Clutch Putt of the Year
Nominees
Chris Green | Won the Nebraska Four-Ball with birdie putt on the first playoff hole
Alex Schaake | After Dylan McCabe rolls in a birdie from the back fringe on the 18th hole, Schaake holed his birdie putt to force extra holes in their Round of 32 match at the Nebraska Match Play Championships. Schaake went on to win in 20 holes, and eventually won the title.
Matt Haynes | Playing against good friend Tim Diehm in the semifinals of the Nebraska Senior Match Play Championship at their home club, Platteview Golf Club, Haynes had to sink a par putt to win the 18th hole and force extras. He went on to win in 19 holes and won the final later that day for his first title.
Alex Farrell | On the second hole of a 7-for-4 playoff for the final spots in the Nebraska Match Play bracket, Farrell drains the long distance putt to secure his spot.
Winner - Alex Farrell
Escape of the Year
Nominees
Jace Guthmiller | During the Nebraska Amateur Championship at Fremont Golf Club, Guthmiller found himself in the trees on No. 6 and still hit the putting surface.
Alex Farrell | During the Final Round of the Nebraska Four-Ball Championship at The Players Club in Omaha, Farrell sailed the par-5 15th green and had an awkward shot from the bushes, but creatively nestled it down close.
Andy Sajevic | During the Nebraska Amateur Championship at Fremont Golf Club, Sajevic's tee shot on No. 7 finished in the 11th fairway, with several tall trees in the way. He wedged it over the trees for a good birdie look, and made the putt.
Winner - Jace Guthmiller
Fist Pump of the Year
Nominees
Jason Kolbas | Kolbas rolls in a big putt on the 18th green during the Kansas-Nebraska Junior Cup Matches at Lawrence Country Club and gives the empathic fist pump.
Cade McCallum | McCallum celebrates a putt finally dropping for him during the Final Round of the Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship.
Tucker Knaak | With an assist from partner Luke Kluver, Knaak gets the early walk going and a great fist pump on a long putt that gave the duo a Four-Ball win in 13 holes at the Kansas-Nebraska Junior Cup Matches.
Luke Kluver | In an epic match with Alex Schaake in the semifinals of the Nebraska Match Play Championship, Kluver does his best Payne Stewart impression to celebrate a big birdie putt on the 15th hole.
Winner - Luke Kluver
Lip-Out of the Year
Nominees
Alex Zillig | One of a few brutal lip-outs during the final of the Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship for Zillig.
Alex Schaake | Schaake's putt on No. 6 at Fremont Golf Club circles the hole and returns back toward him during the Nebraska Amateur Championship.
Steve Redlin | Redlin's birdie attempt on the 16th at ArborLinks during the Nebraska Senior Amateur doesn't drop.
Travis Minzel | Minzel's eagle attempt on the par-5 15th at Fremont Golf Club refuses to go down during the Nebraska Amateur.
Winner - Alex Zillig
Round of the Year
Nominees
Alex Schaake | 64 (-7) at Firethorn Golf Club during the Second Round of U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying. Schaake had seven birdies and no bogeys and shot 30 (-5) on the back nine. He finished with a 132 (-10) total to earn medalist honors.
Nicolle Barmettler | 4 & 3 win over Susan Marchese at the Nebraska Women's Match Play Championship. Barmettler was 2 down after three holes, and won eight of the next 12. She had eight birdies in 15 holes.
Travis Minzel | 69 (-3) at Wild Horse Golf Club during the Final Round of the Nebraska Mid-Amateur. Minzel was five strokes back to start the round, and with several leaders falling down the leaderboard, he made five birdies and two bogeys, including birdies on three of his last five holes to complete the comeback and win his third title.
John Sajevic | 66 (-6) at ArborLinks during the Final Round of the Nebraska Senior Amateur Championship. Sajevic birdied six of his first 10 holes and had several other good birdie looks down the stretch. It was a record low final round, and he also set the record for win margin at nine strokes.
Winner - Alex Schaake
Quote of the Year
Nominees
Drew Morrissey | "Yeah, I'm just going to play free, I have really nothing to lose at all. I'm not really playing for anything, I'm just playing for fun. So, I'm just going to go out and play free and try to make as many birdies and pars as I can." -On his Nebraska Match Play quarterfinal match up with Alex Schaake.
Sean Song | "I actually did the same exact thing, pretty much, the second time around this afternoon, and I hit it to about half the distance that I did this morning, so it was like less than six inches. So that was a tap-in eagle, and then I made another just ridiculous eagle on No. 4. That was just a good chip, but just had the right line, and I was just back left, back of the green. So I just kind of got a little bit lucky, and a couple good breaks so I'm feeling pretty happy." -On making three eagles in a five-hole stretch at the Nebraska Match Play.
Luke Kluver | "When we play, it's hard to compare, it's almost like a Duke-North Carolina type of match up. We have a second part of us that's just like 'this means more to us,' but we do it all for fun and just for the love of the game."
Danny Woodhead | "A little bit more when I played in some of the NGA stuff, just because I do know that people know who I am. So people are like, 'is this guy going to shank it or is he going to blade it?' So, I would say it's funny, because that's the thing that keeps me coming back and playing the NGA tournaments, is because I like the rush. There was one time in the state am, where I hit the ball and as I'm walking, my heart is going crazy and I love that." -On his nerves playing golf versus playing football.
Winner - Luke Kluver
Shot of the Year
Nominees
Sean Song | In his Round of 32 match at the Nebraska Match Play Championship, Song was in extra holes against Blake Giroux and stuck his second shot on the par-5 second hole to tap-in range to take the match in 20 holes.
Kate Strickland | Strickland nearly holed out her wedge shot on No. 9 at Elks Country Club during the Final Round of the Nebraska Girls' Amateur Championship. She tapped in for birdie and went on to complete the comeback and win her title.
John Sajevic | Sajevic hit the flagstick with his approach shot on the par-4 seventh hole at ArborLinks. He tapped in for his fifth birdie in the first seven holes during his record Final Round 66 (-6).
Ryan Rogers | Rogers became the second player in three years to advance to the Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship Final with a walk-off hole-in-one during his semifinal match. Alex Schaake also did so back in 2016 when he won the title. Rogers' ace on the par-3 16th gave him a 4 and 2 win over York's Dalton Mogul.