The Neuqua Valley Wildcats began dual conference play as they take on the Naperville North Huskies at Bolingbrook Golf Club. The Wildcats enter the contest on extended rest, with their intended conference opener against Wabounise postponed a week prior due to heat. The Huskies took down Naperville Central back on August 20. They look to drop in another tally into the win column, this time on enemy soil. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Both teams battle back and forth early
The Huskies are playing their third match in six days, but Senior Lincoln Schultz is showing no signs of fatigue. On the first hole, he laces his second shot out of the rough and onto the green, where it settles only a few feet from the pin. The ball rolls in and seizes the birdie putt. Schultz’s great start continues as he goes on to birdie the next hole on his way to a 38 on the day.
Wildcat Braden Chung matches Schultz as he sinks a birdie putt of his own to begin his round.
That wasn’t the only lengthy putt that dropped on the hole. Huskie Deklin Priess places his shot in the heart of the cup to save par, leading to a 39-shot afternoon for the sophomore.
To wrap up the hole, Henry Haumesser delivers a poised stroke and makes this putt look routine. The senior stamped his scorecard with a one-over-37 score.
Neuqua stays aggressive on the greens
Moving towards the halfway point of the round, Wildcat Connor Rodebaugh looks to capitalize on a birdie shot. However, his chance to get a stroke back doesn’t go as planned. Rodebaugh taps in for par and shoots a 42.
Junior Noah Redmond gets himself out of a jam thanks to a great touch off the wedge, guiding the ball pin high. Redmond goes up and down for a three, wrapping his day up with a 39.
Kyle Cushing has a look at par in a similar spot as Redmond; he provides the same result with the tap of his putter on a 39-swing afternoon as well.
To hole number seven, we go to Colin Mills of North, laying down a birdie. Mills completes his outing at three over.
A pair of Wildcats ring in pars on the seventh. Trevor Park and Braden Chung stay clean on the hole. Park ends with a 40, while Chung is one shot lower with a 39.
The Huskies hang in for the victory
On the final hole, Will Provenzano sends his approach shot onto the green, eyeing a birdie. The sophomore gives his strike a good run but narrowly misses. Provenzano goes on to push in a par to polish up his 39.
Then, Neuqua’s Alexander Chen hits the back of the cup as he closes out his 41-shot effort with a par.
Later, Daniel Zhang sends his chip shot toward the cup, where the ball presses pause right next to the cup. A leisurely par finalizes a team best, bogey-free, one under 35 for the senior.
His teammate, Brody Nelson, on his 41st shot of the afternoon, pencils in for par.
Huskie Zach Zafar hits the beach on the closing hole. His bunker shot splashes onto the green and trickles just past the flagstick. Zafar nails his third birdie of the match and crowns himself with an even-shooting day of 36, helping to propel North over Neuqua Valley 145 to 153.
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