Boys Golf: Lincoln-Way Central has magic touch

In high school team golf, the magic number begins with a 2.

As in anything under 300. Do that and the four players counting toward your score have averaged under 75 for a round.

Lincoln-Way Central reached the magic number Saturday at The Sanctuary in New Lenox. The Knights, led by the 1-over-par 73 of Bryant Bolden, scored 11-over-par 299, capturing a four-stroke victory in the Providence Invitational.

Don Hayes, coach of the Knights for eight years, said he believed it was the first time in his tenure his squad had broken 300.

“This is our home course, and because of that, we always put pressure on ourselves, think we all have to shoot all par or under,” Hayes said. “I said we don’t have to shoot 70. I tried not to get them to think about that. I said, ‘Control your emotions. Don’t get too up or down. It’s a game of imperfection.’

“When you watch our kids out on the course, you can’t tell if they’re doing well or bad, and I think that’s a good thing.”

Loyola Academy’s Michael Hultquist scored a birdie 3 on the par-4 10th hole, the first in sudden-death, to win a five-way playoff for the individual championship. He had scored even-par 72 along with Providence’s Telly Korbakes, Naperville Central’s Tim Lieser, Hinsdale South’s Chris Kopp and Joliet Township’s Trent Wallace.

Korbakes, who chipped in for an eagle 2 on the 452-yard ninth hole, narrowly missed a birdie chip in the playoff, settling for par. Hultquist’s saucy 90-yard wedge from the rough to three feet set up his winning birdie.

Runner-up Loyola Academy was four strokes back at 303, with Providence’s 305 good for third place.

Bolden was a stroke out of the five-way sudden-death playoff to determine the individual title, and he knew exactly where that shot was.

“On 17, I left the putt just a little short and it lipped out,” Bolden said. “I knew I had to make it for 72, because I knew Telly was at 72 and other people were going to be low. On 18, I had a bunker shot and knew I had to hole it (for birdie). I made a good effort, but I made par.”

Bolden’s three-birdie day included a 25-footer for a 3 on the 367-yard 14th hole.

Tony Kestel and Dan Hipp added 3-over 75s for Lincoln-Way Central, with Tom Schumann’s 76 the final piece of the winning team puzzle.

Lincoln-Way West’s Will Knights tied for seventh at 2-over 74, while Lemont’s Shane Purtle’s 75 tied Kestel and Hipp for 10th.

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