Kolbas Wins Girls’ Amateur

Kolbas Wins Girls’ Amateur
Nicole Kolbas-Photo Courtesy Nebraska Golf Association
August 4th, 2021 | Nebraska Golf Association

FREMONT (August 3, 2021) – Lincoln’s Nicole Kolbas completed an incredible back nine comeback to win the 21st Nebraska Girls’ Amateur Championship on Tuesday at Fremont Golf Club, while Grand Island’s Marcus Holling and Omaha’s Connor Steichen produced the only under-par rounds of the day and share the 36-hole lead at the 54th Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship

Kolbas started the final round three strokes back, and charged through the back nine, finishing with a 71 (E) to win by two strokes at 145 (+3). She joins her mother, Steph Kolbas, who won two Nebraska Women’s Amateurs and a Nebraska Women’s Match Play, and her older brother Jason Kolbas, who won the 2018 Nebraska Junior Amateur, as a state champion.

The junior at Lincoln Pius X is the reigning NSAA Class A Champion, which Kolbas won by an incredible 12 strokes, but she had not yet won a NGA title. Kolbas finished runner-up in both girls’ championships last year, but did not let anyone beat her this week.

The final round started off on a sour note for most of the girls at the top of the leaderboard, with Kolbas making double-bogey on the first hole and the leader, Kaitlyn Hanna of Omaha, making double-bogey on No. 2. Hanna righted the ship, unlike most of her competitors, and played even-par golf until halfway through the back nine.

Hanna’s lead grew to four strokes at one point, but Kolbas came charging after making the turn in 38 (+3). She made birdie on No. 12 to get within three strokes, then was suddenly one stroke back after Hanna double-bogeyed the par-4 14th hole. Playing in the group ahead of Hanna, Kolbas was hole-high in two at the par-5 15th hole, and made a delicate up-and-down for birdie to tie the lead. Wahoo’s Lauren Thiele, the 2021 Nebraska Girls’ Match Play Champion had also tied the lead after a birdie on No. 13 moved her to 4-over.

The par-4 16th was shortened for the final round, and Kolbas gave it a go with driver. Her drive settled just short of the green, and a simple chip and putt gave her another birdie and the lead for the first time at 3-0ver. Kolbas came in with two clutch pars for a back nine 33 (-3) and her even-par 71. Thiele bogeyed No. 16, and Hanna did the same on No. 18, and Kolbas sealed a two-stroke victory.

Hanna and Thiele tied for runner-up honors at 147 (+5). Hanna also tied for runner-up honors a couple weeks ago at the Nebraska Women’s Amateur. Papillion’s Sydney Taake was fourth at 150 (+8) and Omaha’s Emily Karmazin was fifth at 151 (+9).

Katie Ruge and Julia Karmazin of Omaha finished at 153 (+11), tied for sixth. Scottsbluff’s Emily Krzyzanowski was eighth at 155 (+13), while two players tied for ninth. North Platte’s Karsen Morrison and Lincoln’s Neely Adler rounded out the top 10, who all received medals, at 159 (+17).

Holling and Steichen both shot a second round of 70 (-1) to jump into the lead at 141 (-1). Holling was the first player in under-par, making birdie on No. 15 to get to even-par and then finishing with another to post his red number. He knocked a wedge close from the left rough on No. 18 and rolled in the putt for his closing birdie.

Steichen followed soon after with his 70 (-1) to match the low round of the day. The 2021 Nebraska Junior Match Play runner-up made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 to move to 1-under, and close out his round with two-straight pars.

Omaha’s Jake Boor is just a stroke back after a round of 72 (+1). He was tied for the lead after the first round, and jumped in and out of the lead during the second round. He turned in 35 (-1), but bogeyed three of his first six holes on the second nine, before a birdie on No. 7 to finish at 142 (E).

Jackson Benge of Omaha is in fourth at 143 (+1) after a rare round of 18 straight pars. His 71 (E) kept him two strokes back. Ashland’s Coltrane Mittag also shot a 71 (E), and sits in fifth at 144 (+2).

Three players are tied for sixth at 146 (+4), including the reigning Nebraska Junior Match Play Champion, Christopher Atkinson of Omaha. Lincoln’s Thomas Bryson and Hastings’ Brayden Schram are tied with Atkinson after 36-holes.

The field was cut after Tuesday’s round, with 41 players advancing at 155 (+13) or better. The final round is set for an 8 a.m. start on Wednesday, with the leaders set to tee off at 11 a.m. Full results and final round pairings are available at the championship website below.

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