Reinertson Wins Nebraska Match Play Championship

NORMAN — Oklahoma rising junior Rylee Reinertson claimed the 49th Nebraska Match Play Championship, played at the Firethorn Golf Club in Lincoln, Neb.

Reinertson, who also won the 2015 Nebraska Amateur Championship and was named the 2015 Nebraska Amateur Golfer of the Year, took the title in a dominating fashion on Friday. He defeated University of Nebraska rising senior and defending event champion Michael Colgate 6 and 5 in the 36-hole final match.

After taking an early 3-up lead with wins on holes No. 2, 3 and 4, Reinertson played consistently to grow his advantage to 7-up through the first 18 holes. The golfers went back and forth in the second half of the match, but Reinertson won holes No. 12 and 13 in the second round to take the victory.

"It was a great day," Reinertson said. "I played a bogey-free, 4-under round in the morning to build a 7-up lead, and then played steady in the afternoon to finish the match.The key this week was my short game, especially my putting. Firethorn Golf Club has a lot of slope, and I didn't have a three-putt all week long, which was huge!

"Another key this week was mental toughness," Reinertson continued. "Playing 36 holes three days in a row in 100 degree weather was pretty draining. I'm looking forward to the rest of summer and playing some more good golf."

Reinertson, a Gibbon, Neb., native, was given the No. 6 seed in the match play bracket after tying for second with a two-round 140 (-2) in the stroke play qualifier, which took place Monday and Tuesday. He continued his strong showing and advanced through the match play bracket, including coming back from a 2-down deficit in Thursday's semifinals to win 3 and 2.

Complete results from both stroke and match play competition can be found here.