Schneider edges Beagley in classic duel

Three playoff holes weren't enough to separate seniors Carly Schneider of Streamwood and Marin Beagley of St. Charles North on Monday, so with the sun setting on the Elgin Country Club golf course, tournament director Jack Childers had to award the first-place medal.

And by virtue of a score card tiebreaker, Schneider was declared the champion of the 2009 Elgin Country Club Tournament, just after she and Beagley had played some of the better golf the country club has seen from females this season, as they both played the nine holes in 2-over par 37 before locking horns in a classic playoff duel on the picturesque course.

St. Edward used 38s from Danielle Coffman and Erin Schneider, Carly's sister, to claim the team championship with a 165. St. Charles North (168) was second and the Bartlett/South Elgin/Streamwood co-op (175) finished third.

But the drama was left for Carly Schneider and Beagley.

The playoff began on No. 1 and each girl bogeyed the hole. Moving to No. 8, a long par 4 for women that was described by a country club official as the toughest hole for women on the course, Schneider and Beagley made it look routine. They each nailed their drives down the middle of the fairway and then, from about 175 yards, each hit impressive second shots, Schneider coming up 10 feet from the cup and Beagley about 15. Keeping with their consistency, they each 2-putted and moved to the majestic landscape of the par-3 ninth.

Without blinking, each player ignored the bunker-laced green and dropped her tee shot onto the carpet, Schneider to within 5 feet and Beagley a tougher 15 feet away and downhill.

But Beagley calmly, after several minutes of measuring the shot, dropped it into the cup. With the pressure on, Schneider easily made her 5-footer, and Childers called an end to the day. Reverting to the score cards from the ninth hole back during the regulation nine, Schneider was awarded the first-place medal.

"I was really pumped for the playoff," said Schneider, whose used a 7-iron for her tee shot on No. 9. "I went straight to the putting green when I knew we were going to have a playoff and my heart was racing so fast with everyone watching me. It was fun."

Beagley applauded Schneider's effort.

"She's a really good player and a nice girl," Beagley said. "It was really nerve-racking. This was really my first playoff."

There was almost a third and fourth party to the playoff. Schneider's sister, Erin, and her St. Edward teammate Coffman each shot 38s.

"It's always that 1 stroke," smiled Erin Schneider, who said she can't remember how many times she and her sister have been separated by 1 shot.

Greens play is what might have kept Erin out of the playoff.

"My drives were going straight, my iron shots were perfect, my chipping was good ... but I got nervous and missed some close putts."

St. Charles North used a 41 from Arianna Furrie, a 42 from Kaitlyn Barr and a 48 from Jordyn McFarlane to support Beagley and finish second. The Bartlett/South Elgin/Streamwood co-op supported Schneider with a 42 from Samantha Coyne and 48s from Kaitlyn Boehne and Alexis Anderson to finish third.

Burlington Central used four sub-50 rounds to place fourth with a 181. Jordan Maisto led the Rockets with a 43, Katie Cappas shot 45, Taylor Colby 46 and Alex Burnside 47.

Hampshire, led by sisters Taylor and Connie Ellett each shooting 42 was fifth at 187.

The Elgin/Larkin co-op also had a sub-40 round as Kristin Chramowicz shot 39 to finish fifth individually.