Team Peoria seniors erase sting of last year's playoff loss to Team Tazwood
By Steve Stein
A playoff was needed last year to decide the winner of the River Cup Senior competition.
That was a first for the age 50-and-older golfers in the 26-year history of the competition.
It almost happened again this year.
Team Tazwood beat Team Peoria on the second playoff hole last year at Lick Creek Golf Course in Pekin after the teams battled to a 9-9 tie in the regulation 18 two-man best ball and singles matches.
In addition to being a historic win, Team Tazwood snapped a seven-year losing streak to Team Peoria.
Team Peoria's Jeff Ott and Tim Krause had other plans this year at Coyote Creek Golf Course in Bartonville.
Each made a pressure-packed putt on the 18th hole -- Ott a 10-footer and Krause a 5-footer -- to halve their singles match in the final foursome June 14 and give Team Peoria a 9 1/2 to 8 1/2 victory
Had Ott and Krause missed those putts, Team Tazwood would have won for the second straight year. Had either Ott or Krause missed his putt, there would have been a playoff for the second straight year.
Team Peoria captain Tim Walters was quite relieved. He had to live with the tough loss for a year. Team Tazwood went on a 5-1-1 run in the final seven singles matches last year to force the playoff.
"I should be a good loser, but I'm not," Walters said with a laugh.
Despite now losing to Team Peoria eight times in nine years, Team Tazwood captain Eric Dicks said he thinks better days are ahead for his team.
"We've taken it on the chin the last few years, but the tide is changing," he said. "We're right there now. We've got some talented 'young' players. We gave the championship back this year, but we're going to go after it next year."
There was a new wrinkle in this year's Senior competition. The pairings for the June 14 singles matches were determined after the June 13 two-man best ball matches, not before the tournament.
Walters and Dicks each gave a thumb's up to the new setup, which resulted in five of the 12 singles matches being halved and two others decided by 1-up scores.
"I think we should do it that way from now on," Walters said. "It was fun for the players and from a captain's perspective, you knew who just played well and who was struggling.
"I also think someday we should mirror what's done in the Ryder Cup. List guys in a sealed envelope 1 through 12 and unseal the envelope at some point. That would be fun ... I think."
Dicks' reason for his support of the new setup was straight to the point.
"Everyone liked doing it that way," he said.
Walters became emotional during his winning captain's speech at the post-tournament awards ceremony.
The tears weren't just because of the walk-off victory for his team after last year's walk-off loss.
"There were several triggers," he said. "The big one is I'm starting to feel my own mortality. That happens at my age. I'm almost 67. I just lost a dear friend, Phil Moss.
"I love this tournament. This was my 15th year playing in it and 13th year as the Team Peoria Senior team captain. But I know that someday, I'm not going to be to play in it or be a captain. I wanted everyone there to know how important it was to keep this going.
"I love the players on both teams. Tim Saurs and Tim Sheppard (from Team Tazwood) are my best friends."
Coyote Creek, which will be the host course for the River Cup for the next three years, is owned by Mike Maxheimer.
Mike's father Steve Maxheimer and Walters were Washington Community High School boys golf teammates and close friends before Maxheimer's tragic death in a single-car accident in 2002.
At the time, Maxheimer was arguably the best amateur golfer in the area.
Maxheimer's wife Teri died 14 months after the accident from breast cancer, leaving their four sons -- Mike, Wes, Dave and Stu -- without parents.
Walters is president of the Steve Maxheimer Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which raises money for scholarships for area high school students through the Steve Maxheimer Memorial Golf Outing.
Walters praised the tireless work of River Cup President Matt Fahel and Vice President Tyler Peterson at the awards ceremony.
Fahel in turn thanked 16-year Coyote Creek golf professional John Kohler and his staff for their work having the course in great shape for the River Cup and being gracious hosts.
The River Cup Men's competition also was held June 13-14. The Junior competition will be Aug. 1-2.
