Let’s take a trip down I-55 to Stonewolf Golf Club in Fairview Heights, Illinois, about 20 minutes outside St. Louis, for the O’Fallon 3A boys golf sectional. Regional champions Naperville North as well as team qualifier Waubonsie Valley are ready to roll, while Naperville Central and Neuqua have individuals looking to punch their tickets to state. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Naperville North senior Lincoln Schultz picks up where he left off from the regional, using the force on this tee shot to find the green and takes the par.
Lockport joins the party as Casey Mickelson also displays a strong tee shot and hits the primary target, the green.
Edwardsville gets the party started early
Here’s Brian Cooper from Edwardsville with the near shot of the day. It’s a moon shot for Cooper that lands not even a foot from the cup. A near hole-in-one for Cooper culminates in a birdie.
Teammate Michael Shaw putts for birdie from further away. He stays calm because he knows how to stay on course and gets rewarded with the birdie.
Over to hole nine, where Henry Haumesser keeps the ship steady for the Huskies by hitting the green from the fairway. Haumesser pars it in from there.
Up next is North’s Colin Mills, whose chipper stops oh so close to the pin. He stays even on the hole with a par.
On hole 11, Waubonsie’s Avi Khanduja is putting for birdie. The roll looks promising, but it slows too early from the cup. The senior gets the par but misses the state cut by one stroke. Junior Neil Patel adds a 78 while Aanish Kamdar shoots an 80, but none of the Warriors are able to make the state cut line of 76. Senior Matt Jacobson from Neuqua Valley also misses the cut after a great career.
Graeme Cavanagh is one of three Naperville Central Redhawks to golf in the sectional. Despite missing the birdie, he pars, golfs a 75, which results in a trip to state one final time for the senior and his head coach, Barry Baldwin, who’s retiring at the end of the year.
On hole 15, Moline’s Isaac Rumler stays on point for the individual sectional title. He pars this hole, and a score of 70 helps the Michigan State commit earn his third sectional championship in four varsity seasons.
Back to Naperville North, where Trevor Schmidt is coming off back-to-back bogeys on the previous two holes, but he has a different story this time because he secures a par. A crucial make for the Huskies.
Dunlap surges up the standings
However, insert Dunlap. Jacob Shelby turns a routine chip into a banger of a birdie. What a shot by Shelby.
Up next is teammate Carter Lippens, who also faces a long birdie challenge. Challenge accepted for Lippens, and he hits it.
Will Noah Eccles make it three straight? It stays on target and hits the bottom of the cup. A late surge for the Eagles moves them into second place, with Naperville North and Lockport in a battle for third.
Edwardsville continues its strong round as Luke Maxim puts his chip shot in a great spot to par, which he eventually hits.
Brian Cooper looks to recover after struggling on the back nine, so he gets a favorable break on his par putt that drops in. The Tigers remain in full control for the sectional team title.
Naperville North is one stroke behind Lockport. Noah Redmond hops in on the game of catch-up with a good bunker shot. Redmond locks in a crucial par to keep the hope alive.
Caden Donwer is eager to get his ball in a good spot. It hits the green but takes a costly roll the other way. He takes a bogey, and Mickelson double-bogeys, leaving the door open for the Huskies.
Naperville North punches ticket to IHSA state series for the first time in 14 years
On the final hole, Lincoln Schultz can seal third place in two putts or less, so here’s the birdie chance. The putt comes up short, but Schultz can put his team through with a par. Schultz lines up with ice in his veins; the par is good, and Hey Now, that punches Naperville North’s ticket to state with a third-place finish. The Huskies are heading to state for the first time since 2012. Edwardsville is the overall team winner with a team round of 291.
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