Boys golf: Mundelein heats up against Libertyville

A red-hot start couldn't cool off Mundelein's red-hot golfers, who, fittingly, wore red shirts.

Libertyville senior Jacob Mueller was making golf look easy at Steeple Chase Golf Club on Tuesday. He birdied the first four holes, before settling for a 2-under-par 34, which still earned him medalist honors. But the host Mustangs prevailed on a fifth-score tiebreaker to improve to 5-0 in the North Suburban Conference.

Both Mundelein and Libertyville shot a 146 on a picture-perfect afternoon.

"They had a really good round," Mundelein senior Brett Parola said of the Wildcats. "I know they have good players, but 146 on not their home course is a pretty good score. (Shooting) 146, for us, on our home course is pretty good."

Parola's 1-under 35 led Mundelein, which won Barrington's Inverness invite on Monday and Zion-Benton's invite on Saturday. Unbeknown to him, Parola's sand save on No. 9, when he rolled in a 15-foot putt, proved large.

"I didn't know what the putt meant," Parola said with a smile. "It didn't know it was for the win."

After opening with 4 birdies, Mueller lipped out for birdie on the par-3 fifth. On the par-5 sixth, he putted from just off the green for eagle.

"He was absolutely on fire," said Mundelein senior Tyler White, who played with Mueller. "It was unbelievable to play with him."

White got off to a great start himself, sinking birdie putts on the first two holes, but he carded 2 bogeys before he was gone and shot an even-par 36.

Mundelein also counted senior Ryan Magee's 37, senior Zach Zentz's 38 and sophomore Josh Peterson's 40, which was the fifth-score difference-maker.

"Zach played a lot of baseball this year and I didn't know if he planned on playing (golf)," Mundelein coach Todd Parola said. "I had a feeling he would be playing better by the end of the year, and he is. The younger guys are starting to play a little better too."

Libertyville got 37s from senior Mike Sefton and freshman Carson Darnall and a 38 from junior Mitch Kenston.

"They definitely brought their 'A' game," White said of the Wildcats. "I'm just glad that our fifth man, Josh, played really well. It's good to see younger guys like that play well for us."

Mundelein has another NSC showdown Thursday, when it hosts Lake Forest at Steeple Chase.

"They're one of the best teams in the state," Todd Parola said of the Scouts. "You got to hope they have a bad day. It's going to be rough, but you never know."