Gunter staves off Sloma’s charge

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ALGONQUIN – Participants in the McHenry County Junior Golf Association GCI Open had to compete against the hot, humid conditions in addition to one another Wednesday at the Golf Club of Illinois.

Danton Gunter shot 1-over-par on his final nine holes to finish at 3-over 74 and hold off a charging Devin Sloma for a one-shot victory in the senior boys division.

Gunter, who graduated from Crystal Lake Central this academic year, said that his final nine holes – which he played on GCI’s front nine – started poorly before he worked back to par.

“I started off with a bogey at the first, which was my second bogey of the day, but I was able to get a birdie at [the sixth hole], which got me back to even,” Gunter said. “I just kept trying to hit the middle of the green after that, and it got windy late in the round – that went from a one-club wind to a two-club wind.”

Gunter said that his playing partner Sloma, who was 1-under over his final nine holes, put the pressure on late in the round.

“I was just trying to play him since he was in my group, and I just wanted to squeeze it out since I was beating him all day,” Gunter said.

In the senior girls division, Katlyn Anderberg won her fifth MCJGA event of the season, with a two-shot victory against Allison Holly and Laura Palarz, shooting a 10-over 46. Anderberg said that the field started to feel the ill affects of the heat and humidity midway through the round.

“The weather affected everyone,” Anderberg said. “By the fourth or fifth hole, everyone is very tired. I really struggled off the box today, so it was a tougher day with those conditions.”

Danielle Roulo won the junior girls division for a third consecutive MCJGA tournament. Roulo shot 9-over 44 for an 11-stroke win against Prairie Ridge teammate Robin Manarik.

Roulo said everything clicked for her Wednesday.

“I was on top of my game,” Roulo said. “I’ve been practicing so much, and it’s been so great. I was going to go to the senior division but I thought I had enough competition here.”

In the junior boys division, Mickey Evans Jr. won for the second time this season, shooting an 11-over 82 to top Alex Ferguson and Max Rand by a stroke.