Oklahoma State University Athletics
Boy Of Summer
December 10, 2013 | Cowboy Golf
Dec. 10, 2013
By Ryan Cameron, OSU Media Relations
Find a golf tournament with Jordan Niebrugge in the field this past summer and chances are good the Cowboy sophomore's name sat atop the leaderboard when it was all said and done.
Niebrugge posted four victories, three of which occurred during a three-week span, that included wins at the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship and WSGA Match Play Championship. His summer was highlighted by triumphs at the U.S. Public Links Amateur Championship and Western Amateur Championship.
The two wins in his home state completed the “Wisconsin Slam” for Niebrugge after he had previously won the Wisconsin State Open and the WIAA High School Championship.
The latter two victories brought with them historical significance for a program steeped in tradition. Niebrugge become the first-ever Cowboy to win the Public Links, a victory that likely earned him an invitation to The Masters next spring. He also became the first player in orange and black to take the Western Amateur title since Scott Verplank in 1985.
“After I won, it was pretty special. So many guys have gone through here and to be the first to get that one is pretty special,” Niebrugge said in regard to his Public Links win.
Ultimately, Niebrugge's meteoric rise was rewarded with a spot on the U.S. Walker Cup squad, a selection that may have been sealed by an impressive showcase of ballstriking at the Western Amateur which saw him miss just one green in the first three rounds of stroke play.
“(Niebrugge) did come on fast. He won not only our APL, which is a USGA championship, he won the Wisconsin Amateur, and then won the Western, which we consider a grueling test of golf, and if you look at how he played at the Western, he played extraordinarily well,” said Dan Burton, USGA Chairman of the International Team Selection Committee.
“I think the fact that he has played in very high level tournaments, played very well and is playing as well as he is certainly elevated him in the last 60 days pretty dramatically, and that's why we put him on the team, because we think he's really hot and going to be a big plus for us.”
The opportunity to be a part of the 10-player American squad at the prestigious biennial event is not lost on the rising star.
“It means a lot. It is such an honor to play for your country. Just watch the Ryder Cup and see all of the energy that goes into it. Look at the Olympics and how everybody talks about how awesome it is to play for your country,” Niebrugge said.
“Once we get there, I know what I am feeling now is on this level, but once I get there it will be on another level.”
Ask the Mequon, Wis., native which tournament it was that served as the springboard to his successful summer, and it was one he didn't win — an 11th-place showing at the Sunnehanna Amateur in June.
“I was in fifth place going into the last day and to be honest I was not hitting the ball well at all, and I stayed in it,” Niebrugge said. “Being in fifth place at a tournament with so many good players in it, I started to think I belonged up there.”
Niebrugge made his way to the Wisconsin State Match Play with a game still not to his liking, but his newly found confidence resulted in victory and helped open the floodgates for his memorable summer.
“At the match play, I was still not hitting it well, but I was still scoring pretty well,” Niebrugge said. “At the Public Links I was hitting it so well, I started to gain confidence with my game. If I hit it that much better, I can score that much lower.”
At the Public Links, Niebrugge tied for 11th to advance to the match play bracket, where he turned into a buzzsaw while reeling off six-straight wins to hoist the James D. Standish trophy at Laurel Hills Golf Club in Lorton, Va.
For the Cowboys, Niebrugge put together a respectable freshman campaign, earning honorable mention All-America honors. He stood on the cusp of victory during the collegiate season with a pair of runner-up showings. Niebrugge's daily short-game work at Karsten Creek began to pay off during the summer months.
“We chipped at the back chipping green every single day. I could tell you five times, maybe 10 times, that I worked on my swing. Other than that, me and Ian (Davis) and Patrick (Winther) were out there every single day,” Niebrugge said.
With countless hours spent on his game around the green, Niebrugge was able to whittle the precious few shots from his score that had kept him from victory.
“It was all shots here and there. Maybe two or three a round that maybe I make a five- or six-footer here or a 15-footer here for par or something like that,” Niebrugge explained.
“Those three shots are so big, you don't realize until it turns 75 into 72 and 72 into 69. Just a couple of shots here and there around the greens and on the greens made a huge impact with my game.”
Following a Walker Cup practice session, his refined game drew positive reviews from his teammates, providing affirmation that his selection was merited.
“I have gained so much confidence, and it is good to feel like I belong with those top guys,” Niebrugge said.
During the event last weekend, he picked up where he left off this summer as a match play buzzsaw. Niebrugge posted a 2-2 mark, including a pair of singles victories, to help the Americans knock off the Great Britain and Ireland squad and regain the cup.
With his spectacular summer in the rearview mirror, Niebrugge is ready to turn his attention to helping a Cowboy squad, which enters the 2013-14 campaign with a No. 3 ranking, chase its 11th national title.
“I am really excited for this year to get going. We are going to have a pretty good team. First tournament is Olympia Fields and I can't tell you how excited I am to start,” Niebrugge said.
