Waubonsie Valley’s Bing Singhsumalee, Naperville North cope with tough times at Rockford Guilford Sectional

Handling the cement-like greens at Rockford’s Ingersoll Golf Course became a test for every area player at team at Monday’s Rockford Guilford Class 2A Sectional.

Waubonsie Valley’s Bing Singhsumalee and Naperville North’s team found a way to cope. Singhsumalee shot 1-over-par 73 on the 5,820-yard layout for medalist honors, while North came in with a 332 team total for the second of three team qualifying spots behind meet champion Crystal Lake/Cary-Grove Co-op.

“The greens don’t hold at all,” Singhsumalee said. “It’s so annoying. You have to adjust and learn to hit short of the green and hopefully to bounce it and run it up.”

It didn’t bother Singhsumalee too much as she was able to hold off Neuqua Valley’s Jessica Yuen by a shot.

“I wasn’t coming in trying to win this or anything, but to just be consistent, shoot close to what my regional score had been and I did that,” Yuen said. “I kept my emotions in place even when it wasn’t going well.”

Another area Upstate Eight Valley player who qualified for state individually had the right approach. Metea Valley sophomore Katelyn Kline bounced her approach well short of the 348-yard first hole and had it roll on and in for an eagle en route to a 77. She and teammate Niquole Mangal shot the same score to make it to state as sophomores.

“It was a great round for them because of how tough the course was playing and in the pressure of the moment,” Metea Valley coach Rob Jordan said. “They did awesome.

“The ball was running through the greens and they really needed their short games and had it today.”

Naperville North senior Taylor Arneson experienced the same troubles with the greens, but held it together after she took bogey on the first three holes and shot 80. It proved critical for the team as no one shot lights out, but Blayne Yarmat (83), Christine Grzesiak (84) and Maddie Krejci (85) did well enough to get North the 332 total that held up for second behind Crystal Lake by four shots.

“It was huge for us when Maddie came in with that score because she is only a sophomore,” Arneson said. “I’m so proud of everyone on this team, especially coming out to this course and not knowing how we stack up. It wasn’t easy.”

Waubonsie Valley shot 338 for fifth, with Rebecca O’Bryan shooting 84 but losing a playoff for the last individual qualifying spot. Naperville Central shot 373, led by an 89 from freshman Rya Anand, but none of the Central players advanced individually.

Benet Academy’s Isabella Abdullah qualified with an 82.

Handling the cement-like greens at Rockford’s Ingersoll Golf Course became a test for every area player and team at Monday’s Class 2A Guilford Sectional.

Neuqua Valley’s Jessica Yuen and Naperville North’s team found a way to cope. Yuen shot par 72 on the 5,820-yard layout, while North came in with a 332 team total for the second of three team qualifying spots behind meet champion Crystal Lake/Cary-Grove Co-op.

“I wasn’t coming in trying to win this or anything, but to just be consistent, shoot close to what my regional score had been, and I did that,” Yuen, who also won the sectional last year, said.

Yuen was a study in how to cope with the bad breaks that befell golfers on the hard greens. She started off with bogeys on three of the first four holes, but had a birdie at No. 2. On the back nine, she battled back from a double bogey to birdie twice and hold off Waubonsie Valley’s Bing Singhsumalee by one shot.

“I kept my emotions in place even when it wasn’t going well,” Yuen said.

Singhsumalee had similar battles when she saw how the ball rolled through the hard greens on chips or approaches.

“The greens don’t hold at all,” she said. “It’s so annoying. You have to adjust and learn to hit short of the green and hopefully to bounce it and run it up.”

Another area Upstate Eight Valley player who qualified for state individually had the right approach. Metea Valley sophomore Katelyn Kline bounced her approach well short of the 348-yard first hole and had it roll on and in for an eagle en route to a 77. She and teammate Niquole Mangal shot the same score to make it to state as sophomores.

“It was a great round for them because of how tough the course was playing and in the pressure of the moment,” Metea Valley coach Rob Jordan said. “They did awesome.

“The ball was running through the greens and they really needed their short games and had it today.”

Naperville North senior Taylor Arneson experienced the same troubles with the greens, but held it together after she took bogey on the first three holes and shot 80. It proved critical for the team as no one shot lights out, but Blayne Yarmat (83), Christine Grzesiak (84) and Maddie Krejci (85) did well enough to get North the 332 total that held up for second behind Crystal Lake by four shots.

“It was huge for us when Maddie came in with that score because she is only a sophomore,” Arneson said. “I’m so proud of everyone on this team, especially coming out to this course and not knowing how we stack up. It wasn’t easy.”

Waubonsie Valley shot 338 for fifth, with Rebecca O’Bryan shooting 84 but losing a playoff for the last individual qualifying spot. Naperville Central shot 373 led by an 89 from freshman Rya Anand, but none of the Central players advanced individually.

Benet Academy’s Isabella Abdullah qualified with an 82.