Girls golf: Naperville North's Flaherty comes up aces at DVC meet
Mara Flaherty could not have ended her regular season for the Naperville North girls golf program in greater style Tuesday afternoon at Phillips Park.
Committed to Bradley, Flaherty already had a lifelong memory to savor after a hole-in-one on the second hole at the DuPage Valley Conference tournament.
But the Huskies' top player needed all the weapons in her arsenal to disengage herself from Naperville Central playing companion Emma Lim.
The Redhawks' junior matched Flaherty shot for shot as the twosome - with Waubonsie Valley junior Emily Skowronski gallantly trying to keep pace in the lead group - ended regulation tied with 3-under-par 69s in Aurora.
On the first playoff hole Flaherty and Lim both reached the dance floor of the short par-5 in two.
Lim had her bid narrowly miss, and when Flaherty promptly recorded her second eagle of the day the titanic showdown was over.
Lim became the first girl in Naperville Central history to break 70 in a tournament.
"That makes (my round) even better," Lim said.
Skowronski was a shot shy of the playoff mark with her personal-best 70 for the Warriors.
"I didn't think about (the ace) after the initial excitement," Flaherty said. "(Phillips' second hole) is short, about 85 yards. I used a wedge. (The ball) landed about 10 feet behind the hole and rolled back in off a hill."
Skowronski and Lim, however, were undeterred.
"Emily and I both had 34s on the front (nine)," Flaherty said. "Then Emma birdied 10, 11 and 12. We all just kept going back and forth."
"The whole energy in that group was set from the hole-in-one through the playoff," Naperville Central coach Jane Thompson said.
"I thought there would be some low scores," Naperville North coach Greta Williams said.
Skowronski reduced her tournament-best score by 4 strokes.
"We all know each pretty well," Skowronski said. "We all tend to feed off each other. My putting was just amazing."
"I am just happy my game came together today," Lim said minutes after the playoff ended. "I was able to hit solid shots. I had 5 or 6 birdies. I was just really getting the ball close to the hole."
Naperville North, fifth in Class 2A last fall, had few issues in defending its league championship.
Flaherty and her fellow state veterans Hannah Martin (fourth with a 74), Emily Nay (seventh-place 79) and Avani Shah (ninth-place 81) powered the Huskies to a 303-325 victory over Naperville Central.
"My driver was working very well," Martin said. "I hit it a lot farther than a lot of people."
Neuqua Valley was third with a 325, Waubonsie Valley was fourth (339) and Metea Valley (374) fifth.
All five schools return to Phillips Park next Wednesday for the West Aurora regional.