Oak Park and River Forest High School senior Will Neumann qualified for the IHSA boys golf state tournament at the Class 3A Lyons Township sectional, Oct. 2, shooting a 70 to tie for third overall.
Neumann also had the lowest score of the top 10 individuals from schools that didn’t advance downstate.
“It was the round of his life,” said OPRF coach Bill Young. “He hit a lot of fairways and greens and made a lot of birdie putts. Tennis is really Will’s primary sport, but he’s just gotten better and better at golf, and he played an impeccable round today.”
OPRF had five other golfers participating at LT. Sophomore Kenneth McCaffrey shot a 79, four shots short of state qualification. Senior Jake Goldberg was one stroke behind McCaffrey with an 80.
Senior Peter Armstrong (85), sophomore Luke Roberts (85), and junior Reese Brotman (87) also competed for the Huskies, who did not qualify as a team for the sectional after a fourth-place finish at the Class 3A Loyola Academy regional on Sept. 27.
“Peter and Jake played so well all year, but it just wasn’t their best days today,” Young said. “They had great careers at OPRF, and it was really emotional for them to end.
“Their high school careers are over, but the tone was pretty positive on the bus ride home,” he added. “They were happy for [Neumann], and that speaks to the character of the guys on the team.”
Young felt the Huskies had a good season. OPRF won two tournaments and saw Goldberg and Roberts earn all-West Suburban Conference honors, with Goldberg also getting WSC All-Academic honors.
Young also cited successes at the lower levels of the program as a reason for continued future success.
“I’m really excited for Will this weekend and excited for OPRF golf beyond that,” he said.
Neumann will compete at the IHSA state finals, held Oct. 6-7 at The Den of Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington.
Fenwick
Joining Will Neumann downstate this weekend is Fenwick High School senior Clarke Bennett, who qualified, Oct. 2, at the Class 2A Lemont sectional, shooting a 76 to finish in a tie for 13th — right on the cut line.
Senior Mac Oberlies and sophomore Luke Sherlock narrowly missed qualifying. Oberlies shot a 78 while Sherlock carded a 79, finishing two and three shots, respectively, shy of the cut line.
Senior Kevin Hanley (83), senior Liam Dugan (84), and freshman Grant Hickman (87) completed the sectional lineup.
On Sept. 27, the Friars won the Class 2A De La Salle regional with a score of 293. Bennett was the medalist with a winning round of 68. Sherlock (74), Dugan (75), Hickman (76), Hanley (79), and Oberlies completed Fenwick’s regional lineup.
The Class 2A state finals take place Oct. 6-7 at Weibring Golf Club in Normal.