Here are the results of the 2026 River Cup Senior competition.
JUNE 13
BEST BALL
-- Rick Lehew/Jeff White (Peoria) def. Tom Oshinsky/Tim Taylor 3 and 2.
-- Tim Saurs/Eric Dicks (Tazwood) def. Tom Hammerton/Tim Walters 1-up.
-- Chris Frasco/Barry Neal (Tazwood) def. Tim Krause/Jeff Ott 2 and 1.
-- Dan Moran/Pat Greenan (Peoria) def. Scott Belsly/Josh Ellingson 2 and 1.
-- Bob Chung/Jeff Kratzer (Peoria) def. Derek Anderson/Chris Fort 1-up.
-- Mark Hammerton/Scott Maxwell (Peoria) def. Ed Whitaker/Daren Lowery 3 and 2.
DAY 1 SCORE: Peoria 4, Tazwood 2.
JUNE 14
SINGLES
-- Rick Lehew (Peoria) def. Scott Belsly 3 and 2.
-- Jeff White (Peoria) def. Josh Ellingson 3 and 2.
-- Dan Moran (Peoria) vs. Tom Oshinsky halved.
-- Ed Whitaker (Tazwood) def. Scott Maxwell 3 and 1.
-- Tim Saurs (Tazwood) def. Tom Hammerton 2 and 1.
-- Eric Dicks (Tazwood) def. Tim Walters 5 and 4.
-- Tim Taylor (Tazwood) def. Jeff Kratzer 1-up.
-- Pat Greenan (Peoria) vs. Daren Lowery halved.
-- Mark Hammerton (Peoria) vs. Chris Frasco halved.
-- Bob Chung (Peoria) def. Barry Neal 1-up.
-- Jeff Ott (Peoria) vs. Derek Anderson halved.
-- Tim Krause (Peoria) vs. Chris Fort halved.
DAY 2 SCORE: Tazwood 6 1/2, Peoria 5 1/2.
FINAL SCORE: Peoria 9 1/2, Tazwood 8 1/2.
A playoff was needed last year to decide the winner of the River Cup Senior competition.
That was a first for the age 50-and-older golfers in the 26-year history of the competition.
It almost happened again this year.
Team Tazwood beat Team Peoria on the second playoff hole last year at Lick Creek Golf Course in Pekin after the teams battled to a 9-9 tie in the regulation 18 two-man best ball and singles matches.
In addition to being a historic win, Team Tazwood snapped a seven-year losing streak to Team Peoria.
Team Peoria's Jeff Ott and Tim Krause had other plans this year at Coyote Creek Golf Course in Bartonville.
Each made a pressure-packed putt on the 18th hole -- Ott a 10-footer and Krause a 5-footer -- to halve their singles match in the final foursome June 14 and give Team Peoria a 9 1/2 to 8 1/2 victory
Had Ott and Krause missed those putts, Team Tazwood would have won for the second straight year. Had either Ott or Krause missed his putt, there would have been a playoff for the second straight year.
Team Peoria captain Tim Walters was quite relieved. He had to live with the tough loss for a year. Team Tazwood went on a 5-1-1 run in the final seven singles matches last year to force the playoff.
"I should be a good loser, but I'm not," Walters said with a laugh.
Despite now losing to Team Peoria eight times in nine years, Team Tazwood captain Eric Dicks said he thinks better days are ahead for his team.
"We've taken it on the chin the last few years, but the tide is changing," he said. "We're right there now. We've got some talented 'young' players. We gave the championship back this year, but we're going to go after it next year."
There was a new wrinkle in this year's Senior competition. The pairings for the June 14 singles matches were determined after the June 13 two-man best ball matches, not before the tournament.
Walters and Dicks each gave a thumb's up to the new setup, which resulted in five of the 12 singles matches being halved and two others decided by 1-up scores.
"I think we should do it that way from now on," Walters said. "It was fun for the players and from a captain's perspective, you knew who just played well and who was struggling.
