Drew Stevens will tee off at the IHSA Class 3A state final Friday at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington, making his first state appearance on a course he knows well.

Stevens qualified by shooting an even-par 72, a season best, at the Oct. 6 Lockport Sectional, crediting a simple approach and a hot putter.

Ahead of the sectional, Stevens told himself to “play [his] game” and “have fun.”

When he teed up his first Titleist, the senior said, “the nerves went away.”

Settled, Stevens leaned on the part of his game that could carry him through—his putting.

“Putting helped me,” Stevens said, echoing his father’s reminder: “you have to putt to advance.”

Ahead of State, Stevens believes course familiarity will give him a competitive edge.

This season, Stevens has played six competitive rounds at the Den, averaging a 77.

As a Bloomington-Normal resident, Stevens has logged hours on the Arnold Palmer-designed course, building a feel for its angles and misses.

That experience, Stevens said, is a “big advantage.”

“I know where I can miss,” Stevens said. “I know where I want to be. I know where I want to not be.”

Stevens isn’t just familiar with the course, he is familiar with high-pressure moments; playing first base and batting cleanup for the Ironmen’s 4A 3rd-place State baseball squad last spring.

That experience, Stevens said, “definitely helps. I’ve already played on a big stage, [with] a lot of people behind me, everybody’s watching.”

Stevens said his state strategy is simple: don’t let one hole define the round and play his game.

He is competing against himself, the course, the leaderboard; not the players in his group.

“It’s me versus everybody,” Stevens said, “not me versus my group.”

Stevens is scheduled to tee off at 10:27 a.m. Friday, looking to become Community’s first individual state-placer since Rob Wuethrich’s third-place finish in 2016.