By Steve Stein

The River Cup Senior competition went 24 years without a hole-in-one. Now there have been two aces shot in two years.

Jim Mounce of Team Tazwood ended the hole-in-one draught last year on the ninth hole at Mt. Hawley Country Club of Peoria. 

Jeff Ott of Team Peoria made it two aces in back-to-back years when he shot a hole-in-one May 31 on hole No. 12 at Lick Creek Golf Course in Pekin.

Ott had a bird's-eye view of Mounce's ace, which came during the best ball portion of the competition, because he was on the opposing team.

Mounce used a 9-iron for his ace on the 147-yard ninth hole at Mt. Hawley (2024). Ott's ace, which also was shot during a best ball match, came with an 8-iron on the 139-yard hole at Lick Creek.

Playing with a back issue that will require surgery, Ott had a good look at his ace.

"I could see the shot had a good line," he said. "The ball landed behind the hole, trickled back, and I watched it disappear into the cup."

It was the second hole-in-one of Ott's golf career. The first came several years ago on the former No. 7 hole at Kellogg Golf Course in Peoria. 

He used a 7-iron that day and didn't see the ball go into the hole.

Ott is quite an athlete.

He played baseball at the University of Iowa, was drafted by the New York Yankees, reached the Class AA level in their farm system, and was an outstanding slow-pitch softball player who was inducted into the Illinois USSSA Hall of Fame in 2012.

Two holes-in-one have been shot in the 33 years of the River Cup Men's competition, by Jeff Ackerman and Chris Fort. 

By Steve Stein

It took a historic playoff for Team Tazwood to finally end a seven-year losing streak to Team Peoria in the River Cup Senior competition.

For the first time in the 26-year history of the Senior event, a playoff was needed to determine the champion. 

Team Tazwood won in a thrilling, nail-biting two-hole playoff June 1 on the 18th hole at the Lick Creek Golf Course in Pekin. The playoff involved a pair of two-man teams from each side of the river.

Halfway through the singles matches June 1, a playoff was the furthest things from everyone's minds.

But Team Tazwood tied Team Peoria 9-9 thanks to a 5-1-1 run in the final seven matches.

Team Tazwood's Derek Anderson finally ended the marathon competition when he sank a 18-foot birdie putt, thrusting his arm in the air before the ball landed in the cup. 

"I could tell when the putt was 4 or 5 feet out that it would break right into the hole," Anderson said. "I'm comfortable playing in a pressure situation. I wanted to be there." 

Anderson was paired with longtime friend and Sunset Hills Best Ball partner Jim Olt on that hole vs. Team Peoria's Mark Greskoviak and Rod Jackson.

On the previous playoff hole, it was Team Tazwood's Tim Saurs and Chris Frasco vs. Team Peoria's Rick LeHew and Tom Hammerton. A clutch 25-foot birdie putt by Saurs kept the match going.

Anderson said he pleaded with Team Tazwood captain Eric Dicks to represent Team Tazwood on the second playoff hole because he wanted to make amends for a short putt he missed during his singles match earlier June 1 that could have potentially won the match for Team Tazwood without a playoff.

"Derek told me, 'I got this,'" Dicks said. "I put Derek and Jim out there because I wanted two guys who could get on the green in two."

Here's how Anderson described what happened in his singles match vs. Team Peoria's Dan Moran.

"I was 1-up going into 17. I missed a 3 1/2-foot par putt to bogey the hole and he (Moran) pared it," Anderson said.

"So we were even going into 18. We both missed a birdie putt (Moran's 15-footer spun out of the hole) and forced the playoff."

This was Anderson's first year playing in the River Cup Senior competition. He turned the minimum age of 50 last year after playing for several years in the Men's competition.

Anderson was one of several "younger" Team Tazwood golfers who joined the Senior roster this year and gave the team hope that it could not only end the losing streak to Team Peoria that began in 2017, but also a Team Peoria run of 11 wins in 13 years.

