Thiele, Heimes Earn No. 1 Seeds at Junior Match Play
OAKLAND (June 16, 2020) - Stroke Play Qualifying has concluded at the 31st Nebraska Junior Match Play and 58th Nebraska Girls’ Match Play Championships, and the match play brackets are set.
Isaac Heimes of Norfolk is the medalist in the boys bracket. His four birdies and two bogeys were good for a round of 70 (-2) in tough conditions that included wind gusts of over 30 miles-per-hour to earn medalist honors by two strokes. He enters the match play bracket as the No. 1 seed, and will play Jackson Benge of Omaha tomorrow morning.
Defending champion Luke Gutschewski of Elkhorn is the No. 2 seed. His even-par 72 round was the lowest in the afternoon wave and included three birdies to even out a triple bogey on the par-4 fourth hole. He will face Trey Ruge of Omaha tomorrow.
Jake Kluver of Norfolk took the third seed, after also carding an even-par 72. He had two birdies and two bogeys en route to a matchup with Thomas Bryson of Lincoln.
The No. 16 seed Jason Kolbas of Lincoln, the 2019 Nebraska Junior Amateur Champion, had a wild ride on his first nine holes of the day, rolling in a birdie on the 12th hole before three double bogeys in-a-row set him back. He bounced right back by playing the next three holes in 4- under par, going birdie-eagle-birdie. That led to a round of 76 (+4), and he'll play Tommy Kelley of Omaha, the youngest competitor in the field at just 12-years-old. Kelley also shot a 76 (+4) to earn the No. 17 seed.
The last seven seeds in the bracket were decided by an 8-for-7 play-off at 79 (+7). Six players earned a spot in the bracket on the first hole, and Jackson Benge of Omaha claimed his spot on the second hole of the play-off.
Wahoo’s Lindsey Thiele will be the No. 1 seed on the girls’ side. Her 74 (+2) claimed the medalist honors by a stroke over Emily Karmazin of Omaha. Thiele's rollercoaster of a round included four birdies and six bogeys. With a win in this championship, Lindsey would become the fourth Thiele sister to host the trophy, joining her sisters Haley, Hannah and Lauren as a champion.
The defending champion, and younger sister, Lauren Thiele, is in the bracket this year as well. She shot a 79 (+7) to claim the No. 6 seed. Lindsey faces off against Elly Speece of La Vista in the morning, and Lauren will play Ali Boswell of Gering.
Emily Karmazin’s 75 (+3) included two birdies and five bogeys in an afternoon where birdies were hard to come by. She will square off against Lauren Carr of Lincoln.
Claiming the No. 3 seed in the bracket is Nicole Kolbas of Lincoln. She carded a 76 (+4) that included four birdies, one of which came on the 18th hole.
The match play brackets and full stroke play qualifying results are available on the respective championship websites below.
Nebraska Girls' Match Play Championship
Nebraska Junior 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.
