Nurski dominates en route to fourth title

By Jacob Meikel

St. Joseph native Brad Nurski claimed his fourth Missouri Amateur Golf Championship on Sunday, defeating Presten Richardson of Mount Vernon in Match Play 11 & 9.

Nurski becomes just the sixth player in the tournament’s 117 year history to win four titles. His 2024 win is his first since 2018. Nurski also won the amateur tournament in 2017 and 2010. More importantly for the Benton graduate, he wins the title in his hometown at the St. Joseph Country Club.

“The whole week, you feel like you’re kind of the host, and you want everybody to be welcome and you also still have to focus on your job,” Nurski said. “And that’s what I did this week, especially the last three days.”

The former Missouri Western Griffon was accompanied by his longtime friend and current Missouri Western golf head coach Matt Thrasher as his caddie for the tournament. Nurski credits Thrasher for keeping his emotions and his play fine tuned throughout the six-day tournament.

“We hang out together, we live two neighborhoods away from each other, we coach Missouri Western together,” Nurski said. “He has full rein to rein me in or pump me up and he’s just an extra special guy.”

With the win on Sunday, Nurski earns himself an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship in Chaska, Minnesota that will take place from Aug. 12 through 18.