Boys Golf Has First Dual-Meet Loss at Oak Park

The sky was clear. The temperature was mild. The course was beautiful, and in shining condition. And the shots… weren't quite dropping.

After four straight victories in dual meets (topping Hinsdale South, Morton, Downers Grove North, and Proviso West,) the Lions (4-1) were finally toppled at Oak Park Country Club Tuesday by an orange-clad Oak Park and River Forest team, who just had a little better control and a couple fewer lost drives. The Huskies got away with a three-shot win, 155-152.

Top scorers for LT were senior Sean Lenz (37,) junior Kevin Carlson (39,) senior T. J. Silvey (39) and, tying, sophomore Charlie Netzel and junior Peter Swanson (40.) OPRF placers were Eric Cybulski (37,) Joe McKune (37,) Matt Weintrob (38,) and Alex Decorrevont (40.)

Lenz had a breakout round, dropping a 30-foot putt to birdie the No. 1-handicap 3rd, and was on pace to shoot under par before hooking a punch shot into a bunker at the monstrous 447-yard par-four 8th and making double bogey. His 37 was still the best round of his year.

"I just tried to stay consistent and make easy shots and not try to make too many of those impossible shots," Lenz said of his round. "Our top players didn't really play that well, so if they just shoot more consistent, we'll be fine."

That was a sentiment echoed by coach Brian Kopecky. "They have to be more consistent. They can't play real well and then have two holes where they get two double bogeys, 'cause that catches up to them," he said.

Playing real well and then getting two double bogeys was exactly what happened to Carlson, who sliced two consecutive drives on the 3rd and 4th holes into the woods and made double-bogey 6 and 7, respectively. He recovered admirably with a 5-iron to two feet to birdie the massive 8th, a source of dropped strokes for many players, and still finished in LT's top four.

"Six and a half out of ten," Carlson rated his round. "I got too quick and I brought everything inside, so I started out in the fairway and sliced… It's good to see [Lenz] shoot a low number, so we're feeling pretty good, even though we lost today."

Rounding out the top three was Silvey, also double-bogeying the 8th after just missing an eagle putt on 4, as well as bogeying holes 1 and 7.

"I hit the ball pretty close all day—I just couldn't make any putts," Silvey said (he putted 19 times.) "I probably should have gone lower today. I didn't get up and down from anywhere."

Still, he was optimistic about the team's status. "Last year we lost a bunch of matches… and we still did fine [in playoffs.] So I'm not that worried right now. The talent's there."

At the end of the day, Coach Kopecky kept his sights forward—on two tough matches, today versus Glenbard West at Village Greens, and Friday hosting York at La Grange Country Club—and at playoffs beyond that.

"We're still looking for who those six guys are going to be when we go to conference," said Kopecky. "It's going to be real close when it comes down to who are the six going to be."