CLC’s Harkins outduels Whips’ Ellett in matchup of area’s elite

Crystal Lake Central's Lexi Harkins tees off during a dual match against Hampshire on Wednesday at Turnberry in Lakewood. (Hollyn Johnson - hjohnson@shawmedia.com)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

LAKEWOOD – The biggest improvement Lexi Harkins made over the summer was with the accuracy of her golf shots.

“She’s putting for more birdies than pars this year,” Crystal Lake Central coach Kathy Speaker said.

The Tigers sophomore certainly putted for enough birdies Wednesday afternoon at Turnberry. Harkins made four birdies and five pars to shoot 4-under-par 32 in Central’s Fox Valley Conference match with Hampshire. Central co-ops in girls golf with Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South.

The Tigers won, 172-260, although the highlight was Harkins, the 2010 Northwest Herald Girls Golfer of the Year, playing head-to-head with Hampshire’s Connie Ellett, the 2009 Player of the Year.

Ellett shot a 37 and, for the first time this season, was not medalist.

“That was exciting playing like that,” said Harkins, who was fourth in the IHSA Class AA State Tournament last season. “I practiced even more than I did before [over the summer] and I’m more accurate with my irons.”

Harkins needed only 11 putts for her round. She had seven one-putt greens and two that required two putts. She birdied Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 7. Her pre-round goal was to shoot 3-under.

“I’m glad she did that with all the excitement today [with Harkins and Ellett],” Speaker said. “The shots she’s making, getting close to the pin reminds me of Meredith Ward.”

Ward played at Central in the 1990s and now plays professionally.

Both Harkins and Ellett, who will see one another again at the FVC Meet on Wednesday, Sept. 28, were excited about the matchup.

“It’s definitely more fun to play against someone shooting a 32,” Ellett said. “We were driving about the same and both hitting on the green. I try to focus on my game and stay in my zone. She’s a great player.”

Hampshire graduated its other top golfers from last year, including Taylor Ellett, Connie’s sister who now plays at Northern Illinois University. Whip-Purs coach Sue Ellett, the girls’ mother, is proud of how Connie has handled the season.

“She’s been the epitome of a senior leader and captain,” Sue Ellett said. “She’s very business-like. To have never played this course and hit eight greens is great. There were two times she got in trouble, and she got herself out of it very well.”