Hunter’s Ridge ready to shine

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Women golfers from around North Central Illinois will get their first look at Hunter’s Ridge when the 51st annual Illinois Valley Women’s Open tees up at the Princeton course. It’s been 17 years since the event last came to Princeton, the course then known as the Bureau Valley Country Club.

Event co-chair Nancy DeBord said it’s been a great way for the Princeton golfers to showcase their home course, as most of the golfers have been playing this summer and returning for practice rounds this week.

“We did lots of campaigning,” DeBord said. “We had a contact person at all the clubs and they did a fantastic job of getting people to play. When we went to playdays we talked it up also.  But I feel that people wanted to play our course,” also.”

The late addition of LaSalle golfer Nicole Washelesky brings the field to 55, up 21 golfers from a year ago. DeBord believes it’s because of the new format calling for a low net team champ along with the traditional team winner for low gross.

Spring Valley native Carrie Riordan, representing Deer Park Country Club of Oglesby, seeks her third straight IV crown. She will be challenged by the likes of Illinois State University golfer Jackie Leonard of Streator’s Twin Creek, Millikin University bound and 2008 BCR Golfer of the Year Gwen Holmes of Princeton, who is playing independently, and 1994 champ Krysty Pytel of Deer Park. They make up the championship foursome, teeing up at 11:36 a.m.

The field also includes three-time winner Roberta Benevento (1997, ‘98, 2000) of Green River Country Club in Walnut and 1996 winner Janet Nave of Lacon. Former champs Penny Derick (2001, ’02) and Carol Balconi (’04, ’06) of Edgewood are not playing this year.

Tournament host Hunter’s Ridge will line up with DeBord, Clare Suarez, Lynn Farley and Inez Hale.

Spring Creek swingers include Bebe Jacobs, Barb Brennan, Cheryl Weistart, Linda Templeton, Barb Hrovat-Mertes, Alicia Yuvan, Hilda Koppens, Kathy Potthoff, D. Lesch and a pair of St. Bede golfers, Olivia Dean and Bekki Prokup.

Teeing up for Wyaton Hills will be Kathy Clark, Ann Lusher, Jan Booker and Nancy Bland.

Team members for Hidden Lake Country Club out of Sheffield include Peggy Maes, Carlene Hebel, Kathy Lanham and Sally Riley.

The Green River squad from Walnut consists of Benevento, Judy Gugerty, Rosie Wallace, Tammy Howlett and Karen Anderson. Green River will be playing with a heavy heart with the recent passing of teammate Marlene Sisler, Anderson’s mother and last year’s “Super Senior” champion.

PHS golfer Alizabeth Fiorini will represent Indians Hills of Tiskilwa.

There are nine clubs represented in all, including Deer Park, Lacon Country Club and Senica’s Oak Ridge. Six-time defending champ Edgewood is not participating.

Here’s a look at Sunday’s tee times at Hunter’s Ridge:

8:48 a.m.: H. Kemp (L), M. Courson (L), A. Fiorini (IH). 9 a.m.: B. Jacobs (SC), K. Clark (WH), B. Brennan (SC), K. Habben (OR). 9:12 a.m.: C. Hebel (HL), C. Meismer (L), J. Gugerty (GR), J. Martin (OR). 9:24 a.m.: C. Suarez (HR), J. Booker (WH), L. O’Leary (OR), D. Piercy (OR). 9:36 a.m.: K. May (OR), N. Hurst (OR), C. Weistart (SC), R. Wallace (GR). 9:48 a.m.: K. Lanham (HL), L. Templeton (SC), Hrovat-Mertes (SC), A. Lusher (WH). 10 a.m.: L. Farley (HR), N. DeBord (HR), E. Roberts (DP), N. Bland (WH). 10:12 a.m.: L. Ludford (DP), A. Lasson (OR), P. Witt (DP), L. May (OR). 10:24 a.m.: D. Lesch (SC), J. Strell (OR), I. Hale (HR), H. Koppens (SC). 10:36 a.m.: P. Maes (HL), T. Howlett (GR), T. Folmor (OR), K. Anderson (GR). 10:48 a.m.: S. Riley (HL), A. Yuvan (SC), K. Potthoff (SC), C. Palm (L). 11 a.m.: N. Washelesky, O. Dean (SC), A. Stevenson (ind), B. Weber (ind). 11:12 a.m.: J. Nave (L), R. Benevento (GR), B. Prokup (SC), C. Barnes (L). 11:36 a.m.: K. Pytel (DP), J. Leonard (TC), G. Holmes (ind), C. Riordan (DP).

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