The newsletter will always shoot for multiple sports in a single e-mail in our trip around the state but forgive us if this one is a bit golf heavy. We’ll try to get you ready for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Pinnacle Bank Championship at Elkhorn’s Indian Creek this week as well as give you a little sneak preview of the upcoming NSAA girls season as well.

All that and some more. Everyone in high school is practicing now. The journey has begun.

Eyes on Elkhorn

The Pinnacle Bank Championship in Elkhorn has turned into one of the premier events on the Korn Ferry Tour and — along with the US Senior Open that has come to Omaha twice — has given Nebraska some eyes on the national stage for golf coverage.

(Sidebar: At some point we are going to dive into some of the great golf courses in the COUNTRY that are right here in our backyard. Another day, however.)

WHAT TO KNOW: All of the big names on the tour this year will be in Elkhorn, which will make for an awesome event as the KF Tour is down to just three events left for 2023 and positioning for spots on the PGA Tour roster for 2024. If you have a Thursday ticket, get there EARLY!

Many of the top-25 will be out before 8:00 on the opening day meaning they will play shortly after noon on Friday. Included (points list standing): Ben Kohles (1), former Texas standout Pierceson Coody (4), Adrien Dumont de Chassart (6), Jimmy Stanger (7) and Grayson Murray (18). Also in that bunch is former Nebraska standout Scott Gutschewski, who has a win on the tour this year and is 11th on the points list and primed for a return to the PGA Tour. He is off at 7:29 am.

BECAUSE YOU NEED A PICK: Golf geek in me here is going to give you the Belgian Dumont de Chassart as the pick to win. He might be the best young talent out there right now after just finishing his college career at Illinois. Already a winner at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, he’s rattled off six top 10 finishes in his six starts since the NCAA Tournament was completed in late May. Well on his way to a lengthy PGA Tour career and could be a sure-fire Ryder Cupper for years to come.

IF YOU GO: If you head out to Elkhorn, spending some time watching the local boys (more on that below), but also chase around some of the guys in the top-25 if you can. And, where that might be best is on the weekend (and even if they are out of contention a little bit). Last year, we got to watch Sam Stevens and Eric Cole — almost by ourselves — for 18 holes on Sunday. This week, both are teeing it up in the FedEx Cup Playoffs in Memphis. Yes, these guys are good.

LOCAL FLAIR: This year should turn out to be great for crowds as multiple local players will get a start in the event. Here they are, in order of Thursday tee time.

1. Gutschewski: Veteran has turned in another solid year to earn his way back on tour in 2024. Has had good success at Indian Creek and gets to sleep in his own bed. Off at 7:29 (10) on Thursday.

2.  Nate Vontz: Lincoln Southwest and Creighton product, now playing as a professional. Played in the event as an amateur after winning Indian Creek Amateur, qualified this year via “Nebraska ties” qualifier at Firethorn. Off at 8:57 (1).

3. Carson Schaake: Two-time state champ at Creighton Prep and all-Big Ten at University of Iowa. Schaake played in the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines and also played in the PGA Tour John Deere Classic. Off at 8:57 (10).

4. Brandon Crick: McCook native and former Husker has been a mainstay on the KF Tour and is in the top-80 on the points list again this year. Off at 12:32 (10).

5. Noah Hofman: Another McCook native who Monday qualified for the PGA Tour’s 3M Championship two weeks ago in Minneapolis. Off at 2:11 (10).

6. Luke Kluver: Norfolk native and three-time NSAA state champion, now entering his final season at the University of Oklahoma. Will compete in next week’s US Amateur in Denver, Colorado. Off at 2:22 (10).

Golf: High School Style

The cream has, indeed, risen to the top in both boys and girls golf over the past few years in Nebraska and the state is turning out top talent each year. In this newsletter, we preview the 2023 Nebraska girls’ golf season.

Class A: Three-time champion Nicole Kolbas is off to Indiana so there will be a new player at the top, where seven of the 15 medalists from last year’s state championship return. They’ll have a new venue, however, as Riverside Golf Club in Grand Island will host the championship this fall.

Defending champion Lincoln Southwest appears ready to reload and will build around senior Lauryn Ball and sophomore Eden Larson in their quest for a third straight title. The chasers will likely be familiar as well with Lincoln East — Elly Honnens was the 2022 runner-up — Millard North and Omaha Marian providing most of the punch.

Returning Medalists: Honnens, Ball, Larson, Isabella Elgert (Lincoln East), Madison Murnan (Marian), Cali Wisdom (Millard North), Hailey Bayne (Lincoln East).

