Senior Ryan Kaufmann said goodbye to his high school golf career this past weekend at the class 2A IHSA State Finals at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University. Kaufmann shot scores of 77 and 78 at the two-day tournament to finish in a tie for 21^st place. “I was hitting fairways all week and rolling the ball exceptionally well, and that’s what ultimately led to my good scores. I just wish I was able to manage a few holes a little better as it is really easy to make mistakes on this course and make a big number,” Kaufmann said.

Little did Kaufmann know that he was inside of the top 10 with three holes to go. He started his round on the back nine, making the eighth and ninth his last holes of the day. Those holes didn’t fare well for Kaufmann as he went on to double bogey both of them. “That wasn’t on my mind at all finishing up,” he said talking about him being in the top 10. “I was just doing my best to stick to the game plan and make pars. The tee shots on 8 and 9, I just got a little quick on and blocked them into the trees. That shows how important it is to hit fairways on this golf course.” Kaufmann admitted that he had a little adrenaline running through him as well, so perhaps that could’ve played a factor in the last few holes.

Nevertheless, Kaufmann ended his high school career at a venue he had been trying to get to since his freshman year. “I just went out there and played golf and tried to enjoy myself,” he said. “This is an opportunity I won’t get to experience again, so I was trying to make the most of it.” It was a good way to cap off his high school golf career as he will look to take his game to the next level and play college golf.