Hole-in-one for BG’s Guiao; record score for Prospect
A magical hole by Buffalo Grove senior Amber Guiao and a magical finish by Prospect’s girls golf team highlighted Wednesday’s meet at the Mt. Prospect Golf Club.
Playing the final hole of their final home match of the regular season, the Knights fired 4 birdies and an eagle on the par 4, No. 9 to set a school record 145 for nine holes.
Just moments earlier, Guiao scored a hole-in-one on the par 3, 92-yard seventh hole which features a double-tier green.
“That was as much fun as I’ve had on a golf course,” said Prospect coach Jim Hamann, whose team’s 145-168 victory bested its own previous program record of 147. “I saw a hole-in-one on No. 7, 4 birdies and an eagle on No. 9 for a school record with 50-some people standing around the final green watching.”
Those spectators saw Prospect senior Noreen Caporusso hit a 56-degree wedge into the hole from 63 yards out for an eagle that completed a medalist score of a 1-under-par 34.
They also saw birdies from senior Kiley Walsh (36), senior Ally Scaccia (38), junior Kacie O’Donnell (38) and junior Isabella Flack (37), who was playing an exhibition round and recorded her best round of the season.
“How crazy was that?” said Caporusso of the ninth hole wizardry in which the Knights shot 6-under par. “It was magic all over No. 9.”
Caporusso’s eagle shot went over the lip of a right-side bunker, preventing the senior all-stater from seeing the ball land on the green.
“It’s unreal,” she said of the Knights’ performance on the final hole. “Our last regular-season home match (Knights host regional in two weeks). What a way to go out.”
Senior Emma Menich went out with a 37, giving the Knights their third-best score. Walsh went out with back-to-back birdies on No. 8 and 9.
“I can’t imagine how happy the girls are breaking the school record in their last regular-season home match,” Hamann said.
Amber Guiao was quite happy with her shot on the seventh hole.
Coincidentally, that was the hole she was waiting to play a week earlier when the storms suspended the match.
Using what she called a ‘slowed-down pitching wedge,’ Guiao’s tee shot landed about 6 feet in front of the pin and rolled softly into the lower tier hole.
“My pitching wedge usually goes 105 yards but I just dialed it down,” said Guiao, whose freshman sister Lauren was playing in the same foursome. “When the ball landed and started to roll toward the pin I thought maybe it would get close to the hole. I knew it was on the right line.”
Sure enough, it dropped in the hole for the second hole-in-one of her life.
“It was exciting,” Amber said. “It (the shot) didn’t feel perfect but it did what I wanted it to do.”
Three years ago, while also playing with sister, Amber had a hole-in-one on a par 3 at Nicholls Knoll Golf Course in Buffalo Grove.
“I’m super jealous because I’ve never gotten one,” joked Lauren, who also shot a 41 like Amber on the front nine.
Completing the Bison score card were Courtney Meyer (42) and Kelli Zickert (44).
After completing her memorable round, Amber Guiao applauded the Knights’ big finish and school-record round.
“They are so awesome,” Amber said of the five-time defending Mid-Suburban League champs (10-0), who visit Barrington (9-1) today at Bonnie Dundee in Carpentersville. “That was an amazing to see (final hole).
“Their players are so supportive of each other. I love them.”