The Moline High School boys’ golf team was leaking a little oil down the stretch of its own Class 3A sectional meet Monday afternoon.
With nothing better than a bogey on the tough par-4 finishing hole at Short Hills Country Club in East Moline from its first five finishers, the Maroons put the pressure on No. 1 golfer Isaac Rumler.
“I was on 18 tee and coach (Max Haverland) comes up and says, `if you bogey, we’re in, but if you double, we’re gonna lose on the fifth score,’” said the junior standout.
“So he just added 100 times the pressure on me and I hit a horrible drive right into the water. I drop at 217 out and I hit a 5-iron to about 12 feet; it was my best shot of the day, maybe the best shot of the season.”
With two putts, Rumler secured a second-place team finish in a loaded sectional gathering. The Maroons’ 298 team score was sandwiched between winner Hinsdale Central (294) and third-place Geneva (299, winner on a fifth-score tiebreaker over Oswego East) to book a trip to this weekend’s Class 3A state finals at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington.
It is Moline’s first trip to state as a team since the 2021 season and Rumler’s third straight. He looks to improve on his second- and third-place individual finishes the last two years.
“I feel like I came through down the stretch there for our team and that’s the best part about this,” said Rumler.
On top of that, his two-putt capped off a 5-under 67 round that tied for the best 18-hole score of the day.
As the cherry on top of hosting a sectional, Rumler went out on the team’s home course and won a two-hole playoff over Batavia High School senior Ryan Augustine to secure medalist honors.
After composing himself after the drama on the final hole of regulation, Rumler had his focus back in the playoff. He said that he stuffed his approach shot to inside two feet on No. 1 as both birdied and then made a par on 18 to win the playoff.
While Rumler admitted that his final swing in regulation may have been his best shot, he forgot that a few hours earlier, he had drained a sand wedge from 113 yards on his second hole to kick-start his day with an eagle.
“Oh, yeah,” he said when reminded of his eagle. “I forgot about that one.
“I didn’t really see it go in, but my grandpa was up by that green and he was going crazy. That was great to start off the day like that.”
He also had a run of four straight birdies on holes 12 through 15 as his round concluded six birdies, three bogeys and the eagle.
Still, Haverland commended his two-time all-stater for his selflessness.
“He knew where we stood as a team and put the team in front of himself,” said Haverland of the 18th hole. “He knew we needed a two-putt and that was all he was worried about.”
The team was bolstered again by solid play from senior Greer Peters. The Western Big 6 Conference individual medalist carded a 2-over 74 to finish 15th and sophomore Gage Powell followed with a 5-over 77.
Moline’s fourth counting score came from junior Reese Daniel, who showed some fortitude on a roller-coaster day. He suffered a double and triple bogey on the front side on his way to a 45, but rebounded with a back-side 35 that ended with another double as he carded three birdies on the inward nine.
“He’s been a back-nine player all year; he really has,” said Haverland. “He’s one of those kids that needs a couple of double bogeys and it just kind of takes his mind off everything and then he can just go play.”
With a sectional runner-up finish booked, all the Maroons can look forward to going out and just play two more rounds in the state finals.
Robertson advances
The Moline boys’ team won’t be the only golfers representing the high school this coming weekend in state tournament play.
Junior Haley Robertson tied for 16th individually at Monday’s Class 2A Pekin Sectional at Pekin Country Club. She was among the top 10 individuals not on a qualifying team — the Quad-Cities did not have any full teams make it through regional play — to advance to the state finals at Hickory Point Golf Club in Forsyth, Ill.
She had an adventurous round, finishing with four pars that matched her number of birdies. She also finished with seven bogeys, a double and two triples in her 11-over 83.
That sectional’s medalist was Edwardsville senior Rachell Johnson, who carded a 1-under 71 that included four birdies and just three bogeys.
Rock Island senior Mallory Hudnall was also a sectional qualifier in action on Monday. She carded a 93 and was not among the Top 10 individuals to advance.
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TJ Johnston
sports writer/golf editor
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