Five starters return for the Friars, which finished seventh at the Class 3A New Trier Sectional last season. Fenwick also placed fourth in the Catholic League meet.
Christian Early, a senior from Hinsdale, leads an experienced trio that includes junior Jack Mortell and senior Ben Kisla from Western Springs. Both Early and Kisla played on the Cog Hill Junior Tour this summer. Early shot a 69 on June 18 to win a tournament at Cog Hill No. 1 and finished eighth in the State Junior Amateur at Makray Memorial in Barrington.
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“This was my first year (at Cog Hill),” Early said. “It was a good confidence booster. The courses are not that difficult, but I played well.”
Early finished second in at least two other Cog Hill tournaments and ranks seventh in its player of the year standings. He also tied Kisla for ninth at the Mid-American Junior Golf Tour Second City Classic July 1-2 at Ravisloe.
Candidates to fill Fenwick’s roster include senior Luke Cahill, junior Cole Fisher and sophomores Billy Bruce and Reese Wildermuth.
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Jack Mortell, junior: The Burr Ridge resident shot a 73 for second place at the St. Ignatius Regional last season, but did not qualify for state. Fenwick’s top returning golfer is taking aim at his No. 1 goal this season, advancing to the Class 3A state tournament in Bloomington.
The highlight of Mortell’s summer was a second-place finish in the Golfweek Midwest Junior July 29-30 at Cog Hill’s Dubsdread. Mortell (77-71—148) finished one shot behind Ohio State-recruit Caden Orewiler of Waldo, Ohio.
“I’ve been working on my short game. I hit the ball well at the beginning of the summer,” Mortell said. “I’m totally good after I got everything sorted out with my swing coach John Perna.”
Earlier in July, Mortell tied for 53rd in the AJGA Midwest Junior Players Championship July 13-16 at Mistwood.
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