Girls golf: WW South nails down Rosary Invite title
It was Round No. 2 between Wheaton Warrenville South and Naperville North Saturday in North Aurora.
But just like the DuPage Valley Conference girls golf tournament on Tuesday at Bartlett Hills, WW South was not about to be denied at the Rosary Invitational.
Sophomore Hayden Moritz, a transfer from suburban Indianapolis, was on a different level at Fox Valley Golf Course.
Overcoming biting temperatures and gusting winds, the Tigers' newly anointed top player recorded 5 birdies on the par-72 layout. Moritz was 2-under after 16 holes, only to record a double bogey on her penultimate hole to settle for a medalist-earning even-par round.
With Annalee Dannagger fashioning a pair of 40s to finish third overall, WW South duplicated its league-best 335 score from Tuesday to deny Naperville North for the second time this week by 8 strokes in the 24-team field.
"It kind of hit me when I had few holes left that I was doing really well," said Moritz, who made the turn at 2-under 34 and added another pair of birdies to offset an equal number of bogeys over her first 16 holes. "I wouldn't say I choked."
"It's one of those things where (Moritz) is probably disappointed she didn't shoot under par," WW South coach Art Tang said.
The 5 red numbers Moritz placed on her scorecard were more than entire programs registered with their five-player lineups.
"Some of them I just made long putts," Moritz said of her quintet of birdies. "The others were on par-5s. I was able to get on in three and 1-putt."
Naperville North No. 1 Lauren Nay, a sophomore, was the only other player to break 80 in the field as her 78 was runner-up by 2 shots over Dannegger.
Emma Field and Priya Desai were the other two counting scores for the Tigers, who captured their second 18-hole tournament title this season.
"We finished second two other times (at our other invites) because (defending Class AA state champion) Hinsdale Central was there," Tang said.
WW South, returning five members of its downstate team from a year ago, was fourth in state a year ago.
Dannegger was solo third for WW South with her round of 80.
"I got off to a pretty rough start," the Tigers' state veteran said. "I was 4-over after four (holes). I started to get some momentum going. It was a pretty consistent day. I made a lot of pars."
Nay made the turn in 1-over 37 as the centerpiece of her 37 for the Huskies.
"I felt like (the conditions) played to my advantage a little bit," Nay said. "I had a rough back nine, but I started off really strong."
Nay nearly eagled the short par-4 seventh.
"It was like two inches (for birdie)," Nay said.
Freshman Mara Flaherty fired an 84 to finish solo fifth for Naperville North.
St. Charles East made its maiden appearance at Fox Valley on Saturday.
Rose Bundy fired an 83 to anchor the Saints' third-place 356 showing.
"I expected a little bit better, but I just had a bad day," Bundy said. "If a bad day is going to get me fourth, I can live with it. I have to start focusing because playoffs are coming up. I have to shoot better."
"We just wanted to figure out where our weaknesses were and adjust to it and try and make it better for Wednesday (at the Burlington Central regional)," St. Charles East hall of fame coach Rod Osborne said. "We're looking forward to it."
Rosary senior Reis McCue and Batavia Upstate Eight Conference stalwart Becca Hassemann finished tied for 10th with 87s.
"I'm pretty excited about today," said McCue, who anchored the host Royals to a top-10 finish.
Burlington Central, along with Glenbard West, did not have enough players to field a team score.
But the Rockets' Sydney Killeen had the individual highlight of the day after recording a hole-in-one on No. 15.
"She's only a freshman," Central coach Kyle Nelson said. "I know how rare it is to happen. It's pretty special, it's pretty fun."
It was a new experience for Killeen.
"The other day she missed a birdie putt," Nelson said. "She told me that she had never made a birdie. I told her today, 'You still haven't made a birdie.' "