LINCOLN (August 3, 2020) – Lincolns Nicole Hansen and Wahoos Lindsey Thiele were the only players in red numbers and hold the first round lead at the 46th Nebraska Women’s Amateur Championship at The Country Club of Lincoln. Hansen will be a redshirt sophomore on the Husker womens golf team this fall. The Bloomingdale, Illinois native caught fire from the start, while Thiele made a late charge to tie the lead. Both players finished at 71 (-1) and lead by one stroke over third place. Hansen came firing out of the gates, birdieing three of her first five holes to take the lead. She dropped back to 2-under a couple of times, but bounced right back with birdies on Nos. 11 and 16. However, she had some trouble around the green on No. 17 and double-bogeyed to fall back to 1-under. Thiele, who will be a freshman for the Huskers this fall, made the turn in 37 (+1), but opened the back nine with back-to-back birdies to get into red figures. She went into the 18th hole at even-par, but closed with her fourth birdie of the day to finish at 1-under.
Auroras Danica Badura is in third after a round of 72 (E). The 2020 Nebraska Girls Match Play and Nebraska Girls Amateur Champion opened with a front nine 39 (+3), but made a run on the back nine, closing in 33 (-3) to get back into the mix. Badura is trying to become the first player to win the Nebraska Girls Amateur and the Nebraska Womens Amateur in the same year. Two past Nebraska Girls Amateur Champions are tied for fourth at 74 (+2), including Kaitlyn Hanna of Omaha (2019) and Kirsten Baete of Beatrice (2016). Five-time champion Sarah Sasse-Kildow is competing for the first time since 2011, and shot a 75 (+3). Shes tied for sixth along with Lincolns Nicole Kolbas. Husker golfer Jessica Haraden is in eighth at 76 (+4), while 2019 Nebraska Girls Match Play Champion Lauren Thiele of Wahoo is tied for ninth with North Plattes Baylee Steele. Two-time champion Stephanie Kolbas of Lincoln, Nicoles mother, is tied for 11th with Chadrons Ricki Hickstein, the 2017 Nebraska Girls Amateur Champion, at 78 (+6).
