Nebraska Golf Association
6618 South 118th Street, Omaha, NE 68137
T (402) 505-4653 F (402) 505-4695
www.nebgolf.org
NEWS RELEASE
June 23, 2017
FOR RELEASE:
Immediately
CONTACT:
Ben Vigil, Nebraska Golf Association, (402) 505-4653 ext. 105
NEBRASKA MATCH PLAY BEGINS MONDAY AT SHADOW RIDGE
Omaha – The 50th Nebraska Match Play Championship begins on Monday at Shadow Ridge Country
Club in Omaha, with a field of 146 players set to compete.
The Nebraska Match Play began in 1968 and will crown its 50th Champion, who will join a list of some of
the greats in Nebraska golf history. Shadow Ridge is hosting for the second time, the first in 2006 when
Omaha’s Patrick Duffy defeated Fremont’s John Sajevic, 4 and 3, in the Final. The club also hosted the
2001 and 2011 Nebraska Amateur Championships. The course can stretch to just over 7,000 yards,
though the set up will vary throughout the week
The Championship begins with 36-holes of Stroke Play Qualifying on Monday and Tuesday, after which
the field will be cut to the low 32 scores and seeded into the Match Play bracket. Match Play begins on
Wednesday with the Round of 32 and Round of 16, followed by the Quarterfinals and Semifinals on
Thursday. The 36-hole Championship Final will begin at 7 a.m. on Friday.
A strong field will compete in the qualifier, including the past two champions. Gibbon’s Rylee Reinertson,
the defending champion and also a National Champion with the Oklahoma Sooners this year, and Lincoln’s Michael Colgate, the 2015 champion, return after facing off in the 2016 Final. Also in the field, is
2016 Nebraska Amateur Champion, Alex Schaake of Omaha, and his older brother, Carson, who finished runner-up in the 2014 Nebraska Match Play.
Fremont’s Andy Sajevic, who won the Nebraska Amateur in 2011 at Shadow Ridge, and Elkhorn’s Ryan
Nietfeldt who tied for runner-up with John Sajevic, Andy’s father, that same year, will also be top contenders. Current NGA Point Standings Leader Philip Maschka of Omaha looks to pad his lead as well.
Luke Kluver, a 16-year-old from Norfolk, has already had a successful year, advancing to U.S. Open
Sectionals, finishing runner-up at the NSAA Class A State Championship, and qualifying for the U.S.
Junior Amateur Championship earlier this week. Kluver could become the youngest winner by three
years, if he were to go the distance.
Play begins at 7 a.m. each day, and pairings for Monday and Tuesday’s Stroke Play Qualifying Rounds
can be found at the championship website, along with other additional information: http://nebgolf.org/
Tournaments/2017/matchplay/index.htm.
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