By Steve Stein

One putt came to a stop at the lip of the cup. Another putt went in and out.

Those two excruciating misses on the 18th hole at Lick Creek Golf Course in Pekin ended up playing a huge role in deciding the winner of the 2025 Junior River Cup golf tournament.

Team Peoria beat Team Tazwood 10-8 and earned the coveted Steve Maxheimer Memorial Trophy in one of the most competitive tournaments in the 26-year history of the Junior River Cup. 

The 18th-hole misses by Team Tazwood golfers happened Saturday (July 26) during the two-man best ball portion of the two-day match play event. Because of those misses, Team Peoria held a 4-2 lead instead of the teams being tied 3-3 heading into the individual matches Sunday (July 27). 

The 12 individual matches did not separate the teams. The four Junior High School Division individual matches were split 2-2 and the eight High School Division individual matches were split 4-4, leaving the teams tied 6-6 for the day and giving Team Peoria the tournament win.

It wasn't just the final score of the tournament that was close. The matches were close, too.

"I can't remember a year where so many matches ended on the 18th green. It was a challenge doing the math in your head (Sunday) trying to figure out which team was winning," said veteran Team Peoria captain Daniel Young. 

"You almost expected every match to end on 18," said Team Tazwood captain Gregg Guenther.

Team Peoria's Drew Gama won two down-to-the-wire matches in his fourth Junior River Cup competition. He and partner Jack Coulter won 2 and 1 in best ball play as Coulter made several birdie putts on the back nine, and Gama won his individual match by the same score.

Gama relished the opportunities to play close matches.

"They were awesome," he said. "Close matches are always fun. You just need to rely on the skills that you work on when you practice."

Team Tazwood's Connor Watson brought an end to the tournament and his five-year Junior River Cup career with a spectacular finish in his individual match vs. Team Peoria's Nolan Eccles.

Down by two holes to Eccles heading into No. 15, Watson birdied the final four holes and won 2-up. 

Team Peoria had already secured the victory by then, but Watson did gain a measure of personal revenge by defeating Eccles. Watson and teammate Nick Unes lost 4 and 3 to Nick Herget and Eccles on Saturday during best ball play.

"I played solidly Saturday, but not great," Watson said. "So I made some adjustments."

Those adjustments resulted Sunday in a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 15, a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 16, a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 17 and two putts on No. 18 including a 30-foot eagle putt that that ended up 6 feet from the cup.

"It's always nice to finish a round with four birdies in a row," Watson said modesty.

"Connor is a quiet guy," Guenther said. "You'd never guess that he's a ferocious competitor."

This was the second straight win for Team Peoria, which trails Team Tazwood 17-9 in the Junior River Cup series. Team Peoria hadn't won two years in a row since 2003-04 and 2007-08.

The enormous amount of respect between the two teams and the players' love for the Junior River Cup were evident Sunday during the post-tournament award ceremony, held on the practice putting green at Lick Creek, and interviews later with the captains.

"There are no losers in this tournament. Each golfer is a winner because of how difficult it is to qualify to play in the Junior River Cup. Each golfer has to qualify each year," Guenther said. 

"This is my favorite high school golf event each season. Why? The kids love match play because it's something they don't normally do, and they get to play on the same team with guys they normally play against in high school matches. 

"I coach a small high school boys golf team (Midwest Central, since 1997). I know that golfers from small high schools like ours look forward to playing against guys from big schools in the Junior River Cup."

Guenther praised the River Cup Foundation's Fore Golf junior golf grants, first awarded in 2018. Grants totaling $12,000 were distributed this year to high schools and junior high schools and their golf teams, and the Pekin Park District. The 2025 competition featured golfers from nine different schools that received the Fore Golf Grant in 2025.  Since the inception of the grant in 2018, the River Cup Foundation has given over $52,000 back to junior golf programs in the Tri-County area.  

"The River Cup Foundation takes an immense amount of pride in what we have created in the Fore Golf Grant.  We believe it is our calling to help grow the game through junior golf in Central Illinois and are trying to accomplish that through the Fore Golf Grant.  Being able to give money to schools and organizations to help with purchasing shirts, golf bags, range balls, practice rounds, etc., is important to the game here locally," said River Cup Vice President Tyler Peterson. 

