Anderson makes it look easy at DuPage Valley tournament

To Aurora golfers it is simply known as "The Park."

But Kelly Anderson is threatening to make the back nine at Phillips Park Golf Course her own personal domain.

For the second consecutive year the Wheaton Warrenville South senior was sensational on her inward-nine holes at the DuPage Valley Conference girls golf tournament.

The Northern Illinois University recruit duplicated her 4-under 32 close from last year and defended her individual title with ease with a masterful, bogey-free 67.

The championship record 5-under total was the centerpiece of the Tigers' collective brilliance Tuesday afternoon in Aurora.

Monopolizing the top-four finishes, WW South cruised to the team title at 297 behind runner-up Annalee Dannegger, Sarah Hauenstein and Priya Desai.

The triumvirate fired respective rounds of 75, 76 and 79.

Julia Hauenstein and Emma Field did not even need their top-10 scores of 83 and 87, respectively, to count for the Tigers.

Naperville North, Naperville Central, Wheaton North, Lake Park and Glenbard North had no answer for the Tigers' onslaught.

Anderson drove the green of the par-4 eighth hole for her first birdie and entered the back nine after a clutch 15-footer for par at No. 9.

"It meant a lot," Anderson said of the save. "I had confidence I could make the putt. I knew my teammates were playing well (at the turn)."

Anderson was unmerciful on the back nine.

Opening with back-to-back birdies, Anderson used aggression off the tee against the defenseless short par-4s and reachable par-5s.

"There's a lot of par-5s (three, on Phillips' back nine)," Anderson said. "I can hit a lot of par-5s in two in high school golf."

Anderson could have had a remarkable finish had any of the four straight birdie putts between Nos. 12 and 15 dropped.

The Tigers' lone senior birdied the final two par-5s to accentuate her personal-low round.

"You can always go lower," Anderson said of the missed putts on the back. "But I am really happy about my round. I tried to stay as calm as I could and stay in the moment."

"(Anderson) recovers from a bad shot or bad hole better than any golfer I have ever had," WW South coach Art Tang said. "Her demeanor has been great all season."

Dannegger also had a first.

"I have never broken 80 before," the Tigers' sophomore said. "To beat it by 5 strokes for the first time is very exciting."

Defending champion Naperville North never had a chance.

"Kelly is an amazing player," Naperville North coach Greta Williams said. "This year we don't have anyone who can go super low like that."

Hannah McDaniel and Jaycie White led the Huskies with an 84 and 88.

Naperville Central junior Stephanie Robinson was the only non-WW South player in the top six with her 81.

"A lot of things went well," Robinson said.