 points, and finishing the day with 10 points.
Nebraska was two points back after the first day, garnering 4.5 points in the Four-Ball matches and 4 points in the Foursomes matches, for an 8.5 point total. Elkhorn's Alex Farrell and Ryan Nietfeldt won their Four-Ball match, getting 2 of a possible 3 points in the Nassau scoring format against a team from Iowa. Bennington's Johnny Spellerberg and Omaha's Vance Janssen split their match, earning 1.5 points against Missouri. Omaha's Matthew Quandt and Elkhorn's Danny Woodhead won the front nine against Kansas, but lost the back nine and total, to come away with 1 point.
In the Foursomes matches, Janssen and Woodhead teamed up to get Nebraska off to a hot start. They swept their match against Iowa, winning all three points. However, the other Nebraska teams, Quandt and Nietfeldt and then Spellerberg and Farrell were only able to get .5 a point each. That left Nebraska two points behind Missouri, and 1.5 behind Kansas.
Singles matches were a different story though, as Nebraska made a run on Tuesday. Nebraska won four of its six matches, including two sweeps, and every player earned points, with the team totaling 12.5 Singles points. The next closest was Iowa with 9 points during the session. Nebraska finished with 21 total points to win, with Kansas and Missouri both finishing with 17.5 points, and Iowa with 16.
Janssen swept Kit Grove of Kansas, and Spellerberg did the same against Iowa's Nate McCoy, who just last week defeated another Fremont native, Andy Sajevic, in the Round of 32 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Spellerberg won the 18th hole to win the back nine, and supply the clinching point for Nebraska.
Nietfeldt, playing in his eighth Director's Cup, also secured a win on the 18th hole just ahead of Spellerberg. Nietfeldt took 2.5 points in his match against Spencer Nathaniel of Kansas. Woodhead rallied after losing the front nine to Missouri's Ryan Sullivan, winning the back nine and total match for 2 more points.
Farrell also came back after losing the front nine, winning two of the last three holes to win the back nine and tie the total, earning 1.5 points against Hunter Parrish of Missouri. In the last Nebraska match out, Quandt tied the back nine to get .5 points off Ethan Mechling of Iowa.
The win was the second-straight for Nebraska, and the third in four tries. Nebraska now leads the series with six wins, with Iowa (3), Kansas (2) and Missouri (1) trailing. The next Director's Cup Matches will take place in Iowa in 2025.
For more information on the Director’s Cup, visit the website at the button 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.
