It's a 25th anniversary celebration for the Junior River Cup

By Steve Stein

The best young golfers in central Illinois will tee it up this weekend at Mt. Hawley Country Club in Peoria.
What's the occasion? The 25th annual Junior River Cup competition.

Team Tazwood will take on Team Peoria in two-golfer best ball matches Saturday and individual matches Sunday. There are a dozen golfers on each team, eight in the 16-18 age group and four in the under-15 age group.

Playing on its "home" course, Team Peoria will look this weekend to end Team Tazwood's two-year winning streak and cut into Team Tazwood's 17-7 record in the overall series.

While the Junior River Cup championship and bragging rights for a year will be up for grabs this weekend, there's no doubt a large number of golfers who played on both teams in the Junior River Cup over the past 24 years went on to have outstanding high school and collegiate careers, and even turn pro.


Among them are Drake Bushong, Jordan Fahel, Mason Ghidina, Jonathan Hauter, Jonathan Krick, Pete and Tommy Kuhl, Mason Minkel, David Perkins, Scott Phegley, Carter Stevenson, Weston Walker and Jason Woll.

Minkel, now a senior on the NCAA Division II power University of West Florida men's golf team after a stellar golf career at Pekin Community High School, went 9-0-1 in five Junior River Cup competitions, helping Team Tazwood win four times.

Winning nine out of his 10 Junior River Cup matches was great, Minkel said, and so was the experience. 

"It was one of the first times I played in front of news cameras and crowds," Minkel said.

Who will emerge from this year's Junior River Cup rosters to join the list of Junior River Cup alumni greats? That's to be determined.


Gregg Guenther is in his sixth year as the Team Tazwood captain. He has a 3-2 record. Guenther has been the coach of the Midwest Central High School golf team since 1997, the year he founded the program at the Manito school.

Patrick Hogan is filling in for his friend Daniel Young this weekend as the Team Peoria captain. Young, who has been the Team Peoria captain for nine years, is out of town. Hogan is heading into his 10th season as the coach of the Peoria Richwoods High School boys golf team.

"I know how much the Junior River Cup means to Danny, so I told him I'd take care of everything while he was gone," Hogan said.

Each captain has a past connection to the Junior River Cup.

Guenther was a caddy when he was younger. Hogan played for Team Peoria in the 2003 Junior River Cup at Pine Lakes Golf Course in Washington. He won his best ball match with teammate Trevor Fitch, and halved his individual match against Alex Harrington, helping Team Peoria win 7-5.

"If I remember correctly, I won the 18th hole with a birdie from the bunker to halve the match against Alex," Hogan said. "I really enjoyed playing the best ball part of the Junior River Cup. Golf is normally an individual sport, but best ball is like a team sport in that you have to rely on your partner."


Most of the golfers who will play at Mt. Hawley this weekend are new or relatively new to match play. What advice will their captain have for them?

"You must have a short memory," Hogan said. "If you have a bad hole, that doesn't mean you're out of a match. Just move on to the next hole and keep grinding. Getting an up and down on a hole can be a backbreaker for your opponent.

"Have fun. Enjoy yourself. You'll be creating memories that will last a lifetime. And don't be nervous. The hard part is over. You've played enough good golf over the last several months to qualify to be selected for the team."

Guenther reiterated Hogan's words of wisdom about having a short memory during a match.

"If a match goes the distance," he said, "it's like you're playing 18 separate matches."


There are two aspects of being involved in the Junior River Cup that put an extra smile on Guenther's face.

"I love calling kids and telling them they made our team," he said. "And most of the golfers on both teams aren't country club kids, but they get an opportunity play great country club courses like Mt. Hawley, Pekin and Peoria."

Pairings for this week's Junior River Cup best ball and individual matches will be determined Friday by Guenther and Hogan, who will alternate making the first choice in a match. 

Typically, the golfers on both teams play a significant role in setting up the matchups. That's been the case again this year.

"I've already had texts from three kids asking to have a certain partner in best ball or telling me who from Team Peoria they'd like to face," Guenther said during a mid-week interview.


Here are the 2024 Team Tazwood and Team Peoria rosters and the high school each player will attend, is attending, or attended. For those golfers who won't be in high school this fall, their junior high school or middle school is listed.  


TEAM TAZWOOD
AGES 16-18
-- Owen Adams (Morton)
-- Jacob Anderson (Morton)
-- Cooper Hansen (Delavan)
-- Jack Leman (Roanoke-Benson)
-- Luke Martin (Eureka)
-- Gavin Schreurs (Washington)
-- Nick Unes (East Peoria)
-- Connor Watson (East Peoria)

AGES 15-UNDER
-- Court Bohanan (Washington)
-- Will Brown (Pekin Broadmoor Junior High School)
-- Paxten Heinold (Washington Middle School)
-- Colin Kemp (Pekin)

TEAM PEORIA
AGES 16-18
-- Brock Brown (Peoria Richwoods)
-- Jack Coulter (Peoria Notre Dame)
-- Chris Drake (Illini Bluffs)
-- Nolan Eccles (Dunlap)
-- Drew Gama (Peoria Christian)
-- Luke Johnson (Midwest Central)
-- Bennett Toews (Homeschool)
-- Tanner Wake (Elmwood)

AGES 15-UNDER
-- Shane Cunningham (Peoria Reservoir Gifted Academy)
-- Crew Fortin (Illini Bluffs)
-- Nick Herget (Dunlap)
-- Jacob Shelby (Dunlap Valley Middle School)