"I told Tim (Team Peoria captain Tim Walters) we were coming for you this year," Dicks said. "This was a victory that we wanted and needed."

During the post-match trophy presentation in the Lick Creek clubhouse, Dicks said to Walters, "Thanks for finally giving us a taste of victory."

"Don't enjoy it too much," Walters said with a smile.

Walters said he was proud of his team, which he considered an underdog to the younger Team Tazwood group.

"It was an exciting match, but it still stinks to lose," he said. "I guess we really have a rivalry now because both teams have won the last two years."

Walters had particular praise for Team Peoria golfers Tim Krause, who won two points this year; Bob Chung, who lost just 2 and 1 to the ageless Saurs; Greskoviak, who also won twice; Hammerton and Moran.

Here are the results of the 2025 River Cup Senior competition matches:

MAY 31
BEST BALL
-- Rick LeHew/Rod Jackson (Peoria) def. Tom Oshinski/Ed Whitaker 2 and 1.
-- Tim Saurs/Eric Dicks (Tazwood)  tied Tom Hammerton/Tim Walters.
-- Mark Greskoviak/Jeff Ott (Peoria) def. Barry Neal/Ken Gibson 6 and 5.
-- Tim Krause/Bob Chung (Peoria) def. Derek Anderson/Jim Olt 2 and 1.
-- Scott Hooste/Chris Fort (Tazwood) def. Dan Moran/Adam Angst 4 and 3.
-- Scott Belsly/Chris Frasco (Tazwood) def. Bo Cleveland/Jeff White 2 and 1.

MAY 31 SCORE
-- Peoria 3.5, Tazwood 2.5.

JUNE 1
SINGLES
-- Rick LeHew (Peoria) def. Barry Neal 5 and 4.
-- Rod Jackson (Peoria) def. Ken Gibson 7 and 6.
-- Tim Saurs (Tazwood) def. Bob Chung 2 and 1.
-- Tim Krause (Peoria) def. Eric Dicks 2-up.
-- Tom Hammerton (Peoria) def. Tom Oshinski 1-up.
-- Ed Whitaker (Tazwood) def. Tim Walters 5 and 4.
-- Scott Hooste (Tazwood) def. Bo Cleveland 4 and 3.
-- Chris Fort (Tazwood) def. Jeff White 2 and 1.
-- Derek Anderson (Tazwood) tied Dan Moran.
-- Jim Olt (Tazwood) def. Adam Angst 5 and 4.
-- Mark Greskoviak (Peoria) def. Scott Belsly 4 and 2.
-- Chris Frasco (Tazwood) def. Jeff Ott 5 and 4.

PLAYOFF
-- 1st Hole  - Tim Saurs/Chris Frasco (Tazwood) 4 vs. Rick LeHew/Tom Hammerton (Peoria) 4
-- 2nd Hole - Derek Anderson/Jim Olt (Tazwood) 4 vs. Mark Greskoviak/Rod Jackson (Peoria) 5

FINAL SCORE
-- Tazwood 9, Peoria 9 (Tazwood won 2-hole playoff)

By Steve Stein

Team Tazwood is a model of consistency in the River Cup Men's competition.

The golfers from east of the Illinois River beat Team Peoria 10.5 to 7.5 on May 31 and June 1 at Lick Creek Golf Course in Pekin.

Team Tazwood beat Team Peoria by the same score last year at Mt. Hawley Country Club in Peoria. This year's win was Team Tazwood's sixth in eight years and increased its lead to 21-12 in the overall series.

After taking a 3.5 to 2.5 lead on May 31 in the best ball portion of this year's competition, Team Tazwood won the first three singles matches June 1 to put even more distance between itself and Team Peoria and it never took its foot off the gas.

Team Tazwood captain Ryan Saurs said his team's win was personally meaningful for him because it was his second time as captain and he's won both years.

Saurs said wins by Curt Minkel and Tim Sheppard, Mason Minkel earning a half-point with a draw, and an eagle on the 18th hole by Zach Heinold to earn a draw were crucial to keeping Team Peoria at bay down the stretch June 1.

