Dunlap’s Hunt wins 2026 CSM Girls Golf Player of the Year

Dunlap’s Sydney Hunt has shown plenty of determination throughout her four-year varsity career and leaves the Eagles girls golf program having led it to new heights. 

Hunt broke onto the scene as a highly-talented golfer in her underclassmen years, but fell short of qualifying for state as a freshman and a sophomore. However, she stayed persistent and put up two lofty finishes at the Class 2A State Finals in her junior and senior years and in 2026, led Dunlap to state as a team for the first time in program history.

Hunt is Clutch Sports Media’s 2026 Girls Golf Player of the Year, following Normal U-High’s Natalie Ocheltree as the second player to ever win the award. 

Hunt dominated in her senior season, which she finished by tying for 26th at state with rounds of 78 and 74 at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur. Her score led Dunlap, who placed eighth in the Class 2A State Finals as a team. 

Hunt won the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament with a 71 as the Eagles placed second by just one stroke. Shortly afterward, the Eagles won the Class 2A Galesburg Regional title as Hunt placed second with a 75. She also was the runner-up at the Class 2A Normal West Sectional, where she shot a 74 to lead Dunlap in taking second. 

During the regular season, Hunt made a habit of finishing atop leaderboards as she won the Pekin Lady Dragon Classic (72), Livingston County Invitational (72), Geneseo Invitational (79), Metamora Redbird Classic (69) and Normal U-High Invite (69). She added on runner-up finishes at the Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout and Bloomington Best Ball Tournament, plus a third-place showing at the Rochester Invite. 

Hunt has been Dunlap’s ace since her freshman year in 2023, where she led the team to a sectional berth. As a sophomore, she won a Class 2A regional title as an individual while leading the Eagles to a regional crown as a team. Hunt also won a regional title as a junior and took third at sectionals before tying for 15th at the Class 2A State Finals with a score of 152, matching her state total as a senior.

Hunt was a member of Clutch Sports Media’s Girls Golf All-Area First Team for the second straight season. Hear more from her about her season and career in our interview with her below:

What have you been able to reflect on in the weeks since the season has ended?

“Honestly, it's kind of crazy,” Hunt said. “Golf is a sprint. The season is so short. Everything is so packed together so it's crazy to even have time to not be on the golf course. I've still been playing quite a bit. But honestly, it's crazy that the competition is done and state is over. I'm not with the team anymore, so it's kind of sad.”

Your team made it to state for the first time as a program this year, what was the most special part about the team?

“Honestly, it was really fun that a lot of my friends have been on the team for four years, so we're just growing together,” Hunt said. “But making that state run was awesome. We got to decorate the bus. We got to have a team dinner and team lunch so that was really a lot of fun.”

What are some of your favorite courses you’ve ever played?

“I frequent Country Club of Peoria, that's my home course, so I go out there and play with my grandpa [and] play with my dad so that's a great track there,” Hunt said. “And then recently over spring break, we went over to Myrtle Beach and I played a few courses out there. Caledonia was one of the ones in South Carolina that was really awesome. And then Ozark National and Payne’s Valley in Branson, Missouri, those were really cool courses I got to play.”

What was your favorite memory from this past year?

“One of my favorite memories was [the] conference [tournament] because it was at Wee-Ma-Tuk [Country Club],” Hunt said. “I had played a good round and then quite a few of my teammates had personal records. A girl that had never broken 90 before shot at 82, so it was really exciting to celebrate her. Unfortunately, we did lose conference, but it was still a great time and obviously the bus rides there and back are a lot of fun.”

What are your future plans?

“I just recently decided that I’d rather not play golf in college,” Hunt said. “I think I'm going the big school route. I just submitted my applications so we'll see what schools get back to me on that. I'm still definitely going to play golf. I still work at Illini Golf and golf is still very much a part of my life, but I'm thinking club golf in college.”