Young said Junior River Cup golfers "are the leaders of junior golf in our area," and there's a generation of young golfers in the area who are not only serious and focused on their games, but also have a deep desire to play in the Junior River Cup.

River Cup Foundation President Matt Fahel, after thanking the "golf gods" for only a 45-minute rain delay Saturday on a hot, muggy weekend that had a dire prediction of multiple showers, praised Young and Guenther for the time they put in each year as captains.

Here are the results of the 2025 Junior River Cup tournament:

SATURDAY (JULY 26)
BEST BALL MATCHES
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
-- Paxten Heinold/Brady Schreurs (Tazwood) def. Jacob Shelby/Jack Westerberg 2-up.
-- Shane Cunningham/Will Snyder (Peoria) def. Jonathan Sombeck/Lee Bolliger 4 and 2.
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
-- Isaac Fitzgerald/Crew Fortin (Peoria) def. Jacob Anderson/Grady Burrell 1-up.
-- Court Bohanan/Collin Kemp (Tazwood) def. Carson Lott/Brayden Schleich 5 and 4.
-- Drew Gama/Jack Coulter (Peoria) def. Gavin Schreurs/Dominic Yocum 1-up.
-- Nolan Eccles/Nick Herget (Peoria) def. Connor Watson/Nicholas Unes 4 and 3.

SATURDAY SCORE: Peoria 4, Tazwood 2.

SUNDAY (JULY 27)
INDIVIDUAL MATCHES
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
-- Jacob Shelby (Peoria) def, Jonathan Sombeck 1-up.
-- Brady Schreurs (Tazwood) def. Jack Westerberg 1-up.
-- Lee Bolliger (Tazwood) def. Shane Cunningham 3 and 2.
-- Will Snyder (Peoria) def. Paxten Heinold 3 and 2.
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
-- Collin Kemp (Tazwood) def. Brayden Schleich 3 and 2.
-- Isaac Fitzgerald (Peoria) def. Jacob Anderson 1-up.
-- Grady Burrell (Tazwood) def. Carson Lott 3 and 2.
-- Crew Fortin (Peoria) def. Court Bohanan 6 and 4.
-- Drew Gama (Peoria) def. Dominic Yocum 2 and 1.
-- Gavin Schreurs (Tazwood) def. Nick Herget 2 and 1.
-- Jack Coulter (Peoria) def. Nicholas Unes 5 and 4.
-- Connor Watson (Tazwood) def. Nolan Eccles 2-up.

SUNDAY SCORE: Peoria 6, Tazwood 6.
FINAL SCORE: Peoria 10, Tazwood 8.

By Steve Stein

Team Tazwood has found continued success in the Junior River Cup boys golf competition through the years, piling up victories to the tune of a 17-8 record in the series.

However, in last year's 25th anniversary competition Team Peoria beat Team Tazwood 11-7 on a hot, muggy weekend at Mt. Hawley Country Club in Peoria.

Will Team Peoria make it two wins in a row -- as it did in 2002-2023 and 2007-2008 -- or will Team Tazwood avenge last year's defeat Saturday and Sunday in two-golfer best ball and individual matches at Lick Creek Golf Course in Pekin?

Each team has several returning golfers from last year. Eight of the 12 Team Peoria golfers are back. Seven of the 12 Team Tazwood golfers are back. 

Also back are veteran captains Daniel Young of Team Peoria, who was replaced by Patrick Hogan last year because he was out of town the weekend of the tournament, and Gregg Guenther of Team Tazwood.

A former boys golf coach at Dunlap High School, Young will be an assistant coach this fall for the Metamora High School boys golf team. Guenther founded the Midwest Central High School boys golf team in 1997, and he's been the coach since then.

The format of the Junior River Cup competition was tweaked a bit this year. Golfers will compete in High School and Junior High School divisions instead of ages 16-18 and ages 15-and-under. The Junior High School Division is for golfers who have not yet competed at the high school level.

