Nebraska

Nebraska tough: Trevor Gutschewski makes USGA history in U.S. Junior win

Published

2 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Nebraska tough: Trevor Gutschewski makes USGA history in U.S. Junior win

In its 129 years of conducting championships, the USGA had never crowned a winner from Nebraska.

That changed Saturday at Oakland Hills Country Club’s South Course, where Trevor Gutschewski, a 17-year-old Omaha native and son of a PGA Tour pro, took down Tyler Watts, 4 and 3, in the scheduled 36-hole final of the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur.

“It was a dogfight out there,” Gutschewski said. “Tyler’s a great player; he kept me on my toes. Had to play some really good golf to come away with the win.”

Much was made about Gutschewski’s place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking as Gutschewski, ranked No. 3,517, navigated his way through match play. But that ranking was missing data, and another junior-only ranking slotted him No. 28, just 13 spots back of Watts, a 16-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama, who is a member of the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team.

Add in his verbal commitment to the University of Florida and Tour pedigree – Scott Gutschewski, 47, has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour and currently plays on the PGA Tour – and the young Gutschewski had no reason not to believe he could pull off what would be his biggest victory to date, easily usurping his Nebraska Junior Match Play title from earlier this year.

“If I play well, I can hang with anybody,” he said earlier this week after upsetting Blades Brown in the Round of 32.

Scott Gutschewski, who missed the cut Friday at the 3M Open before flying to Detroit to catch the championship match, describes his middle son as a flusher, who can be tough to beat when his driving it well.

“He’s an absolute range rat,” Scott Gutschewski told Golf Channel on Friday night. “He loves to hit balls and practice. He hits ball all the time – at home in the basement, outside in the weather, doesn’t matter.”

Trevor Gutschewski and his father hug after his victory during the finals of the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Logan Whitton/USGA)

Logan Whitton/USGA Museum

So, when Trevor Gutschewski needed 23 holes to win his opening match against Rich Wills, he wasn’t exhausted. He didn’t trail again until dropping each of his first two holes against Brooks Simmons. He promptly took the next two and then in the semifinals knocked off WAGR’s highest-ranked player in the field, China’s Xihaun Chang.

Even with his spirited run to the final, Gutschewski was still a sizable underdog to Watts, whose victories include the Jones Cup Junior, Southern Junior and last year’s Alabama State Amateur, where Watts broke Gordon Sargent’s record as youngest champion. But Gutschewski came out firing, carding four birdies in his first six holes to go 3 up. Watts clawed back and led 1 up at the break, only to see Gutschewski birdie the first hole again to kickstart a sizzling afternoon.

In 15 holes after lunch, Gutschewski lost just one of them while notching four birdies, his final one coming at the par-3 13th hole, where he stuck his tee shot from 147 yards to a couple feet and went 3 up. He also didn’t card a bogey in the afternoon.

Talk about Nebraska toughness.

With his win, Gutschewski earns a spot in next summer’s U.S. Open at Oakmont. Scott Gutschewski played the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage, missing the cut. Trevor’s older brother, Luke, was co-medalist at the 2022 U.S. Amateur before losing his first-round match.

Trevor easily has USGA bragging rights now, both in his family and his entire state.

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Nebraska

New York Jets Sign Former Nebraska Cornhusker, Kansas State Wildcat Adrian Martinez

Published

9 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Press Room

New York Jets Sign Former Nebraska Cornhusker, Kansas State Wildcat Adrian Martinez

Another shot at the NFL for a former Husker.

The New York Jets have announced the signing of Adrian Martinez. The former Husker and Kansas State Wildcat quarterback electrified the UFL this year, placing him squarely on the radar for NFL teams.

Martinez earned UFL MVP honors while playing for the Birmingham Stallions. He threw for 1,749 yards and 15 TDs in addition to leading the league with 528 yards rushing.

Detroit Lions quarterback Adrian Martinez (18) scrambles in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium.

Aug 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Adrian Martinez (18) scrambles in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Back in 2023, Martinez went undrafted, ultimately signing a free agent deal with the Detroit Lions and spending the preseason there.

In college, Martinez played in 49 games, including 39 for Nebraska. The first three-time Husker captain in history holds a plethora of Nebraska records, including the career mark for total offense (10,792 yards).

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, following HuskerMax on X, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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Nebraska

David Sanders Jr. visits Nebraska and is welcomed by Husker Nation

Published

17 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Press Room

David Sanders Jr. visits Nebraska and is welcomed by Husker Nation

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – It’s a big recruiting weekend for Nebraska, and when Dylan Raiola calls, the Husker Nation answers. Raiola posted on X on Friday asking fans to welcome the nation’s top offensive tackle, David Sanders Jr. out of North Carolina.

Sanders visited Nebraska back in May and is keeping the Huskers as a top contender.

Raiola, Head Coach Matt Rhule and other Huskers greeted Sanders outside of the new Tom Osborne Complex.

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Nebraska special session: Sen. Wayne votes to adjourn; gaming bills introduced

Published

24 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska special session: Sen. Wayne votes to adjourn; gaming bills introduced

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – An attempt was made to end the second day of the Nebraska Legislature’s special session before senators got down to work.

Early in the session, Omaha Senator Justin Wayne introduced a motion to adjourn — something he had urged his senators to consider doing en masse immediately on Day 1 in a sharply worded letter to the body earlier this week.

Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature John Arch addressed the senators before the vote was taken into motion.

“This is ours now to do; only we can pass legislation. The governor cannot pass Legislation. So, it is now our work that we have to do; citizens are watching,” Arch said. “I don’t know about you, but I know in my district, there is a lot of interest with what’s happening here in this session.”

The motion to adjourn failed on a 34-4 vote. The senators went back to work, discussing bills and amendments that have been made over the first two days of the special session.

State Sen. Tom Brant of Plymouth introduced legislation that would redefine terms related to Nebraska’s brand new sports betting, under the Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act.

Right now, Husker fans can’t bet on their team when they play at home, and there is no mobile betting in Nebraska.

Critics believe fans will take their betting dollars across the bridge to bet on the Huskers, and make other bets from their phones without walking into the casino.

Officials from Omaha’s Warhorse Casino say that once again, Nebraska will be missing out on millions of dollars every year.

“That’s another $32 million towards property tax relief; we’re very focused on that. Nebraskans have supported gaming lately because they wanted to reduce some of their property taxes,” Warhorse Casino spokesman Lance Morgan said.

Lawmakers will take Saturday off to give the bill drafters time to catch up on dozens of bills that have been introduced. They will reconvene at 9 a.m. Monday.

Speaker Arch says the third day of the session will be the last day to drop bills.

DAY 2 BILLS SUMMARY

Among the other 15 bills submitted on Friday:

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue put foward a bill on retail delivery fees.

Omaha senators Machaela Cavanaugh and Jen Day introduced bills on homestead exemptions.

State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha introduced a bill to change how state constitution amendments are proposed to the Legislature.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha submitted a bill focused on reducing the prison population by allowing early release from parole and commutation recommendations for certain sentences.

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Digital Director Gina Dvorak contributed to this report.

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