Boys golf: Prospect's Busch qualifies for state

Prospect senior Charlie Busch will end his 2018 golf season the same way he finished up the last two years.

At the state finals in Bloomington.

Busch, the Mid-Suburban League player of the year, qualified for the state meet at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course this weekend by shooting a 72 Monday at the Class 3A sectional tourney at Mount Prospect Golf Club.

The senior will be making his third consecutive appearance at Bloomington, having advanced in both his sophomore and junior campaigns.

"What makes Charlie so good is his ball striking," said Knights coach Tom Martindale. "He strikes the ball at a very high level. When he hits a ball, it's hit."

"But it's also how hard he works at the game. You can't have the success that he's had without putting in the work, and he puts in the work."

Busch's 33 on the front 9 was the lowest 9-hole score of the day among 112 competitors, and his stellar score saw him finish tied for fourth individually.

"I was feeling pretty good," said Busch of his first 9 holes, a 33 that included 2 birdies. "On the back nine I just tried to keep the ball in the fairway, put it on the green and try to get my pars."

Busch added that he was more concerned about assisting his team's chances for advancement than worrying about his own individual score.

"I was mainly just focused on trying to help get the team out," said Busch, who will attend Carthage College in Kenosha in the fall to play golf and pursue a degree in education, with the goal of becoming a history teacher. "Just try to put up the best score up that I could."

Loyola shot 287 to win the sectional and qualify for state as a team, as did runner-up Fenwick (304) and third place New Trier (306).

York shot 309 to place fourth and just miss out on a team advancement.

But the Dukes had three golfers shoot 77 - Matthew Buckley, Sam Bartolone and Zach Sutter - while Sutter was able to make it to state as an individual, claiming the final spot on a playoff win.

"Our whole team was outstanding today," said York coach Jim Borel, "especially considering how slick and wet the greens were. "

"We just missed out on advancing to state last year by one stroke, and now by three this year. One of these years we're going to jump over the fence, but it's been a great season."

John Cantieri of Propsect also carded a 77 but lost out in the multiplayer playoff.

Sunny Sivarathri excelled for Conant with an 83, Sutape Chantapim from Leyden shot 83 as well, while Luke Duffer of Rolling Meadows finished with an 84.

Jordan Fischer of Lake Park, a senior, claimed an individual spot at state, firing a 76.

"Today I figured that the cut was going to be around 75 or 76," said Fischer, "so I wasn't going to be worried about too many bogeys - just try to move on."

It was the first time that Fischer had played at Mount Prospect Golf Club.

"It was tough out here," said the senior. "The greens were kind of hilly, but it was one of my better rounds of the year so I was happy."