NORMAL, Ill. • After bogeying three holes on the front nine using his driver off the tee during the first round of the Illinois Class 2A boys state golf tournament Friday afternoon, Althoff junior Austin VonAlst had had enough.
“I'm putting my driver away,” VonAlst proclaimed as he started the back nine. “Every time I take it out, I bogey.”
VonAlst stuck with his plan and shot a 1-under par 34 on the back side and finished the round at 1-over 72.
VonAlst's hot shooting helped the Crusaders to a seven-shot lead after the first day of the two-day state championship at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University.
Althoff shot 306 through the first round of the tournament. Lemont was second at 313, followed by Washington (315), Hillsboro (319) and Marmion Academy (325).
The Crusaders had three players -- VonAlst (72), Sam Lidisky (74), Jimmy Murphy (78) -- post first-round scores in the 70s. The other Althoff scores on Friday: Michael Johnson (82), Alex Kellogg (89) and Grant Strieker (89).
If Althoff can hold on for the state championship, it will be the first for the boys team. Tim Riley won an individual title in 1996.
“My short game was on today,” VonAlst said. “I got up and down from everywhere. I knew my short game was good, and I stayed with it today.
“ That's why golf is the toughest game to play,” he said. “It's all up here (pointing to his head). Things just started going my way.”
Included in VonAlst's 34 were two birdies on No. 11 and No. 13. He chipped in for a two on the 165-yard, par-3 11th hole, and he drained a 20-foot putt for a four on the 555-yard, par-5 13th hole.
VonAlst's 72 tied him for first individually with Luke Waggoner of Woodstock Marian and Shane Purtle of Lemont.
Lidisky was keeping pace with the leaders until bogeying two of the last three holes to finish the day at 74. He is tied for fourth with Matt Deluka of Hillsboro.
The Althoff fivesome scored well on the 6,357-yard, par-71 course despite winds that were in the 25-mph range much of the day and occasionally gusted to 35-40 mph.
Even though VonAlst is tied for first and Lidisky tied for fourth, Lidisky said playing well individually helps the team in the end.
“In order for the team to do well, you have to do well,” he said. “In the end, you can only do your half of the deal.”
Lidisky said his putter failed him Friday.
“It's always been the putter,” he said. “My cousins were out here and they counted six or seven putts I missed.”
On the individual side, Waterloo junior Johnny Wirth shot 82 and was in a 10-way tie for 39th, and Triad junior Blaine Buente carded an 85 to tie for 64th.
“It was probably a good 82 with the way I was hitting the ball today,” Wirth offered. “I think I hit four fairways all day, which with the trees out here and the wind, it was a pretty tough day.”
Wirth started on the back nine with a 43, which included a nine on the par 5 No. 14 hole. But he rallied to shoot 39 on the front, a showing that gave him a lift going into Saturday's final round.
“It's just a different day,” he said. “Come in with the same mentality I had (Friday), just get all this out of my head what I did and go for a top 10 (finish).”
As for Buente, he said, “I've got to accept (my score) and come back tomorrow. I've got to putt better and do everything a little bit better.”
In the Class 1A tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington, Nashville is in seventh place in the team standings after shooting a 343. Chance Rueter led the Hornets with an 82.
Individually, Parker Lawrence of Mater Dei is tied for 27th after carding an 81, Sam Range of Gibault (82) and Tyler Jones of Marissa (82) are in a group tied for 33rd, Steven Becker of Mater Dei (83) is tied for 42nd and Jack Kane of Alton Marquette (85) is tied for 52nd.
In the Class 3A individual tournament at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington, Belleville West sophomore Cade Dibadj is tied for 15th with a 77.
