Giangrossi Sparks Golfers To 3rd At Wheeling Invite

Luciano Giangrossi isn’t your typical freshman adjusting to competing on the varsity level in high school golf for the first time.

How daunting can it be for someone who has already played at Augusta National --- when he was 9 years old?

A rising star in the sport, Giangrossi led Evanston to its best ever finish at the Wheeling Invitational tournament Saturday in one of the Wildkits’ final tuneups before Wednesday’s Central Suburban League South division tournament.

Giangrossi fired an even par 72 Saturday at Chevy Chase Golf Course as Evanston earned a 3rd place finish in the team standings with a score of 302, trailing only Wheaton Warrenville South (298) and Barrington (300) in the 21-team field.

Evanston achieved that score even without top individuals Kieran and Lester Low. The two brothers were competing in a junior PGA event in Wisconsin and didn’t tee it up for the Wildkits on Saturday.

In their absence, ETHS counted a 74 by sophomore Henry Schmidt, and 78s by junior Nick Bonaguro and senior Harrison Stracks.

Giangrossi has been Evanston’s most consistent golfer --- and low scorer, at or near par in every major invitational --- as a game-changer for head coach Jed Curtis’ squad. The Wildkits did drop a pair of close dual meet decisions last week, to Deerfield and New Trier, but will still challenge for the team title in the state’s toughest conference with all hands on deck next Wednesday at the CSL showdown hosted by Heritage Oaks in Northbrook.

Saturday, Giangrossi scored birdies on the No. 2, No. 10 and No. 11 holes at Chevy Chase on his way to a tie for 5th place in the individual standings.

“I was pretty happy with the way I was able to maneuver around the greens today,” Giangrossi said. “My irons and my chipping have been really good this year. I was playing pretty solid coming into the season, but I didn’t expect to be so solid in all of these high school tournaments.

“The biggest change for me (adjusting to the high school program) was been the team portion of it, and making sure I have a good attitude out on the course no matter how I’m playing. A good attitude can really help your teammates and it’s way different as a team sport. I really like the team aspect of golf, knowing there are people out there who will support you, who are really behind you.”

One of those people is Curtis. The veteran coach can’t say enough good things about his first-year phenom.

“He’s really been a great leader for us already as a freshman,” Curtis pointed out. “He’s really mature, both as a golfer and as a person. We knew when he came in that he was already an accomplished junior golfer, and he’s just mentally so strong out on the course. He really grinds out there.”

Giangrossi started playing at an early age. “I was 2 years old when I started. My Dad got me into it with plastic clubs and plastic balls, hitting in our house,” he recalled. “And I played in my first (9 hole) tournament when I was 5. I remember because my Dad caddied for me.”

That was the start of his passion for the sport. As a 9-year-old, he qualified for the Drive, Chip and Putt national competition held at the site of the Masters tournament at Augusta National. He actually won the “chipping” part of the tournament where golfers got 3 drives, 3 chips and 3 putts to score points.

“It was a really fun experience, one I’ll never forget,” he said. “I tried a couple of times to get back there, but I didn’t make it.

“This year I just want to keep playing the way I have been playing. The rest will take care of itself.”

Evanston concludes the dual meet portion of the schedule Monday versus Glenbrook North. The Wildkits are part of the Class 3A Loyola Regional tournament field that will compete Wednesday, Oct. 2 at Glencoe Golf Club. Qualifiers coming out of that regional will advance to the GBN Sectional (Oct. 7) back at Heritage Oaks.