Boys golf: Geneva's sizzling start continues
The Geneva boys golf team took advantage of some home cooking Thursday afternoon at Mill Creek.
Then again, with five returning members from a Class 3A state-qualifying, the Vikings have been steamrolling the competition this season.
Breaking 300 for the fourth consecutive 18-hole tournament, Geneva had four players in the top nine to fire a collective 291 to defeat runner-up Kaneland, which had the individual champion in sophomore Will Marshall, by 7 shots.
"It's obviously nice playing at our home course," said Geneva senior Andrew Abel, who was solo fourth with a 1-over 72. "We actually had guys who could have gained a few more strokes. For me, especially, my putter was really working well."
The Geneva triumph at the 20-team invitational was its third consecutive victory to start the season.
Waubonsie Valley had four players in the 70s to defeat Marmion and Batavia by a stroke for third with its 305 total.
St. Charles East, Burlington Central, St. Charles North, DeKalb and the Geneva White team rounded out the top 10.
South Elgin, Aurora Central Catholic, Elgin, Larkin and Streamwood also competed.
"The boys have been putting together some pretty solid rounds," Geneva coach Eric Hatczel said. "Whenever one boy may struggle, another one will get his back."
Tyler Isenhart continued his torrid stretch out of the gate. Less than a week removed from a championship 65 at Bartonville-Limestone, the Vikings' sophomore was the low man once again for Geneva with a 1-under 70.
Three-time Class 2A state qualifier Joe Sherman of Burlington Central was declared the runner-up on a scorecard playoff.
"My putter has been (the difference)," Isenhart said. "I have been playing well lately. I think it's an advantage (to play at home), but there are still some tricky holes out there."
Spencer Monroe and Jack McDonald authored respective rounds of 74 and 75 to conclude the Geneva counting scores.
Marshall, meanwhile, captured his third tournament of the season with his back-to-back 1-under nine-hole scores in posting a 69.
"I just came into the season and set my goals high," said Marshall, fourth in Class 2A last year. "I have been stroking the putter. I had a 20-footer for birdie (on No. 15). I drained it, and that's when I knew my putting was on."
Seniors Brett Glennon and Jake Hed fashioned rounds of 73 and 76 for Kaneland.
"I have to look back at the team records to see if we have ever (broken 300)," Kaneland coach Mark Meyer said. "(Marshall) has been our linchpin this season. Whenever we need a good score, he gets it."
Sherman had his low score of the season for Burlington Central.
"(My) ball-striking was really solid," Sherman said. "I made a lot of comebackers for par. I made some eight- to 10-footers for birdie. We are trying to beat our team score at every invite."
The Troy siblings are the anchors for Waubonsie Valley this fall.
Will Troy has made an immediate impact as a freshman; senior brother Jack is solidly entrenched in the Warriors' second slot.
The younger Troy fired a top-10-earning 75, which Kenny Ko duplicated for Waubonsie Valley.
Jack Troy settled for a 78 after a hot start.
"I made a good par on (No.) 4," Ko said of a critical early save. "I got up and down from out of the sand, which I'm usually not very good at. I was hitting it pretty well today, but my putting wasn't that great."
"I started off (the season) pretty well," Jack Troy said of his under-par effort at Naperville Central. "I made a couple of bad decisions today that cost me some strokes. I am hoping to make progress when it really matters - state and conference."
"We needed a little boost of confidence after having a couple of tough (DuPage Valley) Conference losses (to Wheaton Warrenville South and Lake Park)," Waubonsie Valley coach Eric Flodburg said. "It was tough conditions out there."