Youthful area golfers set to embrace opportunity state tournament play provides

QUINCY — Why wait to be great?

Throughout the prep golf season, with the Quincy Notre Dame and Illini West boys golf teams battling for supremacy and the QND girls team consistently showcasing its depth, comments regarding each team’s youthful lineup focused on the future instead of the present.

One of the more common refrains has been, “Wait until next year when we have everyone back.”

Understandably so, there is reason for optimism. A year of seasoning, especially for freshmen who are seeing some of these courses under the strain of competition for the first time, will treat them well. Physical maturity will be a significant factor as well.

But getting caught looking ahead can ruin what’s taking place in the present.

So why wait to be great?

That’s the notion the players teeing it up over a five-day span during both the Illinois and Missouri state tournaments must embrace. Of the 34 golfers representing West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri schools, only five are seniors. Seven freshmen are getting what they hope will be the first of four tastes of state tourney play.

But there are no guarantees any of them will return, let alone walk away with a medal following 36 holes of play. The opportunity to do so exists now and begins Friday in Illinois and next Monday in Missouri.

Here is a look at the tee times for the Illinois golfers and the list of state qualifiers in Missouri. The Missouri State High School Activities Association has not made its state tournament tee times public yet.

Illinois

Class 1A boys

Friday

At Prairie Vista Golf Course

Blomomington, Ill.

No. 1 tee

8:30 a.m. — Bryton Gavilett, Fr., Illini West

8:39 a.m. — Brennan Grotts, Jr., Illini West

8:48 a.m. — Wesley Roebrtson, Jr., Illini West

8:57 a.m. — Bryson Grotts, Fr., Illini West

9:06 a.m. — Nick Bruns, Sr., Illini West

9:15 a.m. — Nolan Murphy, Fr., Illini West

9:24 a.m. — Keeden Orpet-Hutlett, Fr., Quincy Notre Dame

9:33 a.m. — Grant Lepper, Soph., Quincy Notre Dame

9:42 a.m. — Harper Hough, Soph., Quincy Notre Dame

9:51 a.m. — Aiden Tangy, Jr., Quincy Notre Dame

10 a.m. — Beau Eftink, Jr., Quincy Notre Dame

10:09 a.m. — Olliver Hendrian, Soph., Quincy Notre Dame

No. 10 tee

9:51 a.m. — Isaac McGlauchlen, Soph., Pittsfield

Class 3A boys

Friday

At The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course

Bloomington, Ill.

No. 10 tee

10:18 a.m. — Ty Novosel, Soph., Quincy High School

Class 1A girls

Friday

At Red Tail Run Golf Course

Decatur, Ill.

No. 1 tee

8:30 a.m. — Sam Reeder, Soph., Quincy Notre Dame

8:39 a.m. — Caroline Knuffman, Soph., Quincy Notre Dame

8:48 a.m. — Nancy Scholz, Fr., Quincy Notre Dame

8:57 a.m. — Natalie Druffel, Fr., Quincy Notre Dame

9:06 a.m. — Meredith Eversman, Sr., Quincy Notre Dame

9:15 a.m. — Isabelle Boudreau, Jr., Quincy Notre Dame

Missouri

Class 1 girls

Monday

At Crown Pointe Golf Club

Farmington, Mo.

No. 1 tee

8:30 a.m. — Morgan Crist, Jr., Highland

9:06 a.m. — Camryn Hays, Soph., Monroe City

9:24 a.m. — Kyndal Benson, Jr., Monroe City; Josie Murphy, Soph., Highland

9:33 a.m. — Ava Hudson, Fr., Highland

9:42 a.m. — Ava Potterfield, Jr., Monroe City

9:51 a.m. — Natalie Bowen, Sr., Highland

10:09 a.m. — Anna Lemongelli, Jr., Monroe City

10:18 a.m. — Reagan Cheek, Jr., Monroe City

No. 10 tee

9:06 a.m. — Hanna Taylor, Sr., Canton

10 a.m. — Raelyn Merida, Soph., Canton; Charlie Roush, Jr., South Shelby

10:09 a.m. — Hannah Gaines, Jr., South Shelby

10:18 a.m. — Sofia Eleazarraraz, Sr., South Shelby