Kelley Leads Big Red at Bearcat Invitational

Tommy Kelley notched his first top-25 individual finish as a Husker, tying for 21st with an even-par 213 to lead the Nebraska men's golf team at the Bearcat Invitational in Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Kelley, a freshman out of Omaha Creighton Prep, opened the two-day, 54-hole tournament on the 7,279-yard, par-71 layout at the Coldstream Country Club with back-to-back rounds of one-under-par 70 on Monday. He closed with a 73 (+2) in Tuesday's final round to put up Nebraska's top individual score of the tournament. Kelley also led the Big Red at the season-opening New York Harbor Cup, finishing in a tie for 27th.

Gavin Gerch, a junior out of Lincoln Southeast High School, added a solid tournament performance with a 215. Gerch bracketed rounds of even-par 71 around a 73 in Monday's second round to finish at two over par for the tournament.

Sophomore Caden Mickelson contributed a pair of rounds to Nebraska's team score on Monday with consecutive rounds of 72 (+1) before settling for a 75 (+4) on Tuesday to tie for 60th at 219 (+6).

Jaxson Hinze also pitched in a pair of rounds to the Husker team score, opening with a 72 (+1) before closing with an even-par 71 on Tuesday. He managed a second-round 77 to tie for 67th individually at 220 (+7). Hinze accomplished Nebraska’s second eagle of the season on the par-5, 558-yard eighth hole at Coldstream Country Club.

Junior Jackson Benge rounded out the Husker contingent by contributing a second-round 75 (+4) to Nebraska's team total in the five-count-four format. He tied for 83rd in the 96-player field at 223 (+10).

As a team, Nebraska finished 14th in a 17-team field with a three-round total of 864 (+12). The Huskers defeated Big Ten foe Minnesota (865) by one stroke, as the Golden Gophers tied Furman in 15th. Defending BIG EAST Conference champion Xavier finished 17th at 878 (+26), 14 strokes behind the Big Red.   

Liberty captured the team title at 837 (-15), while TCU took second at 840 (-12) and the hosts from Cincinnati claimed third at 842 (-10).

Liberty's Michael Lugiano and TCU's Cameron Kuchar shared medalist honors with 54-hole totals of 204 (-9).

The Huskers will make a quick turnaround by heading to Minnesota for the Gopher Invitational at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Maple Plain, Sept. 20-21.

Bearcat Invitational
Cincinnati, Ohio
Coldstream Country Club (Par 71, 7,279 yards)
Sept. 14-15, 2026

Final Team Results
1. Liberty - 274-280-283=837 (-15)
2. TCU - 283-274-283=840 (-12)
3. Cincinnati - 288-278-276-842 (-10)
4. Memphis - 279-283-283=845 (-7)
5. Augusta - 283-279-287=849 (-3)
6. Louisville - 280-282-288=850 (-2)
T7. Kentucky - 285-279-289=853 (+1)
T7. Maryland - 286-286-281=853 (+1)
9. Sam Houston - 285-282-287=854 (+2)
10. Chattanooga - 284-285-288=857 (+5)
11. Iowa State - 299-281-278=858 (+6)
12. UCF - 289-286-285=860 (+8)
13. Little Rock - 289-281-291=861 (+9)
14. Nebraska - 285-290-289=864 (+12)
T15. Furman - 294-283-288=865 (+13)
T15. Minnesota - 293-283-289=865 (+13)
17. Xavier - 290-288-300=878 (+26)

Final Individual Results
T1. Michael Lugiano, Liberty - 66-69-69=204 (-9)
T1. Cameron Kuchar, TCU - 68-67-69=204 (-9)
3. Yixiang Wang, Memphis - 68-67-70=205 (-8)
T4. Alex Malanga, Sam Houston - 70-69-68=207 (-6)
T4. Camden Goldknopf, UCF - 70-69-68=207 (-6)
T6. Sam Udovich, TCU - 72-66-70=208 (-5)
T6. Barron Mundy, Louisville - 67-69-72=208 (-5)
T8. Leo Wessel, Cincinnati - 71-68-70=209 (-4)
T8. Dianchao Wu, Iowa State - 72-68-69=204 (-4)
T8. Warren Thomis, Louisville - 68-70-71=209 (-4)

Nebraska Individuals
T21. Tommy Kelley - 70-70-73=213 (E)
T36. Gavin Gerch - 71-73-71=215 (+2)
T60. Caden Mickelson - 72-72-75=219 (+6)
T67. Jaxson Hinze - 72-77-71=220 (+7)
T83. Jackson Benge - 74-75-74=223 (+10)