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Girls golf: Barrington's Sulkar tied for state lead

Barrington Hall of Fame girls golf coach Jodi Schoeck has had her share of great players and great moments over her 29-year career.

But never has she found herself with a player tied for the lead in the state finals heading into the final day.

That's exactly where Fillies junior Reena Sulkar stands after shooting a 1-under par 71 on Friday in the Class AA finals at the Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur.

"To look at the IHSA website leader board and see Reena's name right at the top, that's something special," Schoeck said.

Sulkar is tied with Hinsdale Central's Jessica Lee, also a junior.

The Red Devils (19 over) are leading the team competition, followed by Loyola (26 over) and Wheaton Warrenville South (26 over).

Sulkar and Lee were also paired in national junior tournaments this past summer.

Sulkar, who tied for eighth last fall and tied for 28th as a freshman, is making her third straight appearance in the state final.

Can the third time be the charm?

"It's a good place to be going into the final round," said Sulkar, the two-time defending Mid-Suburban League champion whose experience seems to be paying off after a first round that was played in some tricky wind conditions.

"That (wind) was definitely tough," she said. "There were a lot of holes where it was a crosswind, blowing left to right, so it was pretty tough.

"It was mostly just being able to judge what club to use and what shots to hit. There were a lot of judgments calls to be made."

Sulkar was making them quite accurately right from the start, as she went 2-under on her first five holes with birdies on a par 5 and a par 4.

She finished with a 2-under 34, then shot a 1-over 37 on her back nine, including a double bogey on the par 5 No. 11.

"The double bogey came on the second hole off the turn," Shoeck said. "She didn't let the double get to her. She came back with back-to-back birdies three holes later. She just kept on path. It was amazing."

"Usually, I'm pretty good about moving on after tough holes," Sulkar said. "Bad holes happen. I don't let them get to my mind. I forget about the hole and keep on playing."

Sulkar finished with a bogey on her last hole (No. 9 on the course).

"The wind took her drive and she had to punch out," Schoeck said. "The winds were unbelievable all day and but Reena was able to control most of her shots. She played a great round. She was getting on the greens and reading them. She could see the breaks and feel them with her legs. That really helped her get some putts close and drop a few."

Sulkar hopes to drop a few more today and make a run at the title.

"I'll definitely just focus on each hole and play my own game," she said. "I'm not going to try to be too aggressive, or to make miracles happen.

"I've been pretty steady all season so I will just try for that (Saturday). I'll try to keep that flow and I'll be fine."

Action is scheduled to begin Saturday with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.

"I don't know how much warm-up time there will be, depending on the frost," Schoeck said. "Everyone is in same situation but it could be an issue. I told Reena we can't control that. We are all in same boat. You just have to be ready for anything, not knowing when the frost will leave."

Buffalo Grove senior Emily Carnes and sophomore teammate Haeri Lee, each making their state debuts, shot 79s to put them in a tie for 18th heading into Saturday's final round.

"They both played really well in tough conditions," said Bison coach Matt Myers. "The wind was swirling and it was difficult to get a sense with what the wind would do on each individual shot. It definitely added to the length of the course.

"Both both girls grinded it out. I would think they would say they left some shots out on the course and truthfully were a little disappointed. But they still shot solid scores."

Carnes stressed that Myers was a big help for the first state tournament round of her high school career.

"The wind was a little tough but it was nice having a coach throughout all 18 holes," she said. "It was nice to be talked through every shot."

Carnes actually found the course quite similar to Buffalo Grove Golf Course, where the Bison played their home meets during a Mid-Suburban East championship season.

"It's pretty similar to BG," Carnes said. "It's a little shorter but definitely manageable."

Carnes managed to sink her longest putt, a 16-footer, on her final hole for par.

"My putting went pretty well," she said. "I was scrambling a lot so putting kind of saved me a couple of times."

Lee got a big save for par on her final hole to shoot a 43 on the back after parring her front nine.

"She played really well on the front," Myers said. "Haeri grinded through the back and I was really proud of her for coming up with a couple of up and downs. That last par on No. 18 gives her a little momentum for (Saturday)."

Lee called it a "really fun and good experience."

"My putting helped a lot," she said. "I really liked the course. It was actually easier than I thought."

Fremd senior Jaehee Hjur is tied for 36th after shooting an 82 on Friday while Conant senior Megan Nagorzanski is in a tie for 49th with a round of 84.

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