In its 129 years of conducting championships, the USGA had by no means topped a winner from Nebraska.
That modified Saturday at Oakland Hills Nation Membership’s South Course, the place Trevor Gutschewski, a 17-year-old Omaha native and son of a PGA Tour professional, took down Tyler Watts, 4 and three, within the scheduled 36-hole remaining of the 76th U.S. Junior Newbie.
“It was a dogfight on the market,” Gutschewski stated. “Tyler’s an ideal participant; he saved me on my toes. Needed to play some actually good golf to return away with the win.”
A lot was made about Gutschewski’s place within the World Newbie Golf Rating as Gutschewski, ranked No. 3,517, navigated his means by match play. However that rating was lacking information, and one other junior-only rating slotted him No. 28, simply 13 spots again of Watts, a 16-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama, who’s a member of the inaugural U.S. Nationwide Junior Crew.
Add in his verbal dedication to the College of Florida and Tour pedigree – Scott Gutschewski, 47, has received 3 times on the Korn Ferry Tour and presently performs on the PGA Tour – and the younger Gutschewski had no purpose to not imagine he may pull off what could be his largest victory to this point, simply usurping his Nebraska Junior Match Play title from earlier this yr.
“If I play properly, I can dangle with anyone,” he stated earlier this week after upsetting Blades Brown within the Spherical of 32.
Scott Gutschewski, who missed the lower Friday on the 3M Open earlier than flying to Detroit to catch the championship match, describes his center son as a flusher, who will be powerful to beat when his driving it properly.
“He’s an absolute vary rat,” Scott Gutschewski advised Golf Channel on Friday evening. “He likes to hit balls and apply. He hits ball on a regular basis – at dwelling within the basement, outdoors within the climate, doesn’t matter.”
So, when Trevor Gutschewski wanted 23 holes to win his opening match in opposition to Wealthy Wills, he wasn’t exhausted. He didn’t path once more till dropping every of his first two holes in opposition to Brooks Simmons. He promptly took the following two after which within the semifinals knocked off WAGR’s highest-ranked participant within the area, China’s Xihaun Chang.
Even along with his spirited run to the ultimate, Gutschewski was nonetheless a large underdog to Watts, whose victories embody the Jones Cup Junior, Southern Junior and final yr’s Alabama State Newbie, the place Watts broke Gordon Sargent’s document as youngest champion. However Gutschewski got here out firing, carding 4 birdies in his first six holes to go 3 up. Watts clawed again and led 1 up on the break, solely to see Gutschewski birdie the primary gap once more to kickstart a scorching afternoon.
In 15 holes after lunch, Gutschewski misplaced simply considered one of them whereas notching 4 birdies, his remaining one coming on the par-3 thirteenth gap, the place he caught his tee shot from 147 yards to a few ft and went 3 up. He additionally didn’t card a bogey within the afternoon.
Discuss Nebraska toughness.
Along with his win, Gutschewski earns a spot in subsequent summer time’s U.S. Open at Oakmont. Scott Gutschewski performed the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage, lacking the lower. Trevor’s older brother, Luke, was co-medalist on the 2022 U.S. Newbie earlier than dropping his first-round match.
Trevor simply has USGA bragging rights now, each in his household and his complete state.