"I like the idea," Guenther said. "It's the way it should be. The High School Division golfers have competed in IHSA tournaments. The Junior High School Division golfers have competed in IESA tournaments."

There isn't a demonstrable home course advantage in a Junior River Cup tournament. The best young golfers in the tri-county area play in the Junior River Cup, and they've all played the top courses in the area, including Lick Creek.

There is abundant golf talent on both sides of the Illinois River.

"Not only are the Junior River Cup golfers the best young golfers around, it takes them a year to qualify to play in the Junior River Cup," Guenther said. "It's a big deal to qualify for the Junior River Cup. Every kid looks forward to getting the call that he made the team."

Team Tazwood's Connor Watson has gotten the magic call five times. He respects everyone who plays in the tournament.

"Everybody who plays in the Junior River Cup has done something right on the golf course over the past year," said Watson, a multi-sport star at East Peoria High School who will continue his golf career this fall at Illinois Central College.

Both Team Peoria and Team Tazwood are confident heading into the weekend.

"We have a lot of guys who have played in the Junior River Cup. We're going to lean on that experience. We know how to handle the pressure," said Team Peoria's Drew Gama, whose family lives on the ninth hole at Mt. Hawley.

Gama is a five-year Junior River Cup veteran who plays golf and basketball at Peoria Christian High School. He was on the Peoria Christian boys basketball team that played in the Class 1A  semifinals last season, but he wants to play golf in college after he graduates next year.

"We have a lot of talented golfers on our roster and I think we've played more often at Lick Creek than the Team Peoria guys," said Watson, who played in the River Cup Men's competition earlier this summer at Lick Creek and tied and won his two matches. 

The Junior River Cup championship usually comes down to which golfers figure out their best strategy for success in match play competition, both with a partner and on their own. Golfers this age are far more used to stroke play competition.

"The Junior River Cup is still golf, but its match play. You need a different mindset for match play,"  Young said.

Gama agreed.

"You can be more aggressive in match play, especially if your best ball partner has a good hole going," he said.

Team Peoria's Jack Coulter, a junior golfer at Peoria Notre Dame High School who wants to play the sport in college, also agreed with his coach that a different mindset is needed for match play.

"You have to keep in mind that while every hole is important, it's worth only one point," he said. "A horrible hole isn't going to hurt you as much in match play as it would in stroke play. And a great hole in match play isn't going to help you as much as it would in stroke play." 

Watson politely disagreed with Young.

"The mindset is the same in match play as it is in stroke play," he said. "You still have to play one shot at a time and do the best you can, especially at Lick Creek, which I think is the toughest course in the area. You have to be good from tee to green, and good on the green at Lick Creek."

Here are the Team Peoria and Team Tazwood rosters and the high school each golfer -- except eighth-graders Paxten Heinold and Jonathan Sombeck of Team Tazwood -- attended or will attend this fall. 

TEAM PEORIA
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
-- Nolan Eccles (Dunlap)
-- Isaac Fitzgerald (Dunlap)
-- Nick Herget (Dunlap)
-- Carson Lott (Dunlap)
-- Crew Fortin (Illini Bluffs)
-- Brayden Schleich (Limestone)
-- Drew Gama (Peoria Christian)
-- Jack Coulter (Peoria Notre Dame)
JUNIOR HIGH DIVISION
-- Shane Cunningham (Peoria Richwoods)
-- Jack Westerburg (Peoria Richwoods)
-- Will Snyder (Brimfield)
-- Jacob Shelby (Dunlap)

TEAM TAZWOOD
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
-- Court Bohanan (Washington)
-- Gavin Schreurs (Washington)
-- Dominic Yocum (Washington)
-- Connor Watson (East Peoria)
-- Nick Unes (East Peoria)
-- Grady Burrell (Delavan)
-- Jacob Anderson (Morton)
-- Collin Kemp (Pekin)
JUNIOR HIGH DIVISION
-- Paxten Heinold (Washington Middle/8th Grade)
-- Brady Schreurs (Washington)
-- Leelan Bolliger (Morton)
-- Jonathan Sombeck (Pekin Broadmoor/8th grade)

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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