OMAHA-HASTINGS (July 26th & 29th, 2024) – Presented by Farmers Mutual of Nebraska, Nebraska Junior Golf completed the 2024 Summer season by holding it’s tour championships at the end of July. The 9-hole championship took place at its familiar site of The Field Club of Omaha on July 26th and the 18-hole championship was held in Hastings at Lochland CC on July 29th.
The 9-hole championship had the youngsters starting on both sides. The Boys 12-13 Int., Girls 12-13 and Girls 9-11 went off the front and the Boys 9-11, Girls 7-8 and Boys 7-8 went off the back. There was some tremendous golf played by the youngest members of the tour. Walker Nannen of Lincoln won the Boys 12-13 Int. division with an impressive 31 (-4), winning by a 5-stroke margin. Claire Schmitz of Omaha shot 46 (+10) to win the Girls 12-13 division. In the Boys 9-11 division, 9 holes of golf wasn’t enough. Both Zeke Smith of Omaha and Brody Deutschman of Blair shot 37 (+5) to tie for first. Brody won in a sudden death playoff after one hole. In the Girls 9-11 division, Bennington’s Anna Midyett came out on top for the second year in a row with a score of 42 (+6). Carter Clure just edged out a victory in the Boys 7-8 division after shooting a 43 (+11) to win by two strokes. Finishing victorious in the Girls 7-8 division was new NJG member, Anna Dupy of Salina, KS, with a score of 43 (+11).
The 18-hole championship provided a lot of excitement as 3 of the 5 divisions had to be decided by way of a playoff. Starting in the Boys 16+ division, Kearney’s Nash Malone and Grand Island’s Prestin Vilai both carded 70 (-2) and needed an extra playoff hole to decide the champion. Nash Malone came out on top. In the Girls 14-15 division, Lauren Murnan of Omaha and Daleni Knust of Atkinson shot 80 (+8). It took one playoff hole to ultimately decide Lauren as the champion. KayLynn Jorgensen of Minden finished her impressive summer by shooting 76 (+4) to win the Girls 16+ division and Grady Friedrichsen defeated Kreyton Eikmeier (both out of Elkhorn) in a three-hole playoff after both shooting 71 (-1) in the Boys 14-15 division. In the Boys 12-13 division, Meyer Friedrichsen (younger brother of Grady) capped off his season as the tour champion after finishing at 77 (+5).
At the conclusion of play, the 2024 Players of the Year were also highlighted and awarded.
2024 NJG Tour Players of the Year:
Girls 16+: Julia Messere – Grand Island, NE Girls 12-13: Addison Kloeckner – Papillion, NE
Boys 16+: Prestin Vilai – Grand Island, NE Boys 12-13 Int.: Walker Nannen – Lincoln, NE
Girls 14-15: Sloan Mackintosh – Omaha, NE Girls 9-11: Hailey Schlegelmilch – Lincoln, NE
Boys 14-15: Zephyr Mowinkel – Milford, NE Boys 9-11: Cruz Hinze – Waco, NE
Boys 12-13: Leo Hong – Lincoln , NE Girls 7-8: Lennyn Rech – Ashland, NE
Boys 7-8: Samuel Kolkman – Omaha, NE
About NJG: The newly dubbed ‘Nebraska Junior Golf’ (NJG) continues the great partnership between the two organizations that began with the Nebraska Junior Golf Tour in 2009. Nebraska Junior Golf is an umbrella organization for all junior programs run by the Nebraska PGA and the NGA and will also include an avenue to other opportunities for juniors to learn and play the game throughout the state. The effort to create a “one-stop shop” for junior golfers and their parents will make it easier for those wanting to get involved in the game to know what opportunities are available. Nebraska Junior Golf provides junior golfers of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to learn and play the game of golf.
NJG Media Contact
Kurt Karcher, PGA - Director of Nebraska Junior Golf
Nebraska Junior Golf
610 J St. Unit 10
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 730-8364
kkarcher@nebraskajuniorgolf.com www.nebraskajuniorgolf.com
