Bad weather raises scores at state golf

Cary-Grove's Matt Efflandt chips the ball onto the eighth green Friday during the Class 3A state golf tournament at the Den at Fox Creek golf course in Bloomington. Efflandt is tied for 21st place after scoring a 79. (PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

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Crystal Lake South sophomore Nick Robles normally wouldn’t consider a round of 6-over-par 78 acceptable, but given the weather conditions Friday for the first round of the IHSA Class 3A Boys Golf State Tournament, he wasn’t complaining.

Robles’ 78 in the cold, wet conditions at the Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington left him tied for 14th.

Dan Stringfellow of St. Viator leads the field by four shots after a 3-under 69.

Robles struggled on the front nine, carding two bogeys and two double bogeys en route to a 6-over 42, but he regrouped to shoot an even-par 36 on the back nine.

“Today wasn’t bad,” Robles said. “I am actually happy with the way I played, considering the bad weather conditions.”

“I had two holes that I didn’t execute properly off of the tee. My goal for tomorrow is to start strong on the front nine to hold a lower score throughout the day,” Robles said.

One shot behind Robles is Cary-Grove senior Matt Efflandt, who is tied for 21st after a 79, and Jacobs junior Scott Cahill is tied for 46th after an 81.

“I came off the course not pleased with my score, but after seeing how everyone else competed, I felt more comfortable with my score,” Efflandt said.

“My putting was good, and my short game was decent. I hope to hit the ball better tomorrow and play the front nine more consistent than I did today.”

In the Class 2A state tournament at Illinois State University’s Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Crystal Lake Central’s Riley Bauman shot a 10-over 81 and is tied for 28th place.

He is six shots off the lead, which is shared by five golfers at 75, including two from Wheaton Academy – David Flynn and Blake Biddle.

Bauman, starting from the 10th tee, opened with a 36, but a triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 fifth led him to a 45 on the back nine.

“I played all right on [my] front nine and then fell apart on the back,” Bauman said. “I just wasn’t focused and stopped hitting good shots. I hope to go into tomorrow playing a complete round rather than just a good nine.”

One shot behind Bauman is Prairie Ridge senior Robinson Logue, who is tied for 35th. Marian Central sophomore Luke Waggoner is tied for 60th after an 86. Logue said his failure to sink short putts hurt him.

“I have been practicing my 5-footers a lot over the past few weeks, so I was disappointed when I didn’t make those,” Logue said. “I was hitting the ball well and, other than missing those 5-footers, I’m happy with the way I played.”

The Class 2A and 3A tournaments conclude today with 18 holes at the same two courses.