Charging forward: Illini West boys golf team qualifies for state tournament for first time

MASON CITY, Ill. — Because the par-4 second hole at Country Hills Golf Course is nearly driveable, there was a slight lag in getting groups off the tee during the early portion of Monday’s Class 1A Illini Central Sectional.

That enabled Illini West boys golf coach Christine Murphy and her husband, Shane, to check the leaderboard after all six Chargers finished the first hole.

It was quite a sight. Illini West’s Colby Robertson and Nick Bruns both birdied the par-5 and two others took pars, putting the Chargers at the top of the team standings.

“We were like, ‘Dang, this is a good start,’” Murphy said. “We actually took some screenshots with our phones because we were going to tease the boys at the end of the year and be like, ‘Hey, look at this leaderboard.’ We were 2-under as a team after the first hole, and that isn’t always the way we start.”

It turned out to be a prelude of good things to come.

The Chargers stayed atop or near the top of the leaderboard the entire day, finishing second with a 331 team total and earning a spot in the Class 1A state tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington beginning Friday.

It is the first time in Illini West or Carthage history the boys golf team has qualified for state.

“It feels good to have finally reached this goal,” Robertson said. “Without state my freshman year due to COVID, our sectional didn’t really matter because our season was over no matter how we finished. Last year, we had a really good chance to advance but came up a few strokes short.

“This year we really all came out and played our own game and finally got through sectionals together, which feels good to be able to make school history as a team.”

Monticello won the team title with a 327 total, while Roanoke-Benson was third at 334.

Liberty senior Blake Arnold was the only area golfer to join the Chargers with a state berth, shooting an 81 and tying for ninth.

“At the end of the day, the goal is advancement and getting to state and going to Bloomington and seeing what we can do there,” Murphy said.

While the Chargers waited for the final scores to be posted, their focus turned to what lies ahead.

“This is new territory for us,” Murphy said. “The practice round will be the first time most of them will see Prairie Vista, but they are excited about the weekend. They were asking a lot of questions. How does this work? How do we advance? How many teams can play on Saturday?

“Sitting around the clubhouse waiting for scores to come in, you could tell there was excitement about being able to travel and take the team and spend the weekend together.”

Still, it’s a business trip.

“We took a few pictures but didn’t do anything big because we still have some work left to do on Friday and Saturday in Bloomington,” Robertson said of the post-round reactions.

If the Chargers can use the practice round at Prairie Vista to their advantage the way they did at Country Hills, anything is possible.

Robertson birdied three of his first five holes, made the turn at 1-under 35 and rolled in two more birdies on the back nine. He had a couple hiccups over the closing stretch, but shot a 5-over 77 to finish second individually.

“Yes, I knew the shots I needed to hit and where the miss was if I did,” Robertson said. “We played a practice round Sunday, which really helped to get a feel and sense of what the course was like and how it was playing.”

Keeping the ball in play was critical.

“Being able to stay safe off the tee whether it was in the fairway or not,” Robertson said. “Being able to stay safe allowed me to have good approach shots on or near the green. Then my short game took over and it was really good today. I putted well and my chipping was helpful as well, which led me to make a few birdies and some pars.”

Illini West sophomore Nick Bruns finished in a three-way tie for third at 6-over 78 with nothing worse than a bogey on his card. Senior Nolan Deitrich shot an 83 and freshman Wesley Robertson posted a 93 for the Chargers.

“When you get to the sectional level, it’s like, ‘Go out and have fun. Do your best. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. You’re good enough and you’ve put in the time,’” Murphy said. “We expected good things from this group from the beginning and it’s exciting to see it pay off.”