Boys golf: Murray, Prospect handle rain to claim regional championships

On a rainy day, Prospect’s Ryan Murray was the only player to keep his head above water.

A 90-minute delay to the start due to heavy rain, and intermittent rain throughout the rest of the day, couldn’t ground Murray. The senior shot a two-under 68 to become the medalist at the Class 3A regional at Mt. Prospect Golf Club Wednesday.

“I just love this course,” Murray said. “Part of me likes playing in the rain. You really don’t think about your swing too much. You are just out there shooting.”

Murray said his putting was the key.

“I started out hot,” said Murray, who had two birdies and a bogey on the first three holes and a bogey and an eagle on the back.

“The putter was rolling and I just felt good all day.”

Murray helped power the Knights to the regional title with 297. Along with Murray, Prospect got solid play from Luke Ginsberg (75), Madden Cummo (77) and Connor Freudenberger (77).

Playing on their home course, it was the Knights’ first regional title since 2023. Prospect coach Phil O’Grady was ready for the weather, handing out rain gear to his team.

“I gave them everything we had,” O’Grady said. “I told them that we know the conditions are going to be terrible. So they might as well accept it and not use it as a crutch or an excuse. Because at the end of the day, we know this course better than anyone and we should have an edge.”

Hersey, which won its second MSL title in a row last week when the Huskies topped Prospect by two strokes, had some issues maneuvering through the wet weather, ending up six strokes back with 303.

“Conditions were not the best today,” Hersey coach Dan Caporusso said. “They were the worst we have seen this year and the worst in the past few years. It was a swamp march, but we were still able to get it in and despite that, the scores weren’t that bad.”

Junior Davis Lockwood led Hersey with a 75, good for fourth overall.

“It was definitely wet,” Lockwood said. “Our coach told us we had to stay in it mentally and stay in the moment and deal with it. I was hitting it good, I just three putted too many times.

Lockwood was joined by his brother Colin, who shot 77, along with Julian Bugara’s 75 and Michael Szabo’s 75.

Glenbrook North was third with 304 and is the final team advancing to the sectional at Heritage Oaks Golf Club in Northbrook next Monday.

Fremd, which was five strokes back with 309, got a very nice performance from Tyler Douglass. The junior shot 74 to tie for second with Glenbrook North’s Asher Moon.

“It was wet but not too bad,” Douglass said. “The greens were rolling pretty nicely. They are always tough here.”

Douglass will be one of 10 at-large qualifiers at the sectional. He will be joined by teammates Mason Minier (76), Bobby Oberstar (78) and Jack Bell (81).

Other area qualifiers included Buffalo Grove’s Niko Harisiadis (77) and Palatine’ Maddux Zapatka (77).