By Mark Gregory
@Hear_The_Beard
Gavin Doyle
Last weekend, Plainfield North’s Gavin Doyle became only the second Tiger ever to advance to the IHSA golf finals.
Doyle did so with a 75 at the Oswego Sectional, where he carded a 39 on the front nine and a 36 on the back.
“I started off bad, but I really picked it up on the back nine and got some birdies,” Doyle said. “I just had to grind it out and score. My back nine was a lot better than my front and I just didn’t think about my score, I just went out and played.”
Doyle did not go into the sectional with a score in mind that he wanted to shoot.
“I was just going in trying to play the best golf I had all year and that was my best 18 hole score of the year,” he said. “So, I played well and I will take it.”
At the state meet, Doyle placed 106th in the state, carding a two-day total of 179.
All of the District 202 posted sub-80 scores, but with perfect weather conditions, the scores were with a playoff at 76 for the final spots.
North’s Nate Kirberg just missed that playoff, as he fired a 36-41 – 77 and missed by one stroke. Also missing by a shot was Plainfield South’s Parker Govern who went 38-39 – 77.
“I felt good,” Govern said. “I felt like I saved myself in some situations and made in hard for myself. I couldn’t hit my driver straight, but I made up for it with my irons. Coming down the stretch, I had adrenaline and I was trying to force it a little bit and I hit a bad shot on 16 and that cost me a stroke with a bogey. I would have felt confident with a 76.”
Despite not making the state tournament, Govern was happy with the way he played.
“I squeaked by in the regional and made it in that last spot and I felt like I almost had something to prove and show that I could play with them.
“I feel good about the score, a 77 is nothing to gag at. I could have easily been better, but I feel that I proved that as a junior I can play with those guys. It took away the bad feeling of regionals.”
Plainfield East’s Justin Blaney was happy with his score of 78.
“Coming into to today, I knew I would have to play the round of my life and I shot 39-39-78, which is the round of my life,” He said. “I drove it crazy well all day and I had family and friends here and playing for Plainfield East was amazing.
“There are a lot of good schools here and a lot of good guys. I was one of the highest scores in my group and I thought we all played pretty well. It helps you when everyone is playing well because you know the guy in the group with you will go low, so you need to go low too.”
Jake Hawkins from Plainfield Central carded a 38-41 – 79.