Libertyville’s Christie aces first high school test

Libertyville freshman girls golfer Kenzie Christie had about as good a high school debut as one could imagine.

Not only did Christie shoot a medalist round 38 in her first high school match recently against Antioch at Spring Valley Country Club in Salem, Wis., but she also recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3, 144-yard fifth hole.

“I felt like I lost some strokes putting, but I was hitting it really well,” Christie said of her 3-over-par round. “I felt like the round could have been a little better, but overall it was pretty good.”

Christie used a 6-iron to card her first career hole-in-one after coming close on multiple occasions.

“I hit it really well,” she said. “The hole goes uphill so all we heard was it hit the pin. We never saw it go in until we went up and looked at it. I started crying and was really shaky. I was surprised. Everybody was jumping around and celebrating. I didn’t really have a strategy on that hole. I was trying to get it close. The pin was tucked behind the hill. I took a club up because I didn’t want to land it short.”

Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen provided further play by play. “It’s an elevated green and we heard the clank of the flagstick,” he said. “Spectators ran up the hill to confirm it went in. It was a special moment. Her mom and dad and grandpa were there — pretty cool.”

Christie is fresh off a 2024 tournament season that saw her fare well in a number of Illinois Junior Golf Association events. Christie logged first-place showings at Des Plaines, Bonnie Brook (Waukegan), Lake Bluff, Sunset Valley (Highland Park) and Shepherds Creek (Zion). She ranks seventh in the girls 14-15 division IJGA points standings.

“I have known Kelsey has been coming for a number of years,” Pedersen said. “I have followed her tournament progress online and have coached her at our summer camp for a few of her middle school years. She’s very talented. She controls her driver and has tremendous accuracy with irons. My favorite part of coaching Kenzie is being around her and her contagious positivity. The hole in one couldn’t happen to a nicer kid or harder worker.”

Christie is thrilled to be playing for the Cats and is looking forward to what the 2024 season brings.

“I was a little nervous (against Antioch),” she said. “I wanted to play good so I didn’t let the team down. I love the team. Everybody is so close. So many of us just met, but we’re all really close and sweet. We kind of click and vibe well together. Everyone is always supportive and trying to have fun.”