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LAKEWOOD – Andrew Mendonca was hoping to complete 18 holes in the McHenry County Junior Golf Association Turnberry Open, but, instead, he had to settle for something better: a first-place finish.
Three holes from finishing his round, Mendonca and the remaining golfers on the par-72 course were hurried into the clubhouse with heavy rain and lightning in the area, and officials called the tournament an hour later.
Mendonca, who had a 64 through 15 holes, won the senior boys division with a 1-over-par 37 on the back nine.
“I could have finished with a 73 or maybe even a 72,” said Mendonca, a 2015 Huntley graduate. “I was mad that I couldn’t get my round in, but I was happy with it (my nine-hole score). My goal is to get as many top-three finishes as I can."
Mendonca started his round on the back nine with a birdie on the par-4, 365-yard No. 10, making par on six of the remaining eight holes. He also birdied the par-5, 468-yard No. 2, but that wasn’t counted toward his official score.
“My putting and my drives are what kept me going,” Mendonca said. “I was making all my putts, hitting fairways and everything. My irons, I could have had some better shots – but I played my best today.”
Nick Hansen (McHenry, 2016) and Ryan Benoit (Crystal Lake South, 2016) each fired 40s to finish second and third, respectively. Hansen beat Benoit in a scorecard playoff for second.
J.P. Anderson, who will be a sophomore at Dundee-Crown, shot a 2-over 38 on the front nine to win the junior boys division.
Garrett Tighe (Jacobs, 2019) was second with a 39, and Scotty Spyra (Richmond-Burton, 2019) finished third with a 43. Spyra won in a scorecard playoff over Dominic Leli (Prairie Ridge, 2019), who also had a 43.
Brittany Reid, who will be a senior at Cary-Grove and play on the Crystal Lake Central co-op team, won her fourth straight MCJGA title in the senior girls division with a 10-over 46 on the front nine.
Reid credits a switch she made in the Prairie Isle Open on Thursday for helping her stay undefeated in four MCJGA tournaments thus far.
“I had to put my driver away, just like I did in the last tournament,” Reid said. “I teed off with a 5-wood because my driver was all over the place, so I just clubbed down and it was working a lot better. I think there was only hole where I wasn’t on the fairway.”
While Reid wasn’t thrilled with her score Monday, she did say the wet conditions on the par-72 course affected scores.
“We were coming up on No. 6 and that’s when the rain really started to pick up,” Reid said. “We had to really start playing the greens. You definitely had to adjust a little bit to the rain and work with the clubs, but I was able to make some solid contact.”
Stephanie Fiorentino, a junior at Jacobs, finished one stroke behind Reid with a 47. Hannah Ogden (McHenry, 2017) was third with a 52.
In the junior girls division, Maria Mercurio, a sophomore at Marian Central, won her second MCJGA tournament of the summer with a 47 on the front nine, three strokes ahead of Kathryn Bevill (Crystal Lake Central, 2019) and Jenna Walker (Jacobs, 2019).
Mercurio, who also won the Blackstone Open on June 16, moved into second place in the junior girls division with 220 points, 30 points behind Bevill (250).
“My goal is to start breaking 40 because I know I could do it,” Mercurio said. "I just need to practice more. I can do better (than today), but I’m happy with my score.”
The Gameball
Brittany Reid, Cary-Grove, senior
Reid won her fourth straight MCJGA tournament title in the senior girls division with a 46 on the front nine at Turnberry Country Club.
The Number 2:
MCJGA tournament wins this summer for Maria Mercurio, who won the junior girls division with a 47 on Monday.
The Big Moment
Andrew Mendonca, a 2015 Huntley graduate who shot a 1-over-par 37 on the back nine, birdied his first hole and made par on six of the remaining eight holes to win the senior boys division.
MCJGA
Turnberry Open
At Turnberry Country Club in Lakewood
Girls Junior Division
1. Maria Mercurio, Marian Central 47
T2. Kathryn Bevill, CL Central 50
T2. Jenna Walker, Jacobs 50
4. Rylie Schurter, CL Central 54
T5. Neha Karna, CL Central 62
T5. Sophie Dowell, Huntley 62
7. Sophia Pascente, Prairie Ridge 64
8. Renata Petersen, CL Central 70
Girls Senior Division
1. Brittany Reid, Cary-Grove 46
2. Stephanie Fiorentino, Jacobs 47
3. Hannah Ogden, McHenry 52
4. Jennifer LeGear, Jacobs 53
5. Megan Selby, CL South 57
6. Julie Newton, CL South 58
Boys Junior Division
1. J.P. Anderson, Dundee-Crown 38
2. Garrett Tighe, Jacobs 39
T3. Scotty Spyra, Richmond-Burton 43
T3. Dominic Leli, Prairie Ridg3 43
T5. Casey Hunter, CL South 44
T5. Trevor Beaugureau, Cary-Grove 44
T5. Ricky Falbo, CL South 44
T5. Trevor Book, Huntley 44
9. Sean Markham, Barrington 45
T10. Trevor Brandon, Cary-Grove 48
T10. Mark Kuechenberg, Prairie Ridge 48
12. Liam Mathes, Prairie Ridge 49
13. Jack Benoit, CL South 50
T14. Hunter Fredrick, Prairie Ridge 52
T14. Daniel DeGiulio, Marian Central 52
T14. Aidan Jackson, Barrington 52
T14. Matt Baker, Barrington 52
T14. Bruce Smith, CL South 52
19. Chase Frantti, Richmond-Burton 53
20. Trevor Feucht, Prairie Ridge 56
Boys Senior Division
1. Andrew Mendonca, Huntley 37
T2. Nick Hansen, McHenry 40
T2. Ryan Benoit, CL South 40
4. Connor Wascher, Marengo 41
T5. James Michaelson, Prairie Ridge 42
T5. Jake Bowser, Huntley 42
T5. Keaton May, Cary-Grove 42
T5. Clay Van Syckle, CL Central 42
T5. Myles Miller, Hampshire 42
T10. Dale Sinclair, McHenry 43
T10. A.J. Folino, McHenry 43
T12. Cameron Karney, Prairie Ridge 44
T12. Kevin Karney, Prairie Ridge 44 T
12. Ben Prisching, McHenry 44
T15. Evan Caselton, Marian Central 45
T15. Ryan Wick, Marengo 45
17. Drake Bostler, CL South 48
18. Jake Doherty, Johnsburg 49
19. Jack Markham, Barrington 50