It’s a great day for golf at Ravisloe Country Club for the Class 3A Lincoln Way Central boys golf Sectional. 12 teams and a few dozen individual golfers tee off, but only three squads will earn the right to advance for a shot at a state title. Chicago Catholic League champion Benet Academy and Hinsdale Central highlight the pack. The Red Devils bested Benet by one stroke to secure a regional championship. Hinsdale Central has taken home a sectional championship three years in a row. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Benet Academy battles early
Top-seeded Redwing golfer Jack Quil sets the tone for his team, closing out the front nine. The senior taps in this birdie to seal off a 36, pencils in a 72 at the end of his round, and finishes tied for seventh overall.
Benet’s Carter Bird’s approach shot from the ninth fairway sticks to the green only a handful of feet away from the flag. With a two-putt, Bird lands a par and a 72 as well.
Grant Carrigan eyes an opportunity to go even on hole nine himself. He puts an easy stroke on the ball and watches it roll into the cup. A 76 on the afternoon for the Redwing senior.
It’s a tug-of-war battle all day long between the Downers Grove South Mustangs and the Brother Rice Crusaders for the third and final team spot. On the eighth hole, Mustang Gabe Garron is nestled next to the cup in three, and drops the ball in for a four and a par. Garron concludes with a 72.
Junior James Killen of Brother Rice one-ups Garron by going one down on eight. His birdie putt contributes to a 78 swing round.
Brother Rice and Downers Grove South both end their days tied for third and the final spot in the state championship. The Crusaders are the ones moving on due to the tiebreaker of their number five golfer shooting two shots lower than the Mustangs’ number five.
The Redwings finish as sectional champions
On seventeen, Hinsdale Central’s Eli Havens dribbles his chip just past pin-high. His next shot is not a gimme by any means, but the sophomore makes this par save look automatic. Havens finalizes a 70 with a birdie on eighteen and ends tied for second overall.
The Red Devils continue to make big putts down the stretch. Junior Michael Jorski submits pars on the last three holes, including this calm push into the cup on eighteen.
The strong Hinsdale Central effort comes a little too late. The Redwings make a decisive move in the match with fireworks on fourteen. Freshman William Comiskey bangs in a birdie as part of his 70-stroke outing. A couple of groups later, Rory Neill follows suit, using a birdie to finish with a 76. Mac Rice is inches away from adding to the birdie brigade but has to settle for a par. Rice grabs a 70 as the Redwings continue their outstanding team effort.
The Benet Academy Redwings are sectional champions, winning by three strokes over Hinsdale Central. The Redwings advance to the 3A state finals once again and hope to bring home their first trophy since finishing third in Class 2A in 2022.
The individual sectional champ is Lyon Township’s Grayson Lee with the top score of 69.
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