Golf notes: Nebraska grad Brandon Crick should make PBC field; Scott Gutschewski may return soon | Local golf

Crick’s position should be good enough for him to be in the 156-golfer field for the PBC, which starts July 16 at Indian Creek. There will be some Web.com Tour members with status on the PGA Tour who will get into that tour’s Barbasol Championship ; it’s opposite the British Open.

Omaha’s Scott Gutschewski is on a Web.com Tour medical exemption after surgery last October to repair his left Achilles tendon — three years after surgery on his right Achilles — but he might be ready to return to competition.

He is on the entry list for Monday’s open qualifying for the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic, which starts Thursday in Silvis, Illinois. As for the Pinnacle Bank Championship, Gutschewski said last week while caddying (on foot) for son Luke at the Nebraska men’s match play tournament that he will make a decision close to the July 13 commitment deadline.

Rylee Reinertson has made some money in his jump from college to pro golf. On the PGA Tour Canada, he made the cut in his first start and recently tied for 14th in his second made cut. During the tour’s qualifying tournament, he recorded his first hole in one.

Carson Schaake from Omaha has relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he played in a handful of tournaments last winter, but is back in town for his summer schedule. He intends to go through qualifying on July 16 for the Pinnacle Bank Championship.

Former O’Neill resident John Hurley also has entered the PBC qualifier, through which he got into the field last year. This weekend he is at the Bakker Crossing stop on the Dakotas Tour and is eyeing the Waterloo Open as a fallback if he doesn’t make the PBC.

Volunteer signup for the Pinnacle Bank Championship is in its final 10 days. While registrations are ahead of last year’s pace, there’s a greater need than in 2017 , when there were more than 500 volunteers.

Volunteers are expected to work two to four shifts and pay $50, which covers the uniform of a polo shirt and hat or visor and provides free tournament admission, five anytime admission tickets and other perks. Go to thepinnaclebankchampionship.com/volunteer-overview for more information or call the tournament office at 402-991-2525.

New Nebraska match play champion Alex Schaake of Omaha and 2017 qualifier Luke Kluver of Norfolk top the in-state hopeful list in Monday’s U.S. Amateur sectional at Firethorn in Lincoln.

The 57 entrants will play 36 holes to determine the two qualifiers and two alternates for the U.S. Amateur that starts Aug. 13 at Pebble Beach.

About 10 golfers are from outside the region, hoping to “steal” a spot from the locals.

Danica Badura of Aurora and incoming Nebraska freshman Megan Whittaker from Elkhorn South are in the field for the Girls Junior PGA Championship that begins Monday at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Kentucky.

Badura, who will be a junior, shot par 71 at Fremont Golf Club to win the Nebraska Section PGA championship. Whittaker needed two extra holes to edge Nicole Kolbas of Lincoln, who won the 13-15 age division, after they shot 79s.

Those three later were on the Nebraska team that took third in the Girls’ Four-State Championship at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames, Iowa. Badura was seventh overall, Whittaker eighth and Kolbas ninth. Ricki Hickstein of Chadron and Omaha’s Kristin Goertz also played for Nebraska, which led after the first day.

Also at Fremont, Preston Skeen of Kearney won the Nebraska Section PGA boys 13-15 championship by one stroke over Jack Davis of La Vista, Colton Stock of Omaha and Isaac Heimes of Norfolk. The section’s 16-18 championship is July 25 at The Pines in Valley.

Monday’s Golf FORE the Troops Pro-Am, at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln, pushed the 12-year contributions from the tournament to more than $165,000 for scholarships to Nebraska children of military parents who have served in military conflict since 9/11.

It also marked the first pro win for Andrew Storm of Shadow Ridge, who won a playoff against Shane Zywiec of Highlands in Lincoln after they each shot 66.

Chadron’s Ricki Hickstein and Gavin Fox from Grand Island Central Catholic were champions at the Nebraska Lions High School Senior All-Star tournament. The 36-hole event at Meadowlark Hills in Kearney included 31 graduated seniors who had top finishes at their 2017-18 high school state tournaments.

Hickstein’s 7-over 149 was three strokes better than the 152 by Kristin Goertz from Omaha Duchesne. Fox also shot 149, two better than the 151 by Mason Hale from West Holt.