Arden goes low at Boone Creek

Frank Cusimano follows through on a shot Monday during the first round of the MCJGA Billy Vahldieck McHenry County Junior Amateur at Boone Creek in Bull Valley. (Dave Shields - For the Northwest Herald)

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BULL VALLEY – Before Jake Arden teed off Monday in the MCJGA Billy Vahldieck McHenry County Junior Amateur, he didn’t think shooting par was possible.

Arden, a recent Johnsburg High School graduate, made par possible and more, shooting 2-under-par 69 in the McHenry County Junior Golf Association event. He took a one-shot lead over Cary-Grove grad Mike Olszewski in the senior boys division after the first round of the two-day, 36-hole tournament at Boone Creek.

Robinson Logue is two shots behind, and Jamie Hagen and Evan Mass will start today four shots behind Arden. Arden’s round was a career low.

“I made a lot of putts; my long irons were good, too,” Arden said. “I hit a lot of greens in regulation. I expected to shoot high-70s, not high-60s. I’m used to seeing high-30s every nine holes, and it was mid-30s, going 34 (on the front nine), 35 (on the back).”

In the junior boys division, Barrington’s Mickey Evans Jr. and Jerry Pan each shot 76 to tie for the first-round lead. Arthur Hecht is one shot behind, and Patrick Biewald and Daniel DePrey are two shots back. There are 12 golfers within five shots of the lead.

“The driver was pretty bad, but my chipping and putting were good,” Evans Jr. said. “I wasn’t in the fairway very often. (I) should be able to go lower (today).”

Pan, on the other hand, didn’t have the problem off the tee and is cherishing being on the top of the leaderboard.

“I drove the ball very well. I didn’t miss very many fairways, so I put myself in pretty good position,” said Pan, who is from Cary. “It’s pretty cool (having the lead). It’s fun.

“I need to go to the range though, and tomorrow just play my game.”

One thing that could cause scores to go higher was the possibility of overnight rains. Pan said that means an early wake-up call for him today.

“I’m going to have to come here early because it was playing pretty fast,” Pan said.

The junior girls division will be led today by Marian Central’s Claire Castetter, who shot a 5-over 41 on the front nine and leads by four shots over Robin Manarik. The girls tournament is an 18-hole event.

“I was hitting the ball really consistently and far,” Castetter said. “I played out here (Sunday), and it helped me learning the course and the greens. I was three-putting a lot (Sunday), and today I was two-putting most of the holes.”

Laura Palarz leads the senior girls division after shooting an 8-over 43 on the back nine. She is three shots ahead of Amalia Emma.

The tournament is named after Billy Vahldieck, a former MCJGA member who died in 2009.