Omaha, NE – For the first time in event history, The Players Club of Omaha hosted the Nebraska PGA Professional Championship. 63 PGA Professionals from across the Nebraska Section competed at the Arnold Palmer design with six qualifying spots into the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. Coming into the championship, Ryan Vermeer, PGA of Happy Hollow Club had won four straight and was looking for another.
Right off the bat, Vermeer was off to a hot start with four birdies to begin his day just before a hole-out eagle on No. 5 that put him six-under. Vermeer made the turn during the first round shooting an opening 28 (7-under) that put him on 59-watch. He ended up firing an opening round of 62 (9-under) and never looked back. With rounds of 62, 66 and 69, Vermeer finished at 16-under par after the 54-hole championship and won by a staggering 11 shots. The victory marked his fifth consecutive and sixth in the past seven years.
With Vermeer already exempt into the 2023 PGA Professional Championship (due to winning the 2018 PGA Professional Championship), five additional qualifying spots were up for grabs and the drama around those spots came down to the final stretch. After finishing his first two rounds at 1-over-par, Andrew Storm, PGA of Shadow Ridge Country Club caught fire during the final round. He jumped from eighth place all the way up to solo-second thanks to a closing 65 (6-under) and he advanced to his first career PGA Professional Championship.
Winning our 2022 Nebraska Senior PGA Professional Championship wasn’t enough for Ted DiGiacomo, PGA of Golf Galaxy/Happy Hollow Club. DiGiacomo finished at 4-under for the week and qualified for his second national championship of the season. Completing the same feat was our 2022 Nebraska Assistant PGA Professional Champion Jay Cottam, PGA of Meadowlark Hills GC. Cottam, Judd Cornell, PGA of The Players Club of Omaha and Steve Friesen, PGA of Firethorn Golf Club all finished at 2-under to advance to the national championship.
We would like to thank our presenting sponsors Cadillac, Club Car and Rolex, our supporting sponsors Titleist/FootJoy, Callaway Golf, Nike, TaylorMade, Golf Channel and the PGA Tour. We also want to thank Director of Golf Tyler Lane and the entire staff at The Players Club of Omaha for hosting our championship. We look forward to cheering on our team of six that will compete from April 30th – May 3rd in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship.
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About The Nebraska Section PGA
The Nebraska Section of the PGA is one of 41 Sections that together comprise the PGA of America. The Nebraska Section PGA is a non-for-profit organization comprised of nearly 300 PGA Members and Associates who strive to promote the enjoyment and growth of the game of golf. The Nebraska Section PGA encompasses the entire State of Nebraska, western fifth of Iowa and a small portion of South Dakota including Dakota Dunes and Yankton. The Section office is located in Lincoln, NE and acts as a resource for local and national golf information for the golf professional and amateur player alike. Our members are often referred to as “Club Professionals”, not to be mistaken as PGA Tour Professionals. Each Nebraska Section PGA Professional serves as an expert in the ever-changing business of golf. They are the leading expert players and teachers, skilled business managers, community leaders, and superior merchandisers who have dedicated their careers to the local delivery of these services.
The Nebraska Section PGA, 610 J Street, Suite #10, Lincoln, NE 68508