Two Captains Expect Great Things from Scouts Golf Team

By Spencer Trees 

The Lake Forest High School Boys Varsity golf team is no stranger to success. In their time in the North Suburban Conference (NSC), the Scouts have won three state championships in the past 20 years and captured numerous NSC titles.

  “Our goal is to win state,” said senior golf captain Michael Hahn. Added senior captain Raunak Whadera, “We came in fourth last year, but five out of our six starters have returned, and we think we have a really good chance to win state.”

Captains Raunak Whadera and Michael Hahn (center with trophies) have high expectations for this year's team.

The pair have come a long way since joining the JV team in their freshman year. In the last four years they’ve worked their way up to become the two top players. After a long summer of individual competition, they started leading the team during the first matches in August. The Scouts have looked good so far. Junior Thomas Wells led the team to the Lake County Invitational title at Thunderhawk with a 73. Liam Carruthers shot a 75 and Sandy LaCasse fired a 78.

When describing their approach to leadership, Hahn noted, “We want to set the tone for the younger guys and develop a positive team culture. We're always focused on being the hardest-working players on the team and always leading by example. And for us, that means showing up to practice early and staying after practice. "We really want to emphasize consistency above all else. Everyone knows they have to practice to get better; that way during actual tournaments we can rest easy, knowing we did the hard work.”

While performance and practice are essential to success, the duo also see the importance in balance. “I think as a freshman and sophomore, I took playing golf too seriously where I would think my life would be bad if I didn’t play well,” Whadera said. “But now that I have more stuff in my life and golf is just one part of it. I realize that it’s important not to prioritize golf in an unhealthy way. Having balance makes you play better.”

The captains also learned from their predecessors. “Past captains could have been more involved with coaches to improve our practices and strategies,” Hahn said. “This year we have already met with our coach, Jim Matheson, and are discussing smart ways to improve practices based on our weakest areas.”

Whadera also sees great importance in how one treats teammates. “You always have to treat your teammates well, no matter if they play terrible or if they play well,” he said. “They have to understand that their score doesn't define them because we're trying to take the pressure off them and understand that they can go out and play freely.

“When you play well, it’s a way of supporting my school, my team, my coach, and all my teammates. That’s what it’s all about. I love doing that!”

With that leadership, the Scouts are hopeful that this will be the year they add a fourth state championship.

The team’s next match is Sept. 8 at the Libertyville Varsity Boys Golf Invitational.