"It was getting down to crunch time as it usually does, and our guys came through," Saurs said.

"The 'Dawgs,' as I called us, showed up (June 1). We grind and scratch and claw on Team Tazwood. We have tight knit group on this side of the river and a lot of us are friends."

"We had some new faces this year because of availability issues with some of the regulars. I was so proud of how everyone  represented our team and our towns. Half of our team was battling injuries. And not all of us play a ton of golf during the year."

Saurs said his team went into the River Cup with an underdog mentality and that mindset paid off.

"Peoria always fields a stacked team. There's a lot of talent on that side of the river," he said. "A lot of their guys have big time college experience and some of their guys have been on tours."

In addition to leading Team Tazwood as captain, Saurs contributed on the course, earning a draw with partner Jon Hauter in best ball with an amazing comeback against Team Peoria's Brien Davis and Ryan Julius.

Saurs and Hauter were down four strokes with six holes to play, but cut the deficit in half on 13, to just one stroke on 15, and tied the match on 17.

"I've been battling neck and back injuries since last July, and my game has really suffered for a while," Saurs said. "I wasn't much help for Jon on the front nine, but something switched on the back nine. I started chipping in and scoring for him."

Saurs and other golfers from both teams praised the Lick Creek staff for the conditions of the course.

"Best I've seen it in 10 years," Saurs said.

Julius, the Team Peoria captain who is good friends with Saurs, was gracious in defeat.

"I was blessed and honored to be the captain. It was an amazing experience," he said. "I did everything I could do to get our team organized and prepared. Team Tazwood is a deserving champion. They took full advantage of their home course.

"Our teams have a friendly rivalry. We compete, but we root for each other in golf and in life."

River Cup Foundation President Matt Fahel said it was appropriate that a great weekend of golf took place where the River Cup got it start.

The best ball portion was played at Lick Creek and the singles at Newman Golf Course in Peoria in the inaugural Men's competition in 1993. The sites switched the following year.

Here are the results of the 2025 River Cup Men's competition matches:

MAY 31
BEST BALL
-- Jason Woll/Brian Draher (Tazwood) tied with Britt Bothast/Ryan Brown 68-68.
-- Zach Heinold/Connor Watson (Tazwood) tied with Jeremy Ott/Andrew Wuethrich 70-70.
-- Tim Sheppard/Austin Craig (Tazwood) def. John Ehrgott/Jordan Fahel 67-71.
-- Doug Middendorf/Scot Frankenreider (Peoria) def. Jason Boeker/Ryan Cusack 67-75.
-- Curt Minkel/Mason Minkel (Tazwood) def. Scott Phegley/Steven Taylor 68-69.
-- Ryan Saurs/Jon Hauter (Tazwood) tied with Brien Davis/Ryan Julius 70-70.

MAY 31 SCORE
-- Tazwood 3.5, Peoria 2.5.

JUNE 1
SINGLES
-- Ryan Saurs (Tazwood) def. Ryan Julius 5 and 4.
-- Jon Hauter (Tazwood) def. Brien Davis 2 and 1.
-- Connor Watson (Tazwood) def. Doug Middendorf 6 and 5.
-- Mason Minkel (Tazwood) tied with Steven Taylor.
-- Andrew Wuethrich (Peoria) def. Tyler Schneider 6 and 5.
-- Jeremy Ott (Peoria) def. Jason Boeker 2 and 1.
-- Zach Heinold (Tazwood) tied with Ryan Brown.
-- Curt Minkel (Tazwood) def. Britt Bothast 3 and 2.
-- Jason Woll (Tazwood) def. Scot Frankenreider 1-up.
-- Scott Phegley (Peoria) def. Brian Draher 6 and 5.
-- Tim Sheppard (Tazwood) def. Jordan Fahel 1-up.
-- John Ehrgott (Peoria) def. Austin Craig 4 and 3.

FINAL SCORE
-- Tazwood 10.5, Peoria 7.5.
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