We’re at the 21st annual Vern McGonagle Championship at Naperville Country Club, where the Benet Academy girls’ golf team is looking to repeat as champions. All six local high schools are competing in today’s event. This highlight is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.
Putting for par on Hole 3
We head out to the third hole where the area’s top golfer from last year’s state finals, Kelly Cong, looks to make a par putt. The Warrior gets it to go en route to shooting a 78 for Waubonsie, good enough for third place.
Staying on the third, Madison Wigfield shows off her short game with a great chip. She would go on the make the par putt and lead all Mustang golfers on the day, with a score of 86.
Here’s Waubonsie’s Meadow Rolence on the third tee. She puts a little fade on her shot and sticks one close. Rolence makes par on hole three and finishes the day with an 89.
Wildcats take on par five fifth hole
Now over to the fifth, Neuqua’s Sophie Lagman looks to lag putt this one up to the hole. She does just that and rolls in her par putt, as she finishes the day in sixth place out of 35 golfers.
Another Wildcat on hole five, this time it’s Mady Coffey. She hits a great wedge shot, giving herself a chance for birdie. Coffey hits the putt just short and taps it home for par.
Jenna Shilts impresses on front nine
To the eighth green with last year’s champion, Jenna Shilts of Benet Academy. Shilts dials one in for her second birdie on the front nine and finishes the first nine holes with a score of two-under.
Shilts is now on the tee at the par-four ninth, where she’s able to nuke one about 10 yards from the green. She goes on to par the hole and finishes the front nine with two birdies and seven pars.
Rebecca Wu of Neuqua Valley has this putt for birdie on hole 12, and she sinks it. Wu goes on to finish in second place, with a final score of 77.
Golfers make some noise on hole 13
Over to the 13th with Addison Wu of Naperville North, who lands her fairway shot safely onto the green. Wu goes on to finish in 10th place, shooting a score of 87.
Much like her teammate, Huskie Georgia Riley finds the green on hole 13. She leaves the birdie putt short but taps in for par, and ends the day in sixth with a score of 85.
Benet’s Audrey Wake hits a solid approach shot that just rolls off the green. Wake and her teammate Audrey Simkus end the day inside the top six for the Redwings.
Naperville Central’s Ashika Patel gets her fairway shot safely onto the 13th green. Patel finishes as the second-best Redhawk score.
Shilts finds herself in the back greenside bunker on 13. She splashes it out almost perfectly, as the ball lips out. Shilts was just an inch away from back-to-back birdies, after getting one on the 12th, and walks away from 13 with a par.
Benet crowned champions for a second straight year
Mady Coffey giving this one a go from way out on the par four, 14th. She lands it close but misses the birdie putt. Coffey ends the day in fourth place with a final score of 79.
And for the second consecutive year, Redwing Jenna Shilts is crowned solo champion of the McGonagle Championship. She ends the day with a one-under, 71, a whopping six strokes ahead of second place.
The Redwings pick up its second consecutive McGonagle team championship, while Neuqua Valley ends the day in second place.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
