Kishwaukee races out to big lead at Ladies Lincoln Highway

ROCK FALLS – Kishwaukee’s bid to repeat as Lincoln Highway champion got off to a strong start on Friday at Rock River Golf and Pool, as five of the team’s eight members put up a +10 or better in the best-against-bogey format.

The team scored a +79 for the day to take a strong lead over second-place Timber Creek, which posted a +59.

Kishwaukee’s fourth-flight golfer, Sue Ellett, led the way with a +17. Both Ellett and third-flight golfer Mya Groza, starting on the back nine, played their first nine holes in +9 against-bogey, Ellett shooting a 37 and Groza a 35. Groza double bogeyed the par-4 No. 1 and bogeyed No. 4. The fourth hole, the 247-yard par 4, proved to be Ellett’s lone bogey of the round, and she followed that up with back-to-back pars and a birdie on the par-3 seventh.

Groza played the back nine in 36 for an 18-hole 71. Ellett also carded a 71 for 18 holes, with a 34 on the back nine.

“It just felt so wonderful to be out here again, not playing last year and then coming back,” Groza said. “Every time I’ve played, I think this is the third or fourth year I’ve played, I’ve gotten +9 the first nine, so just happy to be playing competitive golf again.”

Adding to those strong scores, Kishwaukee had a +14 from Kim Kester, a +13 from Jan Nissen and a +12 from Deb Schiavi.

Timber Creek was paced by current and former Dixon Duchesses, with Katie Drew putting up a +15 and Bella Heintzelman putting up a +13.

Drew opened her day with a bogey on the 300-yard par-4 10th, but rebounded by putting up a plus on her next 12 holes. She made the turn in 36, and carded a 38 on the front nine to finish with a 74.

“My short game really came in clutch at the end,” Drew said. “I think I was able to get up and down when I was missing greens.

“I was just standing up with my line, and when I saw a line, I was confident with it.”

Heintzelman’s +13 included a run of nine straight holes in the plus column starting with the 126-yard par-3 13th. After a par there, she put up birdies on Nos. 14 and 15. She carded a 79 for the round.

Timber Creek also got a +11 from Patty Head, who put up a +4 for her first nine holes, then blazed through the front nine in 36 strokes for a +7, with a birdie on the par-3 seventh. Nikki Masini also contributed a +8, and Mimi Boysen shot a +6 for Timber Creek.

Prophet Hills sits in third at +35, paced by a +10 from Cathy Verhulst, a +8 from Shelley Felske, a +7 from Karen Wiersema, and a +6 from Donna Moore.

Prophet Hills is narrowly ahead of Indian Oaks, whose +32 got a huge boost from the +15 Beth Haag put up in the third flight. Haag, after a bogey on No. 10 to open her day, scored in the plus column on the next 10 holes, carding a 75 for the day, relying on hitting to the pin, one-putting and chipping well.

“A couple of the girls in my group are long-ball hitters, and I don’t really have the long ball, but I do have a pretty good second shot,” she said. “The back nine here is a lot like our Indian Oaks, it’s wide open. I just wanted to make sure I hit the fairway, that was my only thing, hit the fairway then have a good second shot and I could chip up. I didn’t worry about getting to the green, I just wanted to get close.”

Jacki Johnson added a +8 for Indian Oaks.

Deer Valley shot a +23, with Donna Brooks and Meredith Adams both leading the way with +6.

Behind Deer Valley sits Rock River and Lake Carroll, both at +19.

The hosts were led by Ellie Wasson’s +11. Her 18-hole 78 was 10 strokes better than her previous personal best on her home course.

“I knocked down a lot of putts today. I was really proud of that,” Wasson said. “I’m very happy with that, and I shot my personal best; 78 is pretty impressive for me.”

Lake Carroll was led by a +8 from Diane Schipkowski.

Sunset sits at +10, with Ali Scheidecker contributing a +7. Back-to-back pars opened her round, but back-to-back double bogeys soon after knocked her best-against-bogey score back to zero before she started to turn things around with a birdie on the par-5 15th. She put up a +7 for her final nine holes of the day.

Prairieview sits at -5, with Joanna Sharp carding a +7.

The final round gets underway this morning.