Riverside Brookfield High School senior Connor Dominick was enjoying one of his best 18-hole golf rounds ever Monday during the high stakes of the Class 3A Payton Sectional at Highland Woods in Hoffman Estates. One of the biggest reasons has been an improved mindset.
“I used to get really worked up about mistakes, but this year I’ve been pretty calm,” Dominick said.
Riding four birdies and two bogeys, Dominick was put to the test after the No. 8 hole on his back nine. It was a double bogey.
“I figured I had nothing to lose so just go out there and play the best you can,” Dominick said. “It was definitely my best overall round – until the next-to-last hole. I made a bad decision.”
Rather than become upset, Dominick calmly recorded his 11th par on his final hole for an even-par 72. It secured his first trip to the state meet. He tied for 15th overall and advanced to the 3A state meet by being among the top 10 scorers not among the three advancing teams.
Lyons Township seniors Garrett Pohl and JT Almond and junior Charlie Forrest also shot 72s to earn their first state berths.
The 3A state meet is Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10-11, at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.
“It’s definitely been the goal since sophomore year. I just wanted to go downstate. I had the round going. It’s just special my final year to finally make it,” Dominick said.
The Lions’ hope of qualifying as a team missed by one place. Their solid, fourth-place 1-over-par 289 still finished well behind advancing New Trier (277), Evanston (278) and York (280).
RBHS (305) was 10th with one of the program’s lowest scores ever under first-year coach Charlie Pozen after taking 12th in 2024 (322) in its first sectional team appearance since 2015.
“It’s really hard to be 8-under (as a team). We had our best stuff and shot 1-over,” Pohl said. “Overall, a good tournament but three to qualify individually is still really good for us.”
RBHS senior Gavin Sharenow and LTHS junior Ben Hare shot 73s. Also competing were LTHS seniors Finley Tyrrell (76) and Jack Curran (77) and RBHS juniors Oliver Fakhoury (78) and Zak Milchhoefer (82) and seniors Ronnie Murray (90) and Charlie Debutch (97).
“It was unfortunate but (Sharenow) played well. I’m proud of him for really keeping his composure and playing well with a lot of pressure,” Pozen said. “Just top to bottom (sectionals) was a good tournament for all of our kids.”
Only 10 individuals advance to state. The 72s were the No. 7-10 individual advancing spots so no sudden-death playoff was required.
In his third sectional, Dominick last year shot a 78, four strokes from the state cut playoff.
“I was scared after I finished (about a playoff). It was good thing that I didn’t have to,” Dominick said. “I made a lot of putts but it was close until the end.”
Tyrrell was an individual state qualifier in 2023. Tyrrell, Pohl, Forrest and Hare also were part of last year’s sectional lineup that finished fourth, four strokes from third. Pohl, Forrest and Tyrrell were two strokes from the individual state cut.
For this postseason, Almond made the Lions’ highly competitive lineup as their No. 5 seed.
“As a senior (state) means everything. Just barely getting in to make the sectional lineup (and qualify) means the world. I’m very excited,” Almond said.
Pohl overcame battling back issues during the season. Like Dominick, Pohl and Almond also overcame late bogeys with pars on their final hole to finish even.
“I’ll be playing with these two (teammates at state) and just the competition level, it’s going to be really fun to see what I can do out there,” Pohl said.
Forrest went to 2-over with a double bogey on No. 14. He came through with birdies on holes No. 15 and 18.
“I had to play aggressive on the last four (holes). I kind of switched up my strategy a little bit,” Forrest said. “I would say I’m playing OK recently. Basically I’m just fighting from behind the whole time. I feel like I battled back today.”
York edged LTHS 301-303 for the Rolling Meadows Regional title Oct. 1 at Buffalo Grove Golf Club after the Lions won the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet to share the overall title with Hinsdale Central with York fourth on a fifth-score tiebreaker.
LTHS coach Brian Kopecky figured the Lions and York would be among four teams contending for Monday’s last state berth.
“There’s no guarantees in this game and you’ve got to step up. The fact that York pulled away, that’s better (than 1-2 shots off),” Brian Kopecky said.
“York was just that much better (Monday). You’ve got to give credit to the teams that played well and went deep. It’s the way it’s set up and it’s not going to change.”
RBHS advanced to sectionals with a third-place 315 at the Glenbrook North Regional Oct. 1 at Heritage Oaks, one stroke ahead of fourth-place Leyden.
Sharenow finished with his best round Monday after his then-best 74 at regionals. Dominick (76) was 10th, followed by Fakhoury (82), Milchhoefer (83), Murray (86) and Debutch (88).
The Bulldogs also repeated at Upstate Eight Conference East Division champions. Dominick, Sharenow and Fakhoury earning All-UEC honors based on overall dual and conference meet results.
“It’s been fun to be part of a good team and winning and having success,” Pozen said.
In Class 2A, Nazareth Academy sophomore Axel Perez qualified for state with a 74 at the De La Salle Sectional that tied for ninth overall and tied for fourth among individual candidates.
Other Nazareth entries as individual sectional qualifiers were seniors Gray Musker (77), Brendan Belden (81) and Hugh Ascher (87) and junior Mason Simpson (91).
The Roadrunners were fourth at the Montini Regional (315), one stroke behind third-place St. Viator.
