Alex Schaake makes history with Nebraska Amateur Victory

OMAHA, NE (July 15, 2016) -- It was a historic day at Omaha Country Club as Alex Schaake became the first junior to win the Nebraska Amateur since 1996 when Ryan Vermeer won the title. Schaake finished even-par to win by two-strokes over defending champion Rylee Reinertson. Schaake, a Iowa commit, combined rounds of 69-67-71-73 throughout the week. It might have been the pressure of the situation but it was a slow start to the day for Schaake who began the day 3-under. Schaake bogeyed three holes on the front nine and two more early on the homeward nine and as a result he was 5-over for the day and 2-over for the week with just three holes to play. However, Schaake responded like a grizzled veteran with a birdie on No. 16, his first of the day, and then rolled in another birdie on the closing hole to return himself to even-par for the week. The struggles by Schaake let the likes of Ryan Reinertson back into the mix. After beginning the day 3-over, Reinertson got as low as 1-over thanks to an eagle on 16 and a birdie on the 17 but with a chance to tie the defending champion bogeyed the final hole. Matthew Unruh and Ryan Nietfeldt shared third at 5-over while Greg Stanek was 6-over and fifth.