Rockford golfers in contention for four individual IHSA state championships

In perhaps the greatest individual first day of state in Rockford high school golf history, a Rockford golfer is tied for first place in three of the state’s five classes after Friday’s opening round at the Illinois High School Association state finals.

Lutheran’s Jake Guse leads the Class 1A boys event in Bloomington. Close friends Ella Greenberg of Boylan and Kayla Sayyalinh of Guilford lead the 1A and 2A girls finals in Decatur.

“Rockford’s representing well at state this year," Greenberg said of her and Sayyalinh. "I told my coach at the beginning of the season that it would be really cool if we both won state."

More:The end of the greatest rivalry in NIC-10 girls golf history came down to a final putt

In the 2A boys finals in Normal, Boylan’s Cooper Watt is only two strokes back. That gives Rockford golfers a chance to win state in the four classes for which they qualified. No area golfer reached the Class 3A boys finals in Bloomington.

Seven Rockford-area golfers have won state since 2010, but there has been only one time in history when two area golfers won state the same year, when Stockton’s Trey Timpe won in 1A and Boylan’s Danny Gorman in 2A in 2013.

Class 1A boys

Guse, a sophomore, is in a three-way tie for first after shooting 1-over-73 at Prairie Vista in Bloomington. Four other golfers are within two strokes.

Guse had a roller-coaster round with more birdies (six) than pars (five). He began with a birdie on his first hole and made four on the back-nine to offset his seven bogeys.

Byron senior Aaron Lorenz is tied for 10th with a 76. Byron is fifth as a team with a 338 total, 16 strokes out of a top-three finish, which would earn a state trophy.

Class 2A boys

Watt survived a couple of double bogeys to shoot a 3-over 74 at Weibring Golf Club in Normal and is tied for 7th. There is a five-way tie for first at 72.

“It feels good, especially since I didn’t have my strongest day out there,” said Watt, a three-time NIC-10 champion. “I made a couple of silly mistakes that caused some big numbers. I hit one over the green when I hit the wrong club and my other double came after I had a wedge in the middle of the fairway. Being only two back, I feel good about my chances, especially since I didn’t have my strongest day out there.

“The weather was not ideal. It was about 40 degrees and blowing 30 mph when we teed off. There was sustained wind most of the round. It was a grind out there. I kept my head in the game, all considering, and am not in a bad spot for tomorrow.”

Boylan did not make the top-eight cut as a team.

More:What Rockford golfers reached state? Who has a chance to medal? Or to win state?

Class 1A girls

Boylan virtually clinched a top-three state trophy as a team, shooting 318 at Red Tail Run in Decatur. The Titans sit second, 11 strokes behind heavy favorite Mt. Carmel, but are 22 strokes ahead of third-place Arlington Heights St. Viator.

Greenberg shot 69 to tie Mt. Carmel’s Madelyn Young for the lead. They are the only players under par. Greenberg made four birdies and only one bogey, a three-putt on a par-3. She also three-putted for par after reaching a par-5 in two.

“I stayed consistent,” she said, “but a few more putts could have dropped.

“I just have to stay calm (Saturday), stay confident in my game and myself. I will try not to worry too much about the end result and just think about my next shot.”

Boylan’s Eva Greenberg and Winnebago’s Kyra Simon are tied for 11th after each shot 76.

Class 2A girls

Guilford senior Kayla Sayyalinh has never won a NIC-10 title but has a chance to win state. She birdied three of her last five holes on the front nine and shot 2-under 70 at Hickory Point in Decatur. She heads into Saturday tied with Edwardsville senior Nicole Johnson, two strokes ahead of the rest of the field.

Rockford-area state golf champs the last 50 years

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: IHSA state finals: Rockford golfers tied first-round lead in 3 classes