Whoever plays qualifying leader Tanner Owen in the Nebraska men’s match play golf championship this week better not expect to pick up ground against him on Players Club’s par-5s.
The Husker senior-to-be from Parkville, Missouri, birdied all three Tuesday in a 5-under 66 and was 5 of 6 while taking medalist honors at 7-under 135.
Into the par-5s Tuesday, he hit driver/9-iron, 3-wood/7-iron and 3-wood/9-iron.
“You have to play smart. If you don’t have to hit driver or if it’s only to get you to a quarter-wedge instead of a half-wedge or full wedge, there’s no reward to the risk,’’ Owen said. “It’s set up shorter than what I’m used to playing, so I have to tell myself, ‘You have to hit driving irons, you have to hit 3-woods.’”
Normally as the No. 1 seed, Owen would be in the first pairing Wednesday morning for the first of the day’s two rounds. But he gets to sleep in two hours longer.
A thunderstorm suspended the playoff for the final spot in match play — his first-round opponent. Class B boys golf champion Luke Gutschewski, with tour pro dad Scott as caddie, and Gretna’s Michael Croker agreed to resume at 7 a.m. Wednesday on the fourth extra hole. They were putting on the par-3 third hole when cloud-to-ground lightning was visible to the west behind them, but finished the hole.
The winner, the last to qualify from the original 5-for-4 playoff, advances to play Owen at 9:30 a.m.
Iowa Western golfer Cade McCallum of Grand Island snared the No. 2 seed at 3-under and Creighton sophomore-to-be Tucker Knaak of Plainview the No. 3 seed at 2-under. Brian Csipkes of Gretna and Ryan Nietfeldt of Omaha were the only others at par or better for the 36 holes.
First-round leader William Amundsen shot 77 in the second round and is the No. 13 seed.
Nietfeldt (2003), Travis Minzel of Lincoln (2004), Andy Sajevic of Omaha (2013) and father John Sajevic of Fremont (1989 and 1996) are the past champions among the top 32.
Tanner Owen, Parkville, Mo. 69-66—135
Cade McCallum, Grand Island 70-69—139
Tucker Knaak, Plainview 70-70—140
Brian Csipkes, Gretna 72-70—142
Ryan Nietfeldt, Omaha 70-72—142
Caleb Badura, Aurora 74-69—143
Dan Huston, Omaha 74-69—143
Noah Hofman, McCook 72-71—143
Matthew Unruh, Lincoln 72-72—144
Nate Vontz, Lincoln 71-73—144
Matthew Schaefer, Fordyce 69-76—145
William Amundsen, Omaha 68-77—145
Andy Sajevic, Omaha 73-72—145
David Easley, Lincoln 75-70—145
Josh Bartels, Lincoln 77-69—146
Mitchell Klooz, Imperial 76-70—146
Jay Moore, Lincoln 73-74—147
Alex Zillig, La Vista 71-76—147
Steve Buroker, Omaha 71-76—147
AJ Nolin, Omaha 72-76—148
Grant Jabenis, Omaha 72-76—148
John Sajevic, Fremont 72-76—148
Matt Petersen, Omaha 74-75—149
Daniel Pearson, Longmont, Colo. 74-75—149
Reed Malleck, York 76-73—149
Josh Peters, Omaha 77-73—150
Travis Minzel, Lincoln 73-77—150
Cole Grandfield, Omaha 73-77—150
Mark Wright, Omaha 78-73—151
