Girls golf: Benet's Beaudreau 'impressive' at regional

Lauren Beaudreau was a double whammy for defending regional champion Naperville North on Wednesday afternoon in Aurora.

After taking her junior year off from the local girls golf scene to focus on playing a national schedule, Beaudreau is back with a vengeance.

When the Notre Dame-bound senior recorded her final birdie of the day at Phillips Park at the Class 2A West Aurora regional, the Redwings captured their second team title in program history with the resulting 320-321 victory over Naperville North.

Beaudreau birdied half of her 18 holes, including a masterful 6-under-par 30 on her inward nine, to obliterate the field with a sensational 66.

Tasting defeat for the first time all fall Saturday at Phillips Park at the Rosary Invitational, Beaudreau used her 2-under 70 round as an intelligence mission.

"I figured out which clubs to use for the regional," Beaudreau said. "I had a bad start today: I was plus-2 through four holes. I felt like I hit the ball well. I had 9 birdies. I left the ball underneath the hole a lot so I could be pretty aggressive with my putting. That was the key to making all those birdies."

Playing companions Emma Lim and Mara Flaherty were mesmerized by Beaudreau.

"She drove one (par-4) green," said Lim, the Naperville Central returning state qualifier who lost to Flaherty in a playoff at Phillips last week to Naperville North senior Flaherty after both players fired a 69 in regulation. "It was pretty impressive."

Beaudreau, a two-time sectional champion, was state runner-up as a sophomore two years ago; Caroline Wing, who accompanied Beaudreau to state two years ago for Benet, supplemented her senior classmate with an 80.

"Coming into today, we were on the bubble for getting to the sectional as a team," Beaudreau said. "It was super nice to make that final birdie to beat Naperville North (for the team championship)."

The West Aurora regional might have been the deepest in the state.

"It's criminal that 337 didn't get out (as a team)," Naperville Central coach Jane Thompson said after finishing in fifth place. "It needs to be addressed (by the IHSA)."

In a three-horse race for the coveted third team slot to the Hinsdale South sectional on Monday, Neuqua Valley denied both Downers Grove South (334) and Naperville Central with its 332 total.

The Wildcats used consistency in qualifying for their fifth consecutive team sectional as Lauren DiGrazia, Carsen O'Keefe and Sarah Zheng recorded respective rounds of 81, 82 and 83.

"It was a personal goal for me to get the whole team to the sectional," DiGrazia said.

Naperville North, fifth in state last fall, was led by Emma Lim, runner-up to Beaudreau with a 77, and Flaherty, who finished with a 79.

"I think all the girls were disappointed with their scores, especially after we shot a 303 at the same site last week (in winning the DVC)," Naperville North coach Greta Williams said.

Waubonsie Valley junior Emily Skowronski and Lim were among the top at-large qualifiers with their rounds of 78 and 80.

The individual cut fell at 14-over 86.

Batavia shot a strong 348 only to have to settle for seventh place in the loaded field.

But the Bulldogs did have consolation victories as Sammi Hasemann and Lauren Grychowski were among the 10 at-large qualifiers to Prairie Bluff in Lockport on Monday.

Batavia was making its third consecutive competitive appearance at the par-72 layout after the DuKane Conference tournament and Rosary invite last week.

Hasemann and Grychowski both used quick starts out of the gate to punch their tickets to Lockport.

The former toured the front nine in 2-over 38; the latter used bookend birdies on her outward-nine holes to her advantage.

"This is actually the fourth time I have played (Phillips Park) in a week," Hasemann said. "I had a couple of points today where I lost a little bit (to par)."

The Bulldogs' top-rated senior struggled in the gusting winds, coming home 8 shots higher than her front side.

"I had a couple of bad shots that didn't help," Hasemann said.

Grychowski has bettered her league performance in her latest two rounds at Phillips Park.

"I did better today than I did at conference," Grychowski said. "I also did well at our tournament on Saturday (a team-best 77)."

Host West Aurora was coming off a historic first. The Blackhawks captured their first league championship in their 19-year history last week with the Upstate Eight Conference title at St. Andrews.

But West Aurora was shut out of sectional qualifiers as Julie Fogleman paced the team with a 92. The Blackhawks fired a collective 386 to finish ninth.