Golf: Kishwaukee wins back-to-back titles at historic tournament

DEER GROVE – The second day of the 99th annual Women’s Lincoln Highway golf tournament wrapped up early Saturday evening at Deer Valley Golf Club in Deer Grove, as eight teams and 64 golfers made their final push for the coveted team and individual titles.

At the end of the day, plaques were handed out to the top two teams and top two individual golfers, and flight winners and runners-up also were given a moment of recognition.

Kishwaukee Country Club won the team title in the historic tournament, finishing at +142 in the best-against-bogey format to secure its second straight Women’s Lincoln Highway championship with a +45 margin of victory over runner-up Timber Creek (+97).

Individually, Kishwaukee Country Club golfers finished with four of the top seven scores and five of the top 10, including the top two overall. Timber Creek landed three golfers in the top 10.

Kaneland rising senior Katharine Marshall shot +29 as the overall winner, while Kishwaukee teammate Mya Groza was +28 for the runner-up spot.

For Marshall, it was the first time competing in the Women’s Lincoln Highway tournament and at Deer Valley Golf Course.

“It was a pretty solid round. I had a lot of fun,” Marshall said. “The girls in my group were a lot of fun. I just tried to go out and shoot the best that I could, and it was a good result today, so I’m happy.”

As a newcomer to the tournament, Marshall said she wasn’t totally sure what to expect going in.

“I thought that I could play that well, but I didn’t know what to expect with the competition, so I was a little surprised to win.”

Groza had a very consistent performance throughout the two-day event. Initially, she was atop the leaderboard, but after a recount of both days, Marshall surged ahead with an additional three points added.

“Consistent. I got +14 both days,” Groza said of her performance. “You always want to make a plus on every hole, but really proud with my performance.”

Balancing aggressiveness with the occasional conservative approach helped Kishwaukee’s second-place golfer get a leg up on the competition.

“Knowing when I needed to make a par and getting it done and utilizing the bogeys, on some of those double-bogey holes I made bogey, so I kind of went hard and laid off when I needed to, played the course,” Groza said.

Winning the team title also was meaningful to Groza, who hopes to see the tournament continue for many more years.

“That’s the best thing. That’s what this tournament is all about, is the ladies getting together and supporting each other for 99 years,” Groza said. “It’s history in the making, and I hope to see this tournament go for another 99.”

Kim Kester (+25), Allison Yohanan (+24) and Jan Nissen (+20) also were standouts for Kishwaukee Country Club. Kester and Yohanan won the second and third flights, respectively.

Timber Creek had its share of strong performances as well, led by Mandy Curia Hinkey, the overall third-place finisher and winner of her flight at +26. Dixon rising junior Katie Drew was right behind her, winning the first flight and tying for fourth place overall at +25, while Davenport University rising sophomore Bella Heintzelman was 10th, going +18 in the tourney. Team captain Patty Head finished +15. Barb Curia won the eighth flight, finishing at +4.

After years of uneven play between the two days of the Women’s Lincoln Highway, Curia Hinkey was thrilled to finally put together a complete performance.

“So happy. I’ve never put together two good rounds in this tournament,” Curia Hinkey said. “It’s always been either a good first day or a good second day, so I’m very, very happy with how I played.

“Putting probably saved me on a couple of holes.”

Drew was another returner to the annual tournament, having competed last year at Rock River Golf and Pool. This time around, she fared even better, sinking four birdies on each of the two days en route to a fourth-place tie individually. Her Saturday birdies came on the eighth, 10th, 15th and 16th holes.

“As there always is in golf, there are some bad holes and some good holes. But I think my bad holes weren’t too bad today, and I really capitalized on my good holes, so I was pretty happy,” Drew said. “I actually played in a tournament here earlier this year, and I really like this course, so I’m glad we got to have this tournament here.”

Accurate approach shots were a big factor in Drew’s success Saturday.

“My irons and just my close wedge shots,” Drew said. “I was sticking them where I needed to to get my points, so I’m happy with those.”

For Heintzelman, it was the third time competing at the Women’s Lincoln Highway. After a slower start Friday, she rebounded nicely Saturday to secure her top-10 finish.

“Today was a lot better than yesterday,” Heintzelman said. “[Friday], I struggled a little bit, but today I just had the mindset to come out, have fun, play my game that I know how to play, and overall it was a good day. I made three long putts, probably like 20-foot putts. Putting was saving me today.”

Sunset Golf Club of Mount Morris took third at + 22, led by Ali Scheidecker (+16), Ava Hackman (+11) and Colleen Miller (+10). Meredith Adams led host Deer Valley with a +19, Emma Norton finished at +20 to pace Lake Carroll, and Shelley Felske’s +14 led Prophet Hills.

Final team scores: 1. Kishwaukee +142, 2. Timber Creek +97, 3. Sunset +22, 4. Indian Oaks +14, 5. PrairieView +4, 6. Deer Valley +2, 7. Lake Carroll -9, 8. Prophet Hills -41.

Kishwaukee (DeKalb): Katharine Marshall +29, Mya Groza +28, Kim Kester +25, Allison Yohanan +24, Jan Nissen +20, Donna Martin +16, Linda Hartley +13, Debbie Brue -4.

Timber Creek (Dixon): Katie Drew +25, Bella Heintzelman +18, Patty Head +15, Janet Freil -17, Mandy Curia Hinkey +26, Mimi Boysen +8, Deb Cuvelier +5, Barb Curia +4.

Prophet Hills (Prophetstown): Shelley Felske +14, Cathy Verhulst -12, Donna Moore -6, Kris Zschiesche -20, Deb Harris -13, Margie Sommers -21, Corri Kelly -16, Norma Dietrich -18.

Lake Carroll: Emma Norton +20, Sandy Bogusevic +2, Sue Pfaff -17, Deb Scheidegger +9, Sheri Moutrey -36, Jamie Melville -14, Athena Peterson -19, Tracey DeCrane -9.

Prairie View (Byron): Joanna Sharp +15, Shelly Barkei -2, Carla Leddy -11, Desa Richards +10, Barb Wagner -12, Trina Kotulek -4, Dawn Smith -9, Sharon Dexter -6.

Deer Valley: Meredith Adams +19, Carol Wold +7, Denise Oberle -16, Donna Brooks -4, Sharon Hammer -7, Marcia Chapinski -17, Jan Wetzell -8, Hazel Pulford -5.

Indian Oaks (Shabbona): Jacki Johnson +7, Beth Haag +9, Lynn Martz E, Diane Nehring -3, Jenny Francess -9, Leah Richardson -7, Megan Kerkman +8, Ros Richardson -19.

Sunset (Mt. Morris): Ali Scheidecker +16, Ava Hackman +11, Jessica Janes +1, Diana Hanson -6, Cheryl Satterfield -13, Colleen Miller +10, Stef Page -10, Sonia Calhoun-Gilroy -10.

Flight Winners: F1 Drew (TC), F2 Kester (K), F3 Yohanan (K), F4 Richards (PV), F5 Curia Hinkey (TC), F6 Martin (K), F7 Hartley (K), F8 Curia (TC).

Top 10 Individuals: 1, Marshall (K) +29; 2, Groza (K) +28; 3, Curia Hinkey (TC) +26; T-4 Drew (TC) +25; T-4, Kester (K) +25; 6, Yohanan (K) +24; T-7, Nissen (K) +20; T-7, Norton (LC) +20; 9, Adams (DV) +19; 10, Heintzelman +18 (TC).