NewsTribune 2021 Boys Golfer of the Year: St. Bede’s Jake Delaney

Before his freshman year at St. Bede, Jake Delaney decided he wanted to get back into golf in honor of his late grandparents.

Delaney golfed growing up but hadn’t played the game in several years as he focused on baseball.

It turns out, playing golf is not like riding a bike.

“My freshman season was not great,” Delaney said. “I was just kind of hitting the ball around in whatever direction it would go. It was alright with me. I was having fun doing it.”

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the following spring, shutting down schools, canceling most sports and closing restaurants and other businesses.

But golf still was an option.

“Once COVID came golf was the only real thing that was open,” Delaney said. “I played a ton. I played five or six days per week. Once (my sophomore) season came around, I was a lot better player.”

Delaney kept playing often last summer, competing in a high school league, golfing five or six days a week and getting plenty of help from his father, a former professional, as he worked to be more consistent striking the ball.

“My dad has taught me everything I know about the game,” Jake Delaney said. “He’s taught me everything from the swing, how to hit the ball, how to putt the ball to how you’re supposed to act on the course. I wouldn’t be playing without my dad.”

All the work over the past two years paid off for Delaney this fall with another solid season for the Bruins.

Delaney was fifth in the area with a 40.5 average, earned medalist honors three times, was runner up at the Rock Falls Invitational, paired with teammate Brendon Pillion to placed third at the Mendota Ryder Cup, finished fifth at the Kewanee Invitational and took ninth at the Three Rivers Conference Meet.

But he saved his best for last.

After a putting slump during the season, Delaney peaked at the right time going into the postseason.

He shot a 76 to place second at the Class 1A Riverdale Regional and followed that up with a 79 at the Byron Sectional to earn a trip to state.

At the state meet, Delaney carded a 79 on the first day to make the cut for the final day and finished 51 in Class 1A with a two-round score of 163.

For all he accomplished this season, Delaney is the 2021 NewsTribune Boys Golfer of the Year.

“He ran into a spell midseason where the putter wasn’t working for him,” St. Bede coach Rich Cummings said. “He had some struggles, but it’s a credit to him and what kind of kid he is that he persevered through that. He put in the extra time and got back to trusting (his putter). He worked his way through it, and he did it right in time.”

To overcome his struggles, Delaney spent extra time on the practice green after school trying to get the speed down, got help from the St. Bede coaches, went out with friends for extra work and got help from his dad.

“I put in a lot of work doing drills and trying to get it down,” Delaney said. “I knew that’s where I could save strokes.”

With his putting fixed, Delaney excelled in the postseason with three consecutive rounds in the 70s.

“Everything came together at the right time,” Delaney said. “I was putting well, striking the ball well and hitting a lot of greens.”

Delaney hopes to lower his average next season while returning to state and helping the team advance in the postseason.

With his relative lack of experience, Cummings thinks there’s plenty of potential for Delaney to improve.

“His strongest points aren’t here yet,” Cummings said. “He studies the game. He continues to improve and get stronger. He doesn’t rest on what he did yesterday. I think he has a lot more in the tank that we haven’t seen yet because he’s still learning the nuances of the game.”