Carmel edges St. Viator for ESCC crown

After nearly every score card was handed in and checked twice for accuracy in a meet where every single stroke counted, St. Viator's Jack Halpin did something he's not used to doing.

The boys golf coach of the two-time defending Class 3A state champs conceded defeat.

Host Carmel Catholic had yet to be officially declared winner of Thursday's East Suburban Catholic Conference meet at Pine Meadow Golf Club in Mundelein, but Halpin made his way across the clubhouse anyway. He navigated through people, walked to the table where the happy Corsairs were talking about their rounds and congratulated them by shaking their hands.

Carmel carded a 298 to edge St. Viator by 1 stroke and end the Lions' five-year run as ESCC champions.

"That was tough," Halpin said. "I had hoped to shoot 299 and we shot 299.

"Carmel's got a great program, a great coach (Jim Nolan), and they deserve to win."

Like St. Viator, Benet nearly won. The Redwings finished just four shots back of Carmel, finishing with a 302.

"Those are some great scores on a really difficult golf course today," Halpin said of the top-three tallies. "The pins were tough, (but) very fair."

The ESCC proved tough.

"This has to be one of the best conferences in the state," said Benet senior John Callahan, who along with teammates Pat Callahan (no relation) and Nick Bonfitto shot 75. "Viator, back-to-back state champs and most of their team returning, and they don't even win the conference this year."

The ESCC's best golfer was Carmel's Jack Watson. The Kansas State recruit fired a winning 2-under-par 70, which included a 32 on the back nine. St. Viator's Brad Klune's even-par round was good for second.

"I'm actually more happy about the team win," Watson said. "It shows that we can go low."

Watson, who at one point was 2-over on the front, heated up on the back nine. He finished with birdies on Nos. 13, 15, 16 and 18.

"The front nine wasn't my best, but I kind of slapped it around and did whatever I could," said the senior, who shot a 69 at Lake Bluff last weekend. "Then on the back I turned it on."

On No. 16, Watson curled in a 30-foot birdie putt.

Jack was jacked up.

"I just played it out there and it was coming around," Watson said. "It just kind of hung on the lip and then dropped."

On the 18th, which was playing into the wind, he stuck a 5-iron from 180 yards out tight.

"I thought I had to birdie it and I hit it to two feet," Watson said.

Doug Meyer gave Carmel a big lift by shooting a 73 (third place), one stroke off his career best.

"I hit the ball really well today," said Meyer, a junior. "I struck all my putts solid, made a lot of putts, hit my drives in the fairway, and I hit almost every green, too. That helps."

Carmel also counted Jimmy Spagna's 77 (10th place) and David Markiewicz's 78 (15th).

St. Viator's Dan Stringfellow, who played with Watson, finished with a 73 (fourth). The Lions' Ken Wienckowski (76, eighth) and Joe Carlson (78, 16th) also earned medals.

Besides the trio of 75s from the Carlsons and Bonfitto, Benet counted Matt Giblin's 77.

John Callahan, who earned the fifth-place medal, counted four 3-putts, but also 3 birdies.

And, he eagled the par-5 fourth.

"I made like a 100-foot putt from in front of the green," Callahan said. "It was pretty cool."