Reed Malleck (Nebraska Golf Association Photo)
York's Reed Malleck capped off a historic week to win the 116th Nebraska Amateur Championship on Friday at Fremont Golf Club.
Malleck shot a final round 2-under 69 to win by one stroke over his Husker teammate Hamish Murray, finishing 11-under total. It's Malleck's first Nebraska Amateur title, and he is the fifth player with four rounds in the 60s, having shot 3-under 68 each of the first three rounds.
It was another perfect day at Fremont Golf Club, but storms rolled in late during the round, and rain fell over the last four holes. Play was suspended briefly, but the last three groups finished after a 10-minute delay.
Malleck and Murray went back and forth during the Final Round. It was Malleck who made the first move, making a birdie on the par-3 fourth to take the lead at 10-under. After a bogey on No. 6, he bounced back with a birdie on the short par-4 seventh to get back into the lead.
The battle continued, though, as Murray birdied No. 9 after eight straight pars to match the lead. He hit the flagstick with his tee shot on the par-3 No. 10, but the ball spun back too far, and he made par.
Malleck took charge with a chip-in birdie on No. 12 and followed with a birdie on No. 13. Murray made a bogey on the par-5 No. 13, and the lead grew to three strokes. However, Malleck hit it in the penalty area on No. 14 and made a double bogey, dropping his lead to just one stroke.
The brief suspension happened on the par-5 15th, after which Murray rolled in a birdie putt to tie the lead. Malleck still wasn't fazed, though, and dropped in a tricky downhill birdie putt on No. 16 to take the lead back for good.
The rain started to fall again on the 18th hole, and Murray had a birdie putt to tie the lead. It slid by, though, and Malleck two-putted for par to secure the win.
Malleck joins Dean Wilson Jr. in 1960, Mike Klein of Scottsbluff in 1975, Steve Friesen of Lincoln in 1998, and Brandon Crick of McCook in 2009 as the only players to shoot four rounds in the 60s. He adds the Nebraska Amateur title to his win at the 2020 Nebraska Junior Match Play.
Murray finished runner-up at 10-under, while his other Husker teammate, Evan McDermott, finished third at 7-under.
Ashland's Coltrane Mittag finished fourth and earned Low Junior honors with a 6-under total. His final round 1-under 70 capped off four straight rounds under par, joining Malleck and Murray as the only players in the field to do so.
Grant Jabenis of Omaha, another Husker golfer, finished fifth at 5-under with a final round 3-under 68. Omaha's Luke Gutschewski was sixth at 4-under, and Calvin Freeman of Table Rock and Jon Oswalt of Omaha tied for seventh at 3-under.
Gavin Gerch and David Easley of Lincoln, the 2021 Champion, rounded out the top 10 in a tie for ninth at 2-under. Gerch played the best over the last two rounds, following his third round 5-under 66 with a final round 1-under 70 for a 6-under weekend.
Two legends finished in a tie for 18th at 3-over. Fremont's John Sajevic likely played in his last Nebraska Amateur and added to his record resume. After extending his record with a 38th made cut, he earned his 35th top 25 finish, seven more than the next closest player.
Elkhorn's Ryan Nietfeldt, the 2002 Champion, tied Sajevic at 3-over. He pushed his totals to 21 made cuts and 18 top 25 finishes.
ABOUT THE Nebraska Amateur
Must be a resident of the state of Nebraska or a
non-
resident student that attends college in Nebraska.
Open to NGA members only. Format is 72-holes of
stroke play with the low 60 players and ties playing
the
final 36-holes.
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