BEATRICE – There was a time earlier this year when Calvin Freeman didn’t feel as charged up about entering golf tournaments, struggling with his putting.
You might say….problem solved……as he leads the field by four shots heading into the match play portion of the Nebraska State Amateur Match Play tournament being held at Beatrice Country Club.


The Southeast Community College golf coach followed up a six-under par 66 with a three-under par 69 on Tuesday, to finish the qualifying at nine-under 135. Monday’s opening round of 66, continued Freeman’s solid play since a victory in the recent Homesteader Tournament at Beatrice.


"I've been playing some pretty good golf here, lately...we had a good group so we were able to get into a good rhythm. It helped that my playing partner riding with me in the cart was playing just as good as I was. We're good buddies, so we were kind of feeding off of each other, and just trying to silently one-up each other. I think that helped both of us."


Freeman’s playing partner, Johnny Spellerberg of Bennington, followed an opening round 66 with a 75, to finish six shots off the lead. Elkhorn’s Ryan Nietfeldt followed up his opening round 72 with a five-under 67…four shots back of Freeman. David Easley of Lincoln was in third, at two-under 140.


Freeman says despite the early season putting troubles, things are coming around. "I'm still practicing like I'm playing tournaments every weekend, and I'm still working hard at it. It's nice to see some of that work paying off."


Scores rose in the second round, after 21 golfers shot par or better in round one.  "I think the greens got a little bit firmer today. I think they might have been about a half-foot faster on the stimpmeter, so they were a little bit quicker. A couple of tough pins where there's a lot of break around the whole. But, playing Beatrice Country Club, you know if you start a putt on line it's going to go in. Ultimately it comes down to the player and Andy (Hamilton, Course Superintendent) does such a good job here....that it's nice to have that confidence when you're putting....knowing that if you hit a good putt, it's going to go in."


In Tuesday’s second round, Freeman was two over par, but eagled the ninth hole to get it back to even….then birdied four holes on the back nine…including 17 and 18….to card a 69.


"Seventeen and eighteen were completely different today. Yesterday, they were straight into the wind. Today, they were downwind, so they were a little more scorable. Still have to hit it in position and make the putt...but it sure helped that those holes were playing, effectively, 40-to-50 yards shorter than they were."


Among other golfers doing well on the tougher day-two conditions, Norfolk’s Luke Kluver fired a four-under par 68…and former NFL star Danny Woodhead of Elkhorn, shot a two-under round of 70.


Wednesday is the start of match play in the Nebraska State Men's Amateur, at Beatrice Country Club.