Cary-Grove's Colbert is a champion again
Last Thursday Cary-Grove senior Brian Colbert took a 1-shot lead to the 17th hole at Oak Grove and finished birdie-birdie to win the Fox Valley Conference title with a par score of 71.
Tuesday at the Class 3A Prairie Ridge regional tournament held at Prairie Isle Golf Course in Crystal Lake, Colbert again was unflappable with a tournament title on the line.
Colbert and playing partner Ross Frankenberg of Barrington were even through 17 holes. A junior, Frankenberg is to stranger to championship competition either. He won a Class AA regional title last season in a three-way playoff.
Both players crushed their drives from the blue tees of the closing par 5, a 511-yard dogleg right. Both subsequently hit 3-woods from the fairway. Frankenberg's second shot found the rough just short of the greenside bunker to the right; Colbert stayed in the fairway.
While Frankenberg looked for his ball, Colbert chipped to within 3 feet of the cup. Frankenberg landed his approach within 8 feet of the hole, but his putt to the low side of the cup lipped out, leaving him with a final score of par 72 for the day.
"It was close all the way to the end, which is what you want," said Frankenberg. "(Colbert) had a really strong back 9 and I didn't follow that up. I just had too many little putts that cost me."
Colbert tapped in his 3-footer to complete a 1-under-par round of 71 and clinch his first regional title.
"I've said all year really that if I won conference and didn't make it to state, it would be a failure for me, so this is a step in the right direction," said Colbert, a senior. "We're just one tournament away and we get to go back to Oak Grove and play again (in next Tuesday's McHenry sectional)."
Barrington, however, won the team title, giving the Broncos their third straight regional plaque.
Frankenberg's 72 was supported by Ryan Quinn's 76, Jason Batliner's 79 and scores of 80 from Charlie Douglas and freshman Sam McNulty.
"We all know the potential we have and when we all play well it seems to click," Quinn said. "It's been a fun season so far. The reason we click so well is we have a great coach and great teammates and we're all great friends."
The Broncos, state qualifiers last season, defended their Mid-Suburban League Conference title last Monday and continued rolling at the regional with a combined score of 308, their lowest of the season.
"We're playing our best golf of the season right now," said Barrington coach Mike Kallenbach. "We were definitely looking for the three-peat today."
Cary-Grove (311) and McHenry (315) were the other two teams to qualify, followed by Prairie Ridge (319), Jacobs (321), Crystal Lake South (330), Lake Zurich (339), Dundee-Crown (340), Grant (370) and Round Lake (471).
Qualifying for their second straight trip to the sectional means a return trip to Oak Grove for the Trojans, who narrowly lost a conference title on that course last week.
In addition to Colbert's 71, the Trojans were led by Ryan Kwech (77), sophomore Matt Efflandt (78) and Tyler Bulterman (85).
"Matt Efflandt I really thought came through for us," said Cary-Grove coach Kelly Muzzy. "Matt last year shot 88 at the regional. He's our fourth player and for him to be 10 strokes down as a sophomore was really big for us."
The top eight golfers not already on a qualifying team also advanced to the Class 3A McHenry sectional. Included in that group were: Prairie Ridge's Tyler Benson (76), Kyle Sherman (77) and Ben Boncosky (82); Jacobs' Mike Kneip (77) and Josh Kopka (77); Crystal Lake South's Anthony Raucci (81) and Sean Reinsalu (82); and Jordan Nelson from Dundee-Crown, who 3-putted 18 but still finished with a 78.
"On the 18th green with everyone watching I go ahead and 3-putt it, so that felt good," Nelson said dryly. "Other than that, it was a pretty good day."