Golf: Providence takes Catholic League championship
By Tim Cronin Sun-Times Media September 29, 2011 9:44PM
Kevin Zawaski of St. Rita tees off. The CCL Golf Championship was held Thursday, September 29, 2011 at Cog HIll Golf & Country Club in Lemont, IL. | Robyn Sheldon~For Sun-Times Media
Article Extras
Updated: November 30, 2011 12:43AM
The rain came for the final foursome in the Catholic League championship on the 11th hole of Cog Hill’s No. 3 Course. To that point, Providence’s Telly Korbakes had registered par after par on a soft layout on an equally soft day.
The 11th, a 545-yard par 5, proved different. Korbakes chipped close and sank a birdie putt. He did the same thing on the par-5 15th for another birdie. He suspected, but didn’t know for sure, that he was the tournament leader by then.
A bogey at the last hole didn’t hurt that status. Korbakes’ 1-under-par 71 earned him the individual title by a stroke and helped carry the Celtics to
their third conference crown in four years. Providence, at 7-over-par 295, edged defending champion Loyola Academy by five strokes.
“We’re trying to build confidence for next Tuesday (regionals),” Providence coach John Platt said. “All this is great, but it begins Tuesday.”
For Korbakes, the pressure to play well was internal.
“This is my home,” the senior said. “I want to play good on my home course. And we broke 300 as a team, so I’m feeling good right now. In the rain, you’ve got to focus on ball-striking. The slightest miscue, and you’re in trouble.”
Korbakes was backed up by Casey Labuda’s 2-over 74, and the 3-over 75s of Ryan Utter and freshman Mickey Brick.
Loyola reached 300 by adding up the even-par 72 of runner-up Michael Abrahamson, the 1-over 73 of Jack Haberkorn, a 77 from Creighton Helms and a 78 from Tom Kennedy. But the big surprise was the 9-over 81 from Michael Hultquist, the Ramblers’ No. 1 player. Playing in the same group as Korbakes, had he scored par 72 or better, Loyola would have repeated as Catholic League champs.
The 73s of Haberkorn and
St. Laurence’s Jordan Velez tied for third, with Labuda fifth, while the 75s of Utter, Brick, St. Laurence’s Andy Zaranowski, and St. Ignatius’ Shamus Fitzpatrick tied for fifth.
St. Ignatius took third (315), followed by Fenwick (317), Brother Rice (321) and St. Laurence (327). Loyola romped in the freshman-sophomore bracket, with 309 strokes on Cog Hill
No. 1. Runner-up Fenwick was 13 strokes back.
