Ruge Takes First Round Lead at 50th Nebraska Women's Amateur
Round One Conducted Tuesday at Oak Hills Country Club
OMAHA (June 4, 2024) – Omaha's Katie Ruge charged into the lead after the first round of the 50th Nebraska Women’s Amateur Championship at Oak Hills Country Club on Tuesday.
Ruge, who held the 36-hole lead last year, fired the only round under par and leads by six strokes. The Kansas Jayhawk put together a round of 68 (-3) and is looking for her second NebGolf title, after winning the 2022 Nebraska Girls' Amateur.
It was an ideal day for scoring, and Ruge took advantage. She birdied the par-5 first hole to kick-off her round, and kept rolling from there. Ruge made an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole to boost herself to a front nine 33 (-3). Another par-5 birdie pushed Ruge to 4-under through 17 holes, but a bogey on the closing hole dropped her back to 3-under.
Three players are tied for second, six strokes back at 74 (+3), including Emily Karmazin of Omaha, Kelli Taulbee of Papillion and Arden Louchheim, a Husker golfer from Park City, Utah.
Two 2023 Champions are tied for fifth, with defending champion Miu Takahashi, a Husker golfer from Japan, and the reigning Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion, Naryn Kim of Lincoln, both shooting rounds of 75 (+4).
Megan Place McAfee of Omaha was Ruge's closest competitor for much of the round, as she was 2-under through eight holes, and later even-par through 13. However, the tough finish at Oak Hills Country Club dropped her to a 76 (+5), and she sits in seventh.
A big group is tied for eighth at 77 (+6), including former NebGolf champions Julia Karmazin of Omaha and Lauren Thiele of Wahoo. Rounding out the top 10, that group also includes Elly Speece of Omaha, Isabella Elgert of Lincoln, Elly Honnens of Lincoln and Olivia Lovegrove of Lincoln.
The second round begins tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., with Ruge, Karmazin and Taulbee teeing off No. 10 at 10:20 a.m.
The Nebraska Women's Senior Amateur field starts play on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. Pairings are available on the championship website below, along with the scoring pages and additional information.
Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship
Nebraska Women's Senior Amateur 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.
