L-P girls golf three-peats at own scramble

With conference and regional tournaments coming up within the next two weeks, area golf teams had an opportunity to play more for fun on Saturday at La Salle-Peru’s Lady Cavs Scramble.

In the tournament at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Course, each group was made up of one coach along with two or three players.

“It’s fun,” L-P coach Patrick Goy said about the coaches playing with the girls. “It takes all the pressure off. They’ve been playing their own ball at every tournament. This is a nice change of pace. It’s good practice, but also everybody is having fun and it’s not taken too seriously because you’re not playing your own ball. If you hit a bad shot, you have teammates to pick you up.”

L-P senior Grace Antle said she enjoyed playing with Goy, who is in his first season as the L-P coach.

“It’s fun,” Antle said. “He’s really good, so that’s nice.”

Goy along with Antle, Avah Moriarty and Megan McGuire teamed up to shot a 7-under-par 65 to win the event.

It was the third year in a row that L-P won the event.

“We hit a lot of irons close,” Goy said. “Any longer putts, we had a hard time making them, but we had a lot of good iron shots that got us close. We made a lot of those. We made Eagle on 11 from about 6 feet. All our birdie putts were inside 8 feet.”

Everyone in the foursome contributed to the Eagle on the 11th hole.

“I hit a decent drive then Avah and Megan both hit good approach shots,” Goy said. “I was aggressive with it and hit it on the green. From about 6 feet, Grace knocked it in for Eagle.

“That really helped us because we were 7-under through 12 holes then even par the last six, so we really needed that to go in or else we might not have won.”

Stillman Valley, Ottawa and Kaneland all shot 67s.

The Cardinals claimed second place based on the back nine tiebreaker with the Pirates taking third and the Knights finishing fourth.

“It was a fun, relaxing outing to play with the girls,” said Ottawa coach Keith Budzowski, who teamed with Hannah Duggan, Zoe Harris and Payton Bruck. “The girls played great. I’d like to say we took most of my shots, but we took most of their shots. We all had a few. That’s the best part about a scramble — maybe not your strongest player is going to put some shots out there, and they did. It’s just fun all around.

“Zoe was really hitting the ball well off the tee. Hannah was putting really well. They all made some good putts. Their approach shots were all good.”

Kaneland’s second team shot a 68 followed by Lincoln-Way Central (69), Genoa-Kingston 1 (71), Sandwich 2 (72), Yorkville 2 (72), Sandwich 1 (74), Ottawa 2 (75), G-K 2 (76), Lincoln-Way Central 2 (76), L-P 2 (78), Yorkville 1 (78), Stillman Valley 2 (80) and Indian Creek (82).

“It was a fun tournament where coaches and girls got to see each other at a different level and just enjoy themselves,” Sandwich coach Randy Malloy said. “It was competitive, but we were able to talk and laugh. It was definitely worth it to get loose two weeks before conference and regional.”

L-P, Ottawa, Sandwich and Kaneland will play in the Interstate Eight Conference tournament on Sept. 28 at Sycamore Golf Club.

“We’re coming into our own,” Goy said. “Our scores the last couple matches have gone down a little bit. We’ve really started to find our groove as we head into the postseason. We’re really excited for that.”

The Cavaliers and Pirates will compete in the Class 2A Joliet Central Regional on Sept. 30.

“Zoe and Hannah are going to be huge contenders when it comes to the postseason,” Budzowski said. “I think as a team we’re going to mesh together and hopefully make something happen at the regional and/or conference tournament.”

G-K’s Taylor Rhoads won the player’s long drive, Lincoln-Way Central’s Elizabeth Signorelli claimed player’s longest putt, Ottawa’s Hannah Duggan won player’s closest to the pin, Lincoln-Way Central’s Brian Shannon claimed coach’s longest drive and Ottawa’s Ryan Gunderson won coach’s longest putt.