By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Liam Ahler won a two-hole playoff more than two hours after the end of his round and is the only member of the Elkhorn Area High School boys golf team to advance to Tuesday’s WIAA Division 1 sectional tournament at Watertown Country Club.
The Elks played one of their finest rounds of the season May 24 in a WIAA Division 1 regional tournament at Geneva National Golf Club in Lake Geneva. Elkhorn tied its season-low team score of 366 and finished sixth.
The top four teams and top four individuals not part of one of the top five teams advanced from the regional to Tuesday’s sectional tournament in Watertown.
The top two teams and top three individuals not part of one of the top two teams advance from the sectional meet to the WIAA State Boys Golf Tournament June 6 &7 at University Ridge in Madison.
“The guys played very well,” Elks coach Steve Fisher said. “They have improved as the year has gone on. They did a great job managing the course – being careful and cautious, and playing smart.”
Steve Fisher said the Elks left Geneva National and returned to the high school before he and Ahler went back to the course for an update on scores. Elkhorn’s round started earlier than most of the rest of the field.
Ahler and Janesville Parker’s Michael Henry finished tied at 89 after 18 holes, and went to a two-man playoff.
“He was excited,” Steve Fisher said. “He’s been playing well. I told him, ‘You know what you need to do. Don’t do anything you normally wouldn’t do.’”
Each player bogeyed the first playoff hole on Geneva National’s Trevino Course.
On the second playoff hole, a par four, Ahler drove his tee shot right of the green, chipped on and putted-out for a birdie. Henry missed what Steve Fisher said was a three of four-foot putt, and Ahler, a sophomore, won the hole.
The Elks’ Nick Keller missed advancing to the playoff by one stroke. Keller shot a 90. Nolan Shirk finished at 92, Kyle Schoeneberg shot a 95 and Dayne Fisher shot a 101.
“All of the guys played very well,” Steve Fisher said. “I’m proud of them.”
Lake Geneva Badger’s Connor Duggan won individual medalist honors (76).
Badger won the Geneva National regional with a team score of 328. Milton finished second (341), Beloit Memorial third (342) and Janesville Parker fourth (343).
Union Grove finished fifth (355), Janesville Craig seventh (376), Burlington eighth (383) and Delavan-Darien ninth (441).
Steve Fisher praised the strength of the Southern Lakes Conference in regional tournament play. Seven of the SLC’s eight schools advanced to sectional play as either a team or on an individual basis.