Class B: Scottsbluff’s Anna Kelley and Elkhorn North’s Julia Karmazin were out of range of their closest competitors last fall in Gering as Kelley’s final day 66 clipped Karmazin — a Creighton commit — by two shots. Third place, Waverly’s junior Tia Phaisan, was 17 shots behind Karmazin.

With Karmazin the clear favorite for an individual title, Omaha Duchesne brings back three of the seven returning medalists in the class in sophomore Whitney Dahir and seniors June Mullen and Kathleen Kelley. A best guess here is the top-four from last year could look eerily similar at Scotts Bluff Country Club in October — Duchesne, Scottsbluff, Elkhorn North and Bennington.

Update from our morning e-mail. Adams Central has opted up to Class B (we missed it). The Patriots return two Class C medalists — Peyton Hartman and Sidney O’Dey — and they also add Hastings High qualifier Kendal Consbruck to their team.

Returning Medalists: Karmazin, Phaisan, Dahir, Kiera Paquette (Beatrice), Mullen, Nielli Heinold (Scottsbluff), Kelley.

Class C: Can someone knock off Broken Bow?

That will be the million-dollar question as the Class C meet also makes a move to the west with North Platte’s Lake Maloney Golf Club hosting this year after a move from Columbus’ Elks Country Club. Coach Kelly Cooksley’s Indians have rolled to the past three Class C crowns, but they will have formidable competition in their bid for a fourth crown.

Defending champion Olivia Lovegrove of Lincoln Christian won the individual title by 13 shots last year over Broken Bow’s Camryn Johnson and both return as do seven other medals winners from the 2022 meet. Bow has three of those medalists. Minden, with third place finisher KayLynn Jorgensen, and Scotus, with fourth place finisher Cecilia Arndt, will provide four solid teams in Class C this year.

Returning Medalists: Lovegrove, Johnson, Jorgensen, Arndt, Hartman, Taylor Schaaf (Broken Bow), Molly Custer (Broken Bow), O’Dey, Olivia Prauner (Bergan), Kaylin Gaughenbaugh (O’Neill), Mia Hiebner (Heartland).

Football Fix

There will always be plenty of football at Flatwater Sports (especially on Saturday mornings), so we have to get you a little bit in each newsletter somehow. Today, we go from high school UP. 

Practice Reports: Over at nebpreps social media, our friend Mike Sautter has been cranking out Class A and B early season practice reports. You can catch all of them here, or if you’d like some bits and pieces here are a few: Omaha Westside, Gretna, Papillion-LaVista. The initial Pinnacle Bank Coaches Poll will be released this Sunday and you can catch all of those right here as the season goes along.

For All the Small Schools: We will do our best to dig through Division II, III and NAIA game reports as well to bring you some small college updates. And, who knows, maybe we’ll find a cool story or two or three or four. Here are the openers for the state’s small schools.

August 26th : Doane at Graceland (IA), 1:00 PM. Midland at Clarke (IA), 1:00 PM. Hastings at Peru State, 6:00 PM. August 31: Chadron State at Quincy (IL), 5:00 PM. Minnesota State-Morehead at Wayne State, 6:00 PM. Nebraska-Kearney at Central Oklahoma, 7:00 PM. September 2: Northwestern (IA) at Concordia, 1:00 PM. Nebraska Wesleyan at Austin (TX) College, 1:00 PM.

Husker Camp: We’ll get more into Husker football as the season goes along (and there will be PLENTY of thoughts), but for now you must pump these 30 minutes into your veins. We’ll need to see this all on the field, obviously, because, well Nebraska football has been offseason national champs a few times. This newsletter? We’ll take our chances on the Kool-Aid one more time.

Next Level

VIVA LAS VEGAS: Per her social media, Grand Island Senior High volleyball standout Tia Traudt has given a verbal commitment to UNLV to continue her volleyball career. The junior-to-be led the Islanders to a 21-12 record last season.

WANNA BE A COWBOY: Lincoln East’s Dash Baumann pledged his commitment to play football at Wyoming.

A BRAVE HUSKER: A preferred walk-on offer and commitment from Battle Creek two-way star Trent Uhlier. 

Shameless plug for commits. Our Dante Boelhower would love to work with you a commitment graphic. Hit him up: Twitter / Instagram.

UP NEXT: We will dive into a Nebraska prep boys tennis breakdown in our next newsletter and much more in our first Saturday edition. Man, nine days until high school football. Can’t wait. If you are enjoying this content, we’d love it if you shared this on social media or forwarded to a friend.

Parting Shot

john rave. JOHN RAVE: We haven’t had any baseball (yet), so how about a little Omaha Storm Chasers action and this amazing catch from John Rave. Multiple angles.