"I also think someday we should mirror what's done in the Ryder Cup. List guys in a sealed envelope 1 through 12 and unseal the envelope at some point. That would be fun ... I think."
Dicks' reason for his support of the new setup was straight to the point.
"Everyone liked doing it that way," he said.
Walters became emotional during his winning captain's speech at the post-tournament awards ceremony.
The tears weren't just because of the walk-off victory for his team after last year's walk-off loss.
"There were several triggers," he said. "The big one is I'm starting to feel my own mortality. That happens at my age. I'm almost 67. I just lost a dear friend, Phil Moss.
"I love this tournament. This was my 15th year playing in it and 13th year as the Team Peoria Senior team captain. But I know that someday, I'm not going to be to play in it or be a captain. I wanted everyone there to know how important it was to keep this going.
"I love the players on both teams. Tim Saurs and Tim Sheppard (from Team Tazwood) are my best friends."
Coyote Creek, which will be the host course for the River Cup for the next three years, is owned by Mike Maxheimer.
Mike's father Steve Maxheimer and Walters were Washington Community High School boys golf teammates and close friends before Maxheimer's tragic death in a single-car accident in 2002.
At the time, Maxheimer was arguably the best amateur golfer in the area.
Maxheimer's wife Teri died 14 months after the accident from breast cancer, leaving their four sons -- Mike, Wes, Dave and Stu -- without parents.
Walters is president of the Steve Maxheimer Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which raises money for scholarships for area high school students through the Steve Maxheimer Memorial Golf Outing.
Walters praised the tireless work of River Cup President Matt Fahel and Vice President Tyler Peterson at the awards ceremony.
Fahel in turn thanked 16-year Coyote Creek golf professional John Kohler and his staff for their work having the course in great shape for the River Cup and being gracious hosts.
The River Cup Men's competition also was held June 13-14. The Junior competition will be Aug. 1-2.
Here are the results of the 2026 River Cup Senior competition.
JUNE 13
BEST BALL
-- Rick Lehew/Jeff White (Peoria) def. Tom Oshinsky/Tim Taylor 3 and 2.
-- Tim Saurs/Eric Dicks (Tazwood) def. Tom Hammerton/Tim Walters 1-up.
-- Chris Frasco/Barry Neal (Tazwood) def. Tim Krause/Jeff Ott 2 and 1.
-- Dan Moran/Pat Greenan (Peoria) def. Scott Belsly/Josh Ellingson 2 and 1.
-- Bob Chung/Jeff Kratzer (Peoria) def. Derek Anderson/Chris Fort 1-up.
-- Mark Hammerton/Scott Maxwell (Peoria) def. Ed Whitaker/Daren Lowery 3 and 2.
DAY 1 SCORE: Peoria 4, Tazwood 2.
JUNE 14
SINGLES
-- Rick Lehew (Peoria) def. Scott Belsly 3 and 2.
-- Jeff White (Peoria) def. Josh Ellingson 3 and 2.
-- Dan Moran (Peoria) vs. Tom Oshinsky halved.
-- Ed Whitaker (Tazwood) def. Scott Maxwell 3 and 1.
-- Tim Saurs (Tazwood) def. Tom Hammerton 2 and 1.
-- Eric Dicks (Tazwood) def. Tim Walters 5 and 4.
-- Tim Taylor (Tazwood) def. Jeff Kratzer 1-up.
-- Pat Greenan (Peoria) vs. Daren Lowery halved.
-- Mark Hammerton (Peoria) vs. Chris Frasco halved.
-- Bob Chung (Peoria) def. Barry Neal 1-up.
-- Jeff Ott (Peoria) vs. Derek Anderson halved.
-- Tim Krause (Peoria) vs. Chris Fort halved.
DAY 2 SCORE: Tazwood 6 1/2, Peoria 5 1/2.
FINAL SCORE: Peoria 9 1/2, Tazwood 8 1/2.