YORK – Four players are left after two rounds of matches on Tuesday at the 10th Nebraska Senior Match Play Championship, and some great matchups are on tap at York Country Club.
The No. 1 seed John Sajevic of Fremont had two very different matches on Tuesday. His Round of 16 match was over quickly. In fact, he set the record for the largest winning margin in Nebraska Senior Match Play history. Sajevic’s 9-and-7 win over Marcus Bell of Bellevue lasted just 11 holes, during which he was 4-under-par.
Sajevic’s next match last a bit longer, as it took him 19 holes to defeat Papillion’s Eric Murphy. It was a rollercoaster of a match, as Sajevic took a 2-up lead with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 13th hole. However, Murphy birdied No. 15 and won the next two holes with pars to take a 1-up lead to the 18th hole. Sajevic flipped the script again, sticking his approach shot close on No. 18 to win the hole and force extras. He was dialed in again on the first extra hole, No. 10, hitting a long drive that left him less than 100 yards into the green. His approach shot nearly went in the hole on the second bounce, and he would two-putt for the win over Murphy.
Sajevic will take on Bennington’s Steve Buroker, who won, 3 and 2, over Omaha’s Gregg Vonnahme in the Round of 16. Buroker went on to take down four-time champion Mike Krumland of Columbus in the Quarterfinals, 3 and 1.
The defending champion is alive as well. Lincoln’s Ed Wyatt needed all 18 holes in his opening match to dispatch Kearney’s Brian McGuire, 2 up. Then Wyatt faced the 2018 Champion Matt Haynes of Papillion in the Quarterfinals. The two champions were tied at the turn, but Wyatt won holes No. 10 and 12 to take the lead. A birdie on the par-3 16th closed out the win for Wyatt, 3 and 2.
Kirby Smith of Omaha will try to end Wyatt’s win streak at six-straight matches on Wednesday. Smith, the No. 2 seed, also went the distance in his first match against Elkhorn’s David Allen. Smith won two of the last three holes to close out a 1-up win. He won in a similar fashion in the Quarterfinals, winning the 17th and 18th holes against Charlie Burt of Omaha to take the match, 1 up.
Sajevic and Buroker kickoff the Semifinals at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, followed by Smith and Wyatt in Semifinal No. 2 at 8:08 a.m. The 18-hole Final is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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