​Team Tazwood seniors work overtime to end 7-year losing streak to Team Peoria

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)