Johnson, WW South have a heavenly day

Emily Johnson could not believe the angel the golfing gods placed on her shoulder as she played the 18th hole at Cog Hill No. 1 in Lemont on Tuesday afternoon.

The Wheaton Warrenville South senior thought for sure her chances for winning the individual championship of the Class AA St. Ignatius girls golf sectional had evaporated when her tee shot hooked badly to the left.

“I pulled the ball out (of my bag) all ready to hit a provisional (for a lost ball or out-of-bounds tee shot),” Johnson said.

Johnson, however, proceeded to lace a 7-iron from a hideous lie to within 6 feet, draining her fourth birdie putt of the round to cement her level-par 72 medalist performance.

With a bit of an asterisk, however.

Johnson was given a free drop on the hole after her tee shot was deemed to have landed in ground under repair, directly stymied by a series of huge oak trees.

“I had no shot to the green,” Johnson said of her original lie. “That (free) drop was a gift from God. The rough (after the drop) was so thick and I just went down hard on it.”

With Johnson, who fired a 48 on her regional front-nine last week at Sycamore, leading the way the Tigers shot a masterful 309 as a team to finish a mere stroke behind another school-record-setting team in Loyola.

Johnson made the turn at 2-under 35 after converting an eagle putt at the par-5 ninth.

“We missed it by 1,” WW South coach Art Tang said of the team title.

“This is the best team total in girls history,” Loyola coach Jim Jackimiec said.

But the Tigers’ new postseason benchmark meant a third team finals appearance in the last four years.

New Trier, the defending state champion, earned yet another team state bid with its third-place 315.

Glenbard West, which had the distinction of anointing a four-time state qualifier with the unprecedented play of Brooke Kochevar, was a distant fourth at 347.

St. Charles East and St. Charles North were in the second echelon of teams, but each managed a state qualifier as the individual cut line fell at 83.

Batavia senior Tara Cullerton earned a second state trip by winning a three-person playoff as the 10th and final at-large qualifier.

Glenbard South and Wheaton North failed to advance any individuals to the state finals in Forsyth, just north of Decatur, this weekend.

Gianna Dela Cruz was one of the lucky ones, however: the Addison Trail sophomore became the first player in program history to earn a state berth with her 82.

Bartlett senior Sam Coyne, representing the collective hopes of the Fox Valley, had a second attempt for a trip to state fall 3 shots shy.

Renee Solberg, the lone WW South returning state qualifier, had putting issues in settling for an 81 for the Tigers.

But freshman Kelly Anderson continued the Tigers’ glorious tradition of underclassmen answering the bell in the postseason.

Anderson fired a 3-over 75 to provide a second anchor score, and senior Ayomide Coker authored a personal-low round — an 81 — to conclude the Tigers’ record-setting day.

“My irons were working really well,” said Anderson, who recorded 3 birdies on the day. “If I got on in (regulation) I just had an easy 2-putt for par.”

Kochevar struggled on the greens, but the senior still managed to become a four-time state finalist with her round of 80.

The diminutive southpaw has had to make the individual cut line all four years.

“I didn’t think I would make it freshman year,” Kochevar said. “I didn’t like (my score) at all.”

DeLa Cruz left a lasting impression on the decade-old Addison Trail program.

“There was more focus this year,” the sophomore said of her second sectional appearance. “I tried my hardest today. That’s all I cared about.”

Paige Jordan and Ariana Furrie were kissing cousins on Tuesday at the legendary Lemont layout.

The juniors from St. Charles East and St. Charles North, respectively, recorded the two lowest scores — 77s — from non-qualifying teams to advance to the state tournament.

Jordan had a bit of an omen after her Monday practice round.

“I had a hole-in-one,” Jordan said of her second career ace on the 101-yard fourth hole.

Jordan had an uneventful start only to tame the inward nine in 1-over 36 to punch her second ticket to the state tournament.

The Saints’ No. 1 player was a member of a qualifying team as a freshman two years ago.

“My driver was really working for me,” Jordan said. “I greened (one par-4 with my drive) and made an easy birdie there. I picked it up with my putting on the last nine holes.”

After back-to-back heart-wrenching sectional performances, Furrie is headed to state for the first time.

The North Stars’ two-time regional champion had an eagle-3 at the ninth hole to highlight her round, which could have been much better had it not been for bogeys on her final three holes.

“Not really what I wanted to do coming in,” Furrie said. “My drives weren’t going too far. But if I can make an up and down (to save par), then that’s not bad. I finally get to go down.”

None of the other 10 competitors came close to matching the individual cut line for the two St. Charles schools.

St. Charles East finished seventh with its 353 total, 7 shots lower than eighth-place St. Charles North.

Abby Luchtenburg is 2-for-2 in her attempts for playing in the state tournament.

The Geneva sophomore overcame a horrific day on the greens with precision ball-striking to advance for a second straight year with a 78.

“I couldn’t tell you how many 3-putts I had,” the Upstate Eight Conference individual champion said. “(Coming into the day) I was looking for a 71, 72. I really could have done it. I had 43 putts. I drove the ball exceptionally well. I couldn’t have driven the ball any better. I only had one 1-putt green that — was my only birdie.”

Cullerton provided the final drama of the day.

There was one remaining at-large bid available when the Batavia senior signed for an 83, which was equaled earlier in the day by Fenwick senior Kelley Summers and Glenbard West junior Ellen Nighbor.

All three players were on the first playoff hole, a par-5, in regulation, with Cullerton the closest of the trio.

Cullerton calmly knocked in the 6-footer for birdie after earlier misses from her two playing companions to end the sudden-death playoff.

“I had a very similar putt earlier in the morning,” said Cullerton, who advanced to the state finals for the second time, two years removed. “I missed (the putt in regulation). Putting isn’t exactly my strong suit.”

Coyne was also looking to return to state after failing to duplicate her sophomore appearance from a year ago.

The Bartlett senior came home strong with a 40 but missed the state standard with the resulting 86 by 3 strokes.

“I had a good back (nine),” Coyne said. “I’m kind of disappointed. I’m still going to play next year in college. I just don’t know where yet. I made it my sophomore year, so at least I made it (to state) one year.”