Cary’s DePrey goes low

Blake Stezskal tees off during the second day of the Billy Vahldieck Junior Amateur at Boone Creek. Stezskal won the senior boys title with a two-day score of 8-over-par 150. (Brett Moist – For the Northwest Herald)

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BULL VALLEY – Cary’s Daniel DePrey had an inkling the second round of the Billy Vahldieck Junior Amateur tournament was going his way only six holes into the 18-hole round Wednesday.

DePrey, who started on the 10th hole, double-bogeyed the par-3 15th hole at Boone Creek the day before, so when he made par Wednesday he knew the rest of the day would be a breeze.

“I knew that I just beat my toughest hole,” DePrey said after shooting an even-par 71, the best round of the tournament.

“[Winning the tournament] popped into my head ... but you got to stay focused and keep doing what you’re doing.”

Finishing at 4-over-par 146 after the second of two days of tournament play, DePrey claimed his third McHenry County Junior Golf Association junior boys title of the year.

Hunter Simonini finished second, eight strokes behind DePrey, and Paul Schlimm Jr. took third, 11 strokes off the lead.

Lake Zurich graduate Blake Stezskal won the senior boys title at 8-over 150 after shooting a 74 that allowed him to leapfrog leaders.

Max Rand, who shared the first-round lead, finished second, a stroke back, and Evan Mass, who started the day tied for seventh, finished third, two strokes off the lead.

Danielle Roulo, a Prairie Ridge junior, shot a two-day total of 5-over 76 to take the 18-hole senior girls title, and Bailey Bostler took first among the junior girls at 92.

DePrey was 1 under on the back nine to start his day, including birdies on two par-5s. The Cary-Grove sophomore matched that with two front-nine birdies going into the eighth hole.

An arrow-straight drive on No. 8 landed just left of the fairway 220 yards from the tee. DePrey landed the ball less than five yards from the pin with a well-placed chip, but just missed another chance at birdie on the par-4 327-yard hole with a putt that grazed the right lip.

“[On the 8th hole putt] I had the line, but it had a bunch of break to it. I had to aim like a half a foot out,” DePrey said. “I was just happy I got it down there.”

DePrey finished with four birdies in the round, topping his first-round score by four strokes.

“Yesterday I left about four strokes out there putting. Today I probably left out one, but you can’t say that when you shot even I guess,” DePrey, who leads the season points standings with 505, said with a laugh.

After shooting 76 in the first round, Stezskal was determined to improve his long game to claim top honors.

“My mindset was, ‘I got to do better than yesterday,’” Stezskal said.

Already a boys senior winner this year after capturing the MCJGA event at Cary Country Club, Stezskal was 2 under on the front nine but found trouble on the back nine, going 5 over.

“I had my eyes on it. I went out and shot 2 under [on the front nine], and then I kind of choked on the back nine,” Stezskal said.

Stezskal was recognized by the MCJGA as one of two winners of Billy Vahldieck scholarships for $1,000 along with Brandon Seiser. Vahldieck was an MCJGA member who died in 2009.

“I found out two days before the tournament, and I was pretty excited about that,” said Stezskal, who will attend Grand Valley State.