Omaha, Neb.- Omaha men's golf freshman Christopher Atkinson is your 2021 Nebraska Junior Amateur Golfer of the Year.
The Gretna graduate competed in three out of the four fall events for the Mavericks, posting a stroke-average of 75.3 and scoring in two tournaments.
Atkinson earned the honor after winning the Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship and finishing runner-up at the Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship. At the 32nd Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship in McCook, Atkinson entered as the No. 3 seed. He defeated the 2018 champion in the Round of 16 and came from behind in semifinal to land a spot in the final against the eventual Nebraska Junior Champion, Creighton Prep's Connor Steichen. Atkinson sank five birdies in 14 holes to take the title 5 and 4 over Steichen. At the 54th Nebraska Junior Amateur Championship in Fremont, Atkinson shot 72-74-71 through three rounds for a total score of 217. He finished in a tie for 4th place, just four strokes behind the champion Steichen.
Atkinson also competed in the Nebraska Golfers Association men's majors, advancing to the bracket stage at the Nebraska Match Play Championship in Gothenburg. In the first round Atkinson fell behind the 2020 Nebraska Junior Golfer of the year, Luke Gutschewski. 3-down with three holes to play, Atkinson won all three to force extra holes and won the round on hole 19. He shot five-under in 15 holes the next round but lost to Nate Vontz who shot nine-under and took the match, 4 and 3. Later in the summer at the 113th Nebraska Amateur Championship in Hastings, Atkinson finished in a tie for 43rd. He ended the year with a fall tournament in Nebraska City, tying for 6th place at the Midwest Junior Classic and winning the points race for the 2021 season.
Atkinson will be honored at the Nebraska Golf Association's annual awards banquet at the Field Club of Omaha Friday, December 3.
