NOTES

Kari Mangan embraced the makeover of The World-Herald Match Play tournament, allowing anyone to play, from its former life as the Publinks.

And so has Pete Godwin. Both were champions in Sunday's

18-hole flight finals at Johnny Goodman. Mangan defeated Kathy Campbell 8 and 6 to win the women's title. Godwin defeated Terry Bradshaw 3 and 1 in the Seniors Championship Flight.

Mangan was a Publinks pioneer. As a college student at Nebraska, she entered and played against the men in regular flight competition. Beat them, too, winning the Sixth Flight in 1986.

She turned pro for a while, then returned to Omaha and is general manager of Paul Davis Restoration.

This year was the first time she entered since 1986, when Don Lee was the Publinks director and the newspaper's golf writer. He retired in 1988 after 43 years as the tournament director.

"It was because of Don I entered," Mangan said. "I saw the changes made, which allowed me to play, and I always had a good time in it. Don was such a supporter of mine and helped me when I was starting out."

Godwin was the Nebraskamen's match play champ in 1995 and 2001.

"I always wanted to play this, finally get to and it was a good result," Godwin said.

Sixth title for Christensen

Todd Christensen's 6 and 5 win over Scott Francis in the Second Flight was his sixth title since 2001. He's won the First Flight in 2013, the Second Flight in 2009 and 2015, the Third Flight in 2008 and the Fourth Flight in 2001 and 2006.

He birdied three of the match's final four holes Sunday.

Staup hopes 6-iron turns up

Tony Staup of Waterloo hopes whoever found his 6-iron in the right rough on the eighth hole returns it to the Goodman pro shop.

"I had four shots on the back nine where I needed it," said the 70-yearold retired insurance agency owner. He defeated David Gildea 4 and 3.

Gildea has a story, too. Five years ago, he was the first in Nebraska to receive heart and kidney transplants at the same time, followed by a stem cell transplant. He didn't play golf for 2 1/2 years afterward.

Rally time by Roach

Bill Roach wasn't confident of his chances when he was 3 down after nine holes to Brian Hake in the Seniors First Flight final. Hake was playing well and he wasn't, Roach said on the 10th tee.

But Roach won 1-up.

The retired Omaha firefighter is a well-known club pro in tennis, teaching at Shadow Ridge, and the Papillion resident has played in international age-group team competition.

Third time the charm

Dan Bock in the First Flight and Sam Kumar in the Third Flight each was 0-2 in finals until Sunday.

Bock defeated Jim Tefft, who was looking for his fourth title, 2-up. Tefft conceded the match to the dispatcher at Union Pacific on the 18th green, where Bock nailed a 7-iron from 176 yards to about 2 feet from the flagstick on the uphill par 4. It was his third birdie of the back nine.

Kumar, who's at UNMC as a researcher and teacher, defeated newcomer Glen Robbins 4 and 3. Robbins had been 3 down, then got to 1 down after carding the match's only birdie on the par-4 10th. Kumar then regained his form.

Chip shots

The city's golf division provided complimentary golf for all finalists. The finals were at Goodman for the first time since 1984. Benson Park had hosted the finals since 1986, but couldn't take the finals this year because of scheduling conflicts.

The winners and runners-up in all flights will receive engraved plaques and got gift certificates, $100 to the winner and $75 to the runner-up, from either GolfUSA or Classic Golf.

As Don Lee champion, Wes Kosch received a $500 gift certificate and runner-up Casey Ballou a $300 certificate. They will be the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds for next year's tournament.