Honors & Awards

  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2021)
  • Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2023)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022; Spring 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
  • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2021, 2022, 2023)
  • NAIA Championship Qualifier (59th, Northwestern College, 2019)
  • NAIA Ping All-Central Region (2019)
  • Great Plains Athletic Conference Player of the Year (2019)
  • Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament Title (2019)
  • Nebraska Golf Association Co-Amateur of the Year (2019)
  • Nebraska State Match Play Champion (2019)
  • Nebraska Amateur Championship Runner-Up (2019)
  • Nebraska Class B High School State Champion (2017, 2018) 

Fifth-Year (2022-23)
Caleb Badura returned for his fifth season of collegiate golf for Nebraska in 2022-23. After he golfed to an 0-2-1 record at Big Ten Match Play, he made his first lineup appearance at the Seahawk Intercollegiate in Wilmington, N.C. (March 26-27) where he finished tied for 60th. 

Badura tied his career-best four-under 68 in the second round of the Tiger Collegiate in Columbia, Mo., April 11. His round provided the boost for the Big Red’s best round in school history (274, -14). 

Badura’s last appearance came as an individual at the Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate April 22-23. He finished with a three-round score of 230 (+17), good for 40th place at the tough Atkins Golf Club.   

In nine rounds, Badura finished with a 75.66 stroke average.

Senior (2021-22)
Badura began his senior year as Nebraska's No. 2 individual finisher at the Rod Myers Invitational. He closed with a three-round score of 224 (+8) on the par-72, 7,154-yard layout of the Duke University Golf Course. He posted a second-round 71 (-1) and added NU's best individual final round to tie for 45th in an 81-player field. He helped the Huskers to a 12th-place team finish in the 14-team event.

He added a tie for 36th at 223 (72-77-74) at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate in Albuquerque in Nebraska's second fall tournament. Badura tied Mark Foelbaek as NU's No. 2 finishers in the 100-player field on the UNM Championship Course.

Badura closed the fall season with a 74.50 stroke average over six rounds.

He opened the spring by going 1-1 at the Big Ten Match Play before tying for 25th with a 223 (+7) at the Desert Mountain Collegiate. His opening-round 69 (-3) at Desert Mountain was a season best. Badura managed rounds of 71 and 75 at the Seahawk Intercollegiate, before settling for 70th with a 235 (73-82-80) at the Stitch Intercollegiate (April 8-9). At the Hawkeye Invitational, Badura fired a season-best 54-hole score with a 218 (75-72-71), making him the top finisher for NU with a tie for 15th. At the Big Ten Championship (April 29-May 1), Badura managed a 237 (76-81-80) to tie for 61st.

Badura finished the 2021-22 season with a 75.30 stroke average through 20 rounds.

Junior (2020-21)
Badura opened his second season as a Husker by competing in four matches for the Big Red at the Big Ten Match Play Championship at the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla. (Feb. 5-6). He managed an 0-3-1 record at the season-opening event.

Badura made his first stroke-play appearance of the spring by competing as an individual outside the NU lineup at the Git-R-Done Husker Invitational (April 17-18). Badura produced a career-best three-round score of 213 (E) on the 7,040-yard, par-71 layout at Firethorn Golf Club to capture a career-best tie for fifth. His performance included a career-best three-under-par 68 in the second round.

He earned a lineup spot for the Big Ten Championship and joined Mark Foelbaek as Nebraska’s top individual finishers by tying for 42nd with a three-round total of 233 (82-75-76) at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind. Badura ended the season with Nebraska’s top individual stroke average (74.33) while playing six stroke play rounds.

Sophomore (2019-20)
Badura was a regular in Nebraska’s lineup in his first season as a Husker in 2019-20. The sophomore transfer competed in 12 rounds and finished fourth among the Huskers with a 76.67 stroke average. He matched teammate Mark Foelbaek for third among the Huskers at the season-opening Rod Myers/Duke Invitational. Badura tied for 44th with a 226 (+10).

Badura finished 37th with a 235 (+16) as the No. 4 Husker at the Prairie Club Invitational in Valentine, Neb. He closed his fall season at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate in a tie for 67th at 236.

He opened the spring strong at the Big Ten Match Play Championship, going a perfect 4-0 individually to help the Huskers to a fourth-place team finish. He became the first Husker in history to go 4-0 at the Big Ten Match Play Championship, while powering Nebraska to its best team finish.

Badura closed the spring season by leading Nebraska again at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate by tying for 21st. His 54-hole score of 223 was a season best, while his final-round 70 (-2) was also a Nebraska best.

Before Nebraska
Badura, who captured the 2019 GPAC Tournament individual title, finished his only season in Orange City, Iowa, with a 73.6 stroke average - the No. 2 average in school history. He also earned a spot on the NAIA Ping All-Central Region Team. He qualified for the NAIA Championship at the Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz., May 21-24, where he tied for 59th. Badura posted five top-10 finishes as a freshman, including a pair of tournament titles.  

During his career at Aurora High School, Badura won back-to-back individual Class B state titles in 2017 and 2018. He also led the Huskies to a team championship in 2017. He was a three-time Nebraska Coaches Association Super-State selection in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and a two-time Nebraska Golf Association Junior All-Star team selection in 2017 and 2018. Badura was selected to be a member of the Kansas-Nebraska Junior Cup Team in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He also set the Aurora High School record with a low round of 68.

Personal
The son of Craig Badura and Jennifer Badura, Caleb was born April 8, 2000, in Hastings, Neb. He has a younger sister, Danica.

A sports media and communication major, Caleb earned his bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2023. A Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2021 and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten choice, he was an eight-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. He was also selected to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

“I chose Nebraska because of what it has to offer not only athletically, but academically,” Badura said. “Being able to come home and play at the Division I level for the Huskers is a dream come true.”

Career Statistics

Year Rounds Strokes Average
2019-20 12              920 76.67
2020-21 6 446 74.33
2021-22 20 1,506 75.30
2022-23 9 681 75.66
Career Totals 47 3,553 75.59


Career Bests
Best Tournament Finish - T-5th (Git-R-Done, 2021)
Best Event (Strokes) - 213 (Git-R-Done, 2021)
Low Round - 68 (2x, 2022-23)
Career Rounds Under Par - 7