CLC’s Harkins reaches quarterfinals in elite field

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FLOSSMOOR – Trailing by four holes only six holes into a match against an outstanding opponent, a lesser golfer than Lexi Harkins might have mailed in the rest of the match or come up with an injury and retired.

Although Harkins eventually lost her quarterfinal match of the Western National Junior Championship at Flossmoor Country Club on Thursday, she proved she belonged in the field of the nation’s elite young golfers.

From a field of 96 players from across the U.S. and four foreign countries, Harkins, who will be a sophomore at Crystal Lake Central in the fall, began the day as one of the last 16 golfers in the championship flight.

Her first match of the day pitted her against Jacqueline Setas of East Lansing, Mich., who a day earlier had ousted former Kaneland High School standout Hayley Guyton.

“The first match was really tough,” Harkins said. “It was back and forth the whole time. Either she was up one or I was up one.”

Setas was up one going into the 18th hole. Both players put their drives into a bunker, but Harkins got out of trouble in better fashion and wound up winning the hole to force a sudden death playoff.

On the first extra hole, Harkins sank a 10-foot birdie putt to advance to the quarterfinals. She couldn’t have drawn a tougher foe than Ashley Armstrong, who was playing on her home course. Armstrong placed third in the IHSA Class AA State Tournament last year for Homewood-Flossmoor, finishing a stroke ahead of Harkins.

Harkins struggled early in the match against Armstrong, falling behind by four, but she rallied to win four consecutive holes -- Nos. 8 through 11.

But Armstrong parred No. 12 to regain the lead. Harkins missed a short par putt to tie on 13, and two holes later, Armstrong came up with the shot of the match when her chip shot from about 25 feet went in.

“That solidified the win, I think, because that put me three up with three to play,” Armstrong noted. “That felt really good because my chipping was off all day and then I finally hit a good one.”

Armstrong went on to win, 3 and 2, but Harkins was pleased with her performance overall.

“I felt like the day went really well,” she said. “Yeah, I made a couple mistakes, but I’m still happy with how I played.”

Next up for Harkins is the U.S. Girls Junior Tournament in Olympia Fields next week.

Although she’s not really focused on back-to-school thoughts yet, Harkins was quick to come up with a goal for the fall golf season.

“I hope that our team makes it to state again,” she said. “Last year was the first year we made it and I hope we can do it again.”