Boys golf: New strategy pays off for St. Francis' Mulhearn
St. Francis junior Zach Mulhearn learned how to play the 18th hole at Village Links of Glen Ellyn the first time through.
He was ready for it the second time he played the 18th Monday at the Class 2A Montini boys golf regional.
When he and Benet senior Jack Driscoll tied in regulation at 79, the two golfers went to a playoff hole for medalist honors. Mulhearn made par on the hole to win the tournament individual title.
"I had a good strategy picked out from when I played the hole in regulation," said Mulhearn, who bogeyed the hole the first time through. "My drive off the tee was kind of a little bit further left of where I was. So I clubbed up and just flushed my shot into the green, and I thought it was over.
"Got up there and it was just back of the green so I knew after Jack, he hit a great bunker shot right there, so I knew I was going to have to two-putt if I even wanted a chance, so I just figured get it down, get down close, and I gave myself what I pretty much saw in regulation as well, so I knew exactly what I was going to do. Just put a confident stroke on it and hope that it went in."
It did.
"I gave it a run. He made a nice two-putt at the end," Driscoll said.
Driscoll didn't walk away empty-handed, though. His Redwings won the team championship with a 331. Both golfers led the group of qualifiers for next week's Hinsdale South sectional.
"It means a lot. We've been working for this for the better part of two months. I'm glad to win and hope to win some more in the future," Driscoll said.
Wheaton Academy and St. Francis also advanced as teams, with the Warriors scoring a 343 to defeat the Spartans by a stroke.
Glenbard South and Montini were next in the team standings with matching 353s. The Raiders still had four golfers advance individually. Montini got three golfers through, including senior Nick Renfro, who played a playoff hole to earn the 10th and final individual advancing slot.
"I was pretty nervous at first, but luckily I got second for tee off. Just seeing him go left made me more confident in my shot and I ended up hitting a good tee shot and I knew I had it after that," Renfro said.
Renfro edged Fenton's Patrick Brock after each shot a 92 in regulation.
"I made it to state last year, so I have things to live up to. It was tough today, it was close, but I'm glad I made it," Renfro said.