Hard-hitting Pats take their cuts

One of the main reasons for the Cubs' success this season is the back half of their lineup.

The same is certainly true for the Stevenson boys golf team.

Although Stevenson only counted one score from the top four players in their lineup, the Patriots (154) still cruised to a 12-stroke victory over Vernon Hills (166) at The Arboretum Club.

Junior Danny Dolan shot his low varsity score of 2-over-par 38, which earned him co-medalist honors with sophomore teammate Ryan Colbourn. The Patriots received matching 39s from Zack Kravits and Nathan Walk. Matt Alm's 39 paced Vernon Hills.

Dolan responded well to adversity throughout his round. After a double bogey at the fifth hole, a par-3, he hit a 7-iron approach to 4-feet at No. 6. He made the birdie putt to drop to 1-over-par.

He also responded after hooking his tee shot at the par-4, eighth. His options were to pitch back to the fairway or try and hit his hybrid over the trees.

"I decided to go for it," Dolan said.

His shot just sailed over the top of the t rees and landed by the green. His chip lipped out, leaving him a tap-in for par.

After a rough start, Colbourn put together another solid round. After splitting the fairway with his drive at the first hole, he ended up with a double bogey.

"I was a little worried, but I hit a strong tee shot at the second and started to play better," he said.

At the par-5 ninth hole, Colbourn found two bunkers but saved par by rolling in a 30-footer.

"I would have been disappointed (with bogey)," Colbourn said. "It's not that tough of a hole."

For Alm, the key to his recent play of late was to navigate the course more by feel. Alm worked a lot on his full swing over the summer and was never totally comfortable over the ball.

"I didn't improve until the season started when I stopped thinking about everything I was doing," he said.

Alm was the last to tee off in his group on the par-4, third. After watching all three of his playing partners hit drivers into the water on the right side, he found the fairway with a 3-wood. From there, he stuck his 160-yard approach to within 6 inches of the cup.

"That was the best 7-iron shot of my life," he said.

Barrington, St. Viator tie: The Barrington and St. Viator boys golf teams share a friendly rivalry.

Both squads made it downstate last year with Viator winning the Class 3A state championship while Barrington finished fourth.

And while many of the players are friends on and off the links, it's "a little more serious on the course", according to Broncos senior Jason Batliner.

Batliner and senior teammates James Ross and Travis Smyczynski shot 78 Tuesday at Inverness Golf Club. Senior Ross Frankenberg was tournament medalist with a 36-36-72 as the Broncos bested Viator at Fremd's Inverness Invitational.

Both teams finished with a score of 306 but Barrington was awarded the team trophy on a fifth-score tiebreaker.

"It's fun," said Frankenberg, who was second individually in last year's state tourney, of facing off against the state champs.

"I'm friends with a lot of the Viator kids, so when you have a competition like this, it pushes you a little harder - and this (the Inverness Invite) was a very strong field."

Frankenberg has already carded scores of 70 (at Prairie Isle) and 71 (at the Den in Bloomington, site of the state tournament) this year.

"I didn't expect us to be playing this well (this early)," said Frankenberg, whose team had previously won a tourney this year and finished second twice. "I'm pretty excited."

Viator, which had won at Inverness the last two seasons, was just aced out of the top spot despite having three golfers in the top five.

Danny Stringfellow (73) and Joey Carlson (73) finished 2-3, while classmate Brad Klune (75) was fifth.