Model of consistency

The summer before your senior year is important for any aspiring college golfer.

And impressing college coaches with her scores was certainly on the mind of Lakes senior Abbie Horan. She quickly realized, though, that the more she thought about college golf, the worse she played.

"I talked to my coach Todd (Sones) and he told me to forget about colleges for now and just play the way I can play," she said. "Once I stopped thinking about colleges, I started playing the way I wanted."

Her most encouraging performance this summer came at the Illinois Women's Open. Competing against many top college players and some professionals, she finished in 16th place. Her scores were 75, 74 and 75 for a three-round stroke total of 224.

One of the most encouraging aspects was how routine her rounds were. She wasn't bombing in putts from all over or holing shots from the sand. She simply played her game.

"I was just really consistent; I don't think I had a double bogey the whole tournament," she said. "It was really cool to play with professionals and college girls. It was a whole new level of competition."

Horan hopes to make a decision on college before the end of the month. She has narrowed her choices down to a pair of schools in the Big Ten and one in the Big 12.

As a junior, Horan closed out the season on a high note when she placed fourth at the IHSA state meet. She had struggled with her swing during the regional and sectional tournaments, but something clicked when she arrived at Stone Creek Golf Club in Makanda.

She ended up shooting rounds of 73 and 75 (148), which was just 2 strokes shy of reaching a playoff.

"I had a great practice round and I was really focused," she said. "I started out striking the ball well and I gained a lot of confidence to go for the pins."

So far this season, she's picked up right where she left off. After winning a rain-shortened nine-hole event to start the year, she fired a 2-over-par 73 to win the Barrington Invitational.

Sones, who runs Todd Sones Impact Golf, said Horan enjoys the process of trying to improve her play.

"I look forward to my lesson with her because she is never down," Sones said. "She has a good head on her shoulders. When she has a bad hole, she doesn't get rattled. She gets back in it right away."

Horan said she has developed a stronger mental approach.

"I stay positive throughout the whole round," she said. "My game has matured a lot as I've gotten older."