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player ready...Sandburg senior Athena Kwon has had some remarkable achievements on the golf course.
She qualified for the Class 2A state meet in three straight seasons, finishing 29th, 15th and 18th, respectively. Last season, she won conference, regional and sectional championships.
But stringing together five straight birdies during a round?
Never.
That is, until Wednesday at the Class 2A Hinsdale South Regional. Kwon birdied holes Nos. 6 through 10 and finished with a 3-under 67 at Carriage Greens Country Club in Darien.
“I had a round this summer where I had eight birdies, but I’ve never had five in a row,” Kwon said. “I tried not to get too excited about it.
“The first three birdies were shorter holes, and I should birdie those. But I made a 36-foot putt on No. 9, which doesn’t happen very often. My putting was really good.”
On a sun-splashed day with little wind, Kwon made sure to take advantage of the perfect conditions.
On occasion, she reached into her bag for some added energy.
“I eat dry mangos,” Kwon said. “My mom makes sure I eat something every hole. I’ll also eat some bananas. Those are my go-to snacks. I can’t be getting tired on the back nine.”
Sandburg coach Todd Allen was going bananas over Kwon’s five-hole run, with all of the birdies coming on par-4 holes. He said that was a first during his 22-year career.
“I’ve never had a kid do that,” he said. “Her short game was very good. She hit her wedges within 7 feet of the cup and she made the putts. She made that putt on (No. 9) that was a long one.”
Kwon’s 3-under round matched her career-best score from last season at Lincoln Oaks Golf Course in Crete.
Still, she wished she had a few shots back Wednesday.
“There were a couple of putts I lipped out,” Kwon said. “But overall, I’m very happy with the way I played.”
With Kwon leading the way, Sandburg easily won the team title with a 306.
Downers Grove South finished second with a 356 and will join the host Eagles in Tuesday’s Sandburg Sectional at Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park.
Mother McAuley (386), Naperville Central (394), Lemont (394), Hinsdale South (405), Stagg (411) and Oak Lawn (437) rounded out the eight-team field.
Individually, Mother McAuley’s Morgan Soch and Gabi Hernandez advanced to the sectional as individuals with an 85 and 94, respectively. Lemont’s Josie Ingolia also advanced with a 93.
Sandburg had four of the top six golfers. Joanna James finished with a 74, Jillian Cosler had an 81 and Katie Mikso an 84 to provide Kwon with plenty of support.
It’s the fourth time in the past six seasons the Eagles won the regional title.
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“I’m very proud of the girls,” Allen said. “We knew we were going to be strong this year with the girls we had coming back from last season, but the girls still had to go out and shoot well.”
James was happy with her performance, but even more so for the team.
“As a co-captain, it’s exciting to see how well we did as a team,” she said. “I’m so proud of everyone. We put in a lot of practice time. It’s good to see it pay off.”