Local Golf Notes: Simple plan works for Petersen

Two years ago, a freak non-golf injury left Jon Petersen with a shattered elbow and doubts whether he could continue his livelihood.

Following surgery, Petersen's game is as good as new. He's made back-to-back Cox Classic appearances, and the 43-year-old teaching pro at Miracle Hill last week was only the second Nebraska PGA qualifier ever to make the weekend cut. He shot 70-76 to finish at 1 under par.

“I'd played Nationwide events before. What I learned is to put yourself in the moment, just playing golf, a matter of keeping it simple,'' he said.

Petersen said he left a few shots on the course in the first three rounds, but got to the cut line of 5 under on Friday with three birdies in his final six holes and a pressure-packed par on the final hole. In the final round, “I just didn't have it. I wasn't tired, as some people asked. No excuses.''

Petersen, back at Miracle Hill on Monday for an afternoon of lessons, plays with an implanted radial-head plate in his arm that he said could allow him to play golf for up to 40 more years.

Crick in Amateur

Nebraska Amateur champion Brandon Crick of McCook is part of a 31-man field for today's U.S. Amateur 36-hole sectional qualifier at Shadow Ridge in Omaha. Others playing include North Carolina-Charlotte recruit Andy Sajevic of Fremont and his father, John, and former state champion Ryan Nietfeldt of Omaha.

John Hurley, the Nebraska Amateur runner-up and state match-play champion from O'Neill, goes to Elmwood Golf Course in Sioux Falls, S.D., for qualifying on Aug. 10.

Crick and Hurley will be in the Scratch Players Championship in Oklahoma City from Aug. 17 to 20.

Barcelo exemption

Rich Barcelo, the Cox Classic champion, has a sponsor's exemption for the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA Tour on Aug. 6. Tadd Fujikawa has been given a sponsor's exemption to the Nationwide Tour's Utah Championship in September.

— Stu Pospisil