South retains Junior Cup title
Lawson, Crick
help South
beat North
GOTHENBURG -- Under the guidance of team captain Tyler Riewer, the Nebraska Golf Association's computer intern, the squad from the South claimed victory for the second straight season at the North-South Junior Cup Matches.
McCook's Tyler Lawson and Brandon Crick were members of the winning South squad.
Gothenburg's Wild Horse Golf Club played host to the event Thursday and Friday, where the South team prevailed with an 8-4 win.
The 2004 North-South Junior Cup, conducted by the Nebraska Junior Golf Association, featured the top 24 boys and girls from across the state who were selected based upon the NJGA Points Standings released on July 15.
One point was awarded for a win in each of the 12 matches, with half points given if the matches ended all square.
On Thursday afternoon, players were paired together to compete in Four-Ball Matches, where two play their better ball against the better ball of two other players.
After completion of the Thursday afternoon round, the South garnered a 5-1 lead over the players from the North, helped in large part by wins in all three of the girls' matches.
Players were repaired Thursday evening in preparation for Friday's Foursome Matches.
In foursome match play, two play against two and each side plays one ball.
The partners play alternately from the teeing grounds and alternately during the play of each hole.
Though the North squad fought hard in Friday morning's matches, walking away with three points via wins in each of the boys matches, the team from the South was awarded the cup for the second straight year after garnering eight of the 12 points available.
"My team, even with such a strong lead going into today, never stopped playing good golf. Rachel Byleen and Steph Sutton were down two early in the back nine and fought to the end to win their match on the last hole," Riewer said.
"If the days had been reversed, I think the North team really would have given us a run. It's definitely hard to beat the Robbins-Sutko duo who had five birdies down the stretch to come back from four-down.
"That's impressive. Those were guys who really wanted to win. Though I wasn't very prepared to offer advice or strategy, I really didn't need to.
"My team's biggest strengths were the relationships they had with each other," Riewer said.
"I feel like my players preformed especially well together because of the chemistry they had as a team, which made it a lot of fun for all of us."
Members of the triumphant South team include: Austin Anderson, Lincoln; Brandon Crick, McCook; John Hurley, O'Neill; Tyler Lawson, McCook; John Paek, Lincoln; Phillip Thompson, Lincoln; Rachel Byleen, Lincoln; Krista Hrdlicka, Wahoo; Shelly McLaughlin, Lincoln; Amanda Schnell, York; Leigh Sutton, Lincoln; and Stephanie Sutton, Lincoln.
The North Team featured: Jason Fuehrer, Norfolk; Phil Hranac, Kearney; Ben Porter, Kearney; John Robbins, Omaha; Andrew Storm, Omaha; John Sutko, Omaha; Abby Bartlett, Grand Island; Megan Bartlett, Grand Island; Betsy Conry, Omaha; Johnna Jeffries, Grand Island; Mary Narzisi, Omaha; and Kylie Smith, Omaha.
The North squad was captained by Nebraska Golf Association P.J. Boatwright Intern Kyle Nuss.