Huskers Plan to Build Momentum at Bearcat Invitational

The Nebraska men’s golf team heads to Cincinnati to compete in the 17-team Bearcat Invitational at Coldstream Country Club, Sept. 14-15.

The two-day, 54-hole event starts with a shotgun start on Monday at 8 a.m. (CT) to set up two rounds of continuous play. The tournament concludes on the same schedule for Tuesday’s final round. Live scoring for the event will be available at scoreboard.clippd.com.

The 17 teams will be challenged by a par-71, 7,279-yard layout as they contend for the tournament title. Maryland and Minnesota join the Huskers in representing the Big Ten in a field that features 14 teams that finished 2025-26 ranked among the top 100 programs in the nation.

Louisville (34) and TCU (35) are the highest ranked teams from a year ago, followed by Little Rock (53), Chattanooga (56), Memphis (58), the hosts from Cincinnati (61), Kentucky (64) and Iowa State (69). Minnesota (73), Liberty (75), Nebraska (83), Xavier (93), UCF (94) and Maryland (99) round out the top-100 schools in the tournament.

Tommy Kelley led the Huskers at the season-opening New York Harbor Cup (Aug. 31-Sept. 1).  The freshman from Omaha opened his career by tying for 27th with a three-round total of 217 (+4). Kelley’s tournament included Nebraska’s first eagle of the season on the par-5, 579-yard eighth hole at the Bayonne Golf Club.

Gavin Gerch, a junior out of Lincoln Southeast, tied for 38th with a three-round total of 221 (+8) in his Husker debut. Gerch put up Nebraska’s best individual round of the tournament with an opening-round 69 (-2). He followed with rounds of 75 and 77 to close as NU’s No. 2 finisher.

Jaxson Hinze, another Husker newcomer, produced Nebraska’s No. 3 finish in New York, tying for 46th at 226 (+13). The freshman out of York High School opened with a 73 (+2). 

Junior Jackson Benge and sophomore Caden Mickelson rounded out the Husker contingent at the Harbor Cup by tying for 47th at 227 (+14). Nebraska’s top returning golfers from a year ago will be looking for bounce-back efforts at the Bearcat.

Bearcat Invitational
Cincinnati, Ohio

Host: Cincinnati

Coldstream Country Club (Par 71, Yardage 7,279)

Schedule
Monday, Sept. 14 (Rounds 1 & 2) - 8 a.m. CT (shotgun)
Tuesday, Sept. 15 (Round 3) - 8 a.m. CT (shotgun)

Live Scoring: Scoreboard.Clippd

 

Participating Teams (17)
Augusta, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Furman, Iowa State, Kentucky, Liberty, Little Rock, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Minnesota, Nebraska, Sam Houston, TCU, UCF, Xavier, 

Nebraska Lineup (5-count)
1. Tommy Kelley, Fr., Omaha, Nebraska
2. Gavin Gerch, Jr., Lincoln, Nebraska 
3. Jaxson Hinze, Fr., Waco, Nebraska
4. Jackson Benge, Jr., Omaha, Nebraska
5. Caden Mickelson, So., Kansas City, Missouri

 

Huskers Take a Trip to Bluejay Invitational
Several Huskers will journey down I-80 for the Bluejay Invitational (Sept. 21-22). The tournament will begin with 36 holes Monday, Sept. 21 before concluding with the final round on Tuesday, Sept. 22 on a par-72, 7,013-yard layout at Shadow Ridge Country Club located in Omaha. 

 

Nebraska individuals will compete in a field that includes golfers from Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Northern Iowa, Iowa, Omaha, Bradley, Lindenwood and the hosts from Creighton.

Husker Trio Among Big Ten Golfers to Watch in 2026-27
Nebraska’s Jackson Benge, Caden Mickelson and Evan McDermott were included in the group of Big Ten Men’s Golfers to Watch for the 2026-27 season.

The golfers to watch were announced by the conference on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Benge, a junior from Omaha, Neb., wrapped up an incredible sophomore season at Nebraska with a 13th-place finish at the Big Ten Championship. Benge matched his collegiate career best with a 54-hole total of 210, 7,003-yard layout of the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore. Benge’s Big Ten finish was the best by a Husker since the school joined the conference, and the best by a Nebraska golfer at a conference tournament since Brady Schnell’s third-place finish in 2007. Benge, who produced eight top-25 individual finishes, posted a 71.76 stroke average on the year.

Mickelson added another historic season by notching a Nebraska freshman-record 72.14 stroke average over 37 rounds for the Big Red in 2025-26. He added another Husker freshman record with his 201 (-12) on his way to a third-place individual finish while helping Nebraska to a team tournament title at the Git-R-Done Invitational. He closed the year with five top-25 finishes.

McDermott earned his second straight appearance among Nebraska’s Golfers to Watch. The graduate student from Spring Lake, Mich., was a regular in the Nebraska lineup for a second straight season in 2025-26. He closed his fourth season as a Husker with a career-best 73.15 stroke average over 33 rounds. He owns eight career top-25 finishes at Nebraska.