Austin Murray, Kearney 76-75—151
Glenn Bills, Grand Island 75-76—151
Luke Gutschewski, Omaha 79-72—151
Michael Croker, Gretna 76-75—151
Failed to qualify
Jayson Brueggemann, Lincoln 74-78—152
Roger Sack, Lincoln 77-75—152
Jake Boor, Omaha 76-76—152
Kellen Rossman, Norfolk 76-77—153
Kevin Sullivan, Omaha 75-78—153
JT Hudson, Omaha 77-77—154
Mike Siwa, Omaha 77-77—154
Brandt Radloff, Blair 75-79—154
Chris Rasmussen, Omaha 78-76—154
Josh Wilson, Papillion 81-73—154
Tyler Ehresman, Omaha 75-80—155
Blake Giroux, Omaha 74-81—155
Danny Woodhead, Omaha 77-78—155
Jace Kratzenstein, Kearney 75-81—156
Matt Kingston, Springfield 76-80—156
Jason Kolbas, Lincoln 79-78—157
Tyler Welch, Seward 78-79—157
Hudson Schulz, Lincoln 81-76—157
Jacob Godwin, Omaha 80-77—157
Grant Johnson, Lincoln 77-81—158
John Lapour, Omaha 78-80—158
Ryan Knispel, Omaha 76-82—158
Vance Janssen, Blair 80-78—158
Christian Hall, Omaha 78-80—158
Kean Kontor, Fremont 75-83—158
Ethan Blair, Omaha 81-78—159
Scott Tridle, Lincoln 76-83—159
Johnathan Hudson, Omaha 77-82—159
Brett Hoffman, Kearney 76-84—160
Rourke Jensen, Lincoln 80-80—160
Alex Kubik, Aurora 82-79—161
Tylar Samek, David City 78-83—161
Andrew Morrissey, Omaha 88-74—162
Preston Carbaugh, Cambridge 85-77—162
Patrick Clare, Lincoln 81-81—162
Bryce Vuncannon, Columbus 76-87—163
Mason Hale, Atkinson 81-82—163
Jake Matzner, McCool Junction 80-83—163
Joe Torkelson, Omaha 80-83—163
Rex Soulliere, Omaha 81-82—163
Andrew Godwin, Omaha 89-75—164
Jacob Reckin, Bellevue 81-83—164
Sean Denning, Bellevue 82-82—164
Nash Holm, Omaha 80-85—165
Ryan Rogers, Omaha 84-81—165
Drew D’Ercole, Papillion 82-84—166
Jeffrey Paschal, Papillion 80-87—167
Evan Russo, Yutan 84-84—168
Keevan Statz, Lincoln 83-85—168
Jack Riggins, Lincoln 88-81—169
Lucas Leinen, Bellevue 82-88—170
Evan Macke, Omaha 82-88—170
Will Porter, Kearney 84-86—170
Grant Maser, Gering 87-84—171
Vincent Nigro, Omaha 87-84—171
Charlie Levy, Omaha 85-87—172
Jason Eggers, Omaha 84-88—172
Jack Song, Omaha 92-83—175
Jordan Hart, Omaha 84-92—176
Kaleb Fullerton, Omaha 87-90—177
Sam Morse, Columbus 88-90—178
Caleb Bukacek, Omaha 91-93—184
Jayden Neal, North Platte 94-90—184
Chad Geiger, Lincoln 82-DQ
First-round pairings — 7 a.m.: Huston (8) vs. Pearson (25). 7:10: Unruh (9) vs. Malleck (24). 7:20: Csipkes (4) vs. Wright (29). 7:30: Amundsen (13) vs. Jabenis (20). 7:40: Nietfeldt (5) vs. Peters (28). 7:50: Schaefer (12) vs. J. Sajevic (21). 8 a.m.: McCallum (2) vs. Murray (31). 8:10: Klooz (15) vs. Zillig (18). 8:20: Hofman (7) vs. Grandfield (26). 8:30: Vontz (10) vs. Petersen (23). 8:40: Knaak (3) vs. Bills (30). 8:50: A. Sajevic (14) vs. Buroker (19). 9 a.m.: Badura (6) vs. Minzel (27). 9:10: Easley (11) vs. Nolin (22). 9:20: Bartels (16) vs. Moore (17). 9:30: Owen (1) vs. Gutschewski or Croker (32). Second-round matches scheduled from 1:30 to 2:40 p.m.
