Boys golf: Waubonsie Valley junior Troy third at state

Will Troy was nearing the greatest round of his life.

But the capricious nature of golf was revealed at the worst possible time at the Class 3A boys finals Saturday at the Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.

Troy, the top player for Waubonsie Valley, was 5-under par until a double-bogey 6 derailed his hopes of emulating the state championship former Warriors great Thomas O'Bryan authored in a playoff eight years ago.

"I didn't hit a bad shot," Troy said. "I hit it too far."

Troy 3-putt the hole as well as his last - the ninth - in settling for a 1-under-par 71 to finish in a third-place tie with South Elgin sectional champion Aidan Lafferty of Downers North.

"I'm disappointed, but third in state is not bad," Troy said. "I know I have the ability to win a state championship. I'm only a junior."

First-day play at all three boys tournaments in Bloomington and Normal was wiped out by freezing precipitation.

Hinsdale Central was the ultimate beneficiary of the tournament being reduced to a one-day affair.

With Iowa-bound senior Mac McClear firing a level-par 72, backed by 75s from Josh Lundmark, Gabe Larson and Stewart Leigh, the Red Devils edged Stevenson 297-298 for its record-tying seventh consecutive championship with Normal U-High (2003-09).

"We surely would have had some serious work to make up," Hinsdale Central coach Jess Krueger said of the Red Devils' 13-shot deficit to Loyola when play was halted Friday.

Glenbard West junior Griffin Roscich was all-state with his ninth-place-tying 73.

"It was much more stressful than just two days (of competition)," Roscich said.

Two-time Metea Valley state qualifier Scott Boyajian and York sophomore Zach Sutter were in a large group at 13th place with 74s.

At the Class 2A tournament at Illinois State University, Benet was sixth with a 320 after being in third when play was stopped on Friday.

The Redwings' Brian Moran was all-state with his 76. St. Francis was seventh with a 322.