St. Edward golfers get off to hot start at Larkin Invitational

The hot start St. Edward boys golfers Eric Winters and Michael Holevas got off to this past Monday at the Larkin Invitational might have a little something to do with their friendship.

Winters, a sophomore, and Holevas, a freshman, became friends back in their grade-school days at St. Thomas More in Elgin.

Golf, of course, is a common denominator for Winters and Holevas, who finished in a tie for second with identical 72s at the Larkin event at The Highlands. The duo spent plenty of time together over the summer honing their games.

"You almost never see one without the other being next to him," said coach Greg Winters (Eric's father).

"We spend a lot of time - four hours a day-playing golf together," said Eric Winters, who said the duo usually splits time playing at The Highlands in Elgin and the Elgin Country Club. "I play with him almost every day."

Holevas said playing with Winters helps with skill-improvement as well as with firing up the competitive juices.

"We always have fun out there," said Holevas. "We try and play matches and try and push each other."

So who holds the edge in these matches?

"I would say it is about half and half," said Holevas.

Winters agrees that playing with his good friend is definitely beneficial when it comes to the competitive nature of the game.

"It keeps us both pushing each other to get better," said Winters. "You don't want to lose to each other. It's a friendly competition."

Winters, whose older brother, Brad, was a standout golfer at St. Edward and now attends the University of Dayton, has seen an improvement with his ball-striking ability already this season.

"I've added a lot of distance," said Winters. "I did a lot of weight training and I got in shape. I've added about 30 yards. It's a lot easier to hit wedges in than 7 or 8 irons."

"Rather than missing a green, he has shorter irons in," said Greg Winters. "He's putting for birdies now instead of putting for par."

Holevas has also seen a gain in his tee shot.

"This season, I'm starting to hit the ball farther. I'm adding distance," said Holevas, who said his short game is also one of the keys to his success. "From last year, I'm probably 20 yards farther. I'm getting closer to the pin."

Holevas, who estimated he's in the 250-yard neighborhood off the tee, felt comfortable in his round at The Highlands.

"I played that course before and had confidence going in," said Holevas. "I'll take that for my first high school match."

Greg Winters noted both his son and Holevas were active on the IJGA tournament circuit this past summer. Eric Winters won a tournament in Sycamore.

"They play all summer long in tournaments and they practice," said Greg Winters. "It's a lot of dedication."

"It's important to get used to playing in tournaments," said Eric Winters. "You get used to the pressure."

Eric Winters got a good taste of the high school game last year as a freshman. He was a second-team all-Suburban Catholic Conference selection and was part of the Green Wave sectional-qualifying team that also featured his brother, who was an individual Class 2A state qualifier.

"It was the same thing playing with Brad," said Winters. "It's the competition. We were both pushing each other to get better."

And now Winters is able to play with his good friend at St. Edward.

"We're 1 and 2, so we'll be playing together," said Winters. "It's a big advantage. We'll have that same competitive nature to do better."