Tazwood Men win for first-year captain; Tim Saurs saluted at awards ceremony

By Steve Stein
 
To the victors go the spoils. Or in the case of the River Cup men's competition, a crystal trophy in the shape of cup.

"I have the cup at home. It'll be there for about a month," said Austin Craig, captain of Team Tazwood, which defeated Team Peoria 10 1/2 to 7 1/2 last weekend at Mt. Hawley Country Club in Peoria. The win gave Team Tazwood a 20-12 lead over Team Peoria in the overall River Cup standings, and five victories in the last seven years. This was Craig's fifth year playing for Team Tazwood in the River Cup. It was the first time he served as the team's captain.

"Being the captain is a whole different scenario than 'just' being on the team. I was constantly looking at the results app, checking out the scores," he said. "We didn't play our best Saturday, but I was confident we could pull out the win Sunday. It's very rare that the guys on our team don't play well two days in a row. I also liked the matchups Sunday. It was just a matter of us executing."

Team Tazwood and Team Peoria were tied 3-3 after the best ball competition Saturday. So the championship came down to the 12 individual matches Sunday. One match finished in a draw. Team Tazwood went 7-4 in the other 11 individual matches. Carter Stevenson, DJ Norman, Tim Saurs, Ryan Cusack, Brian Draher, Tim Sheppard and Mason Minkel recorded the victories.

At age 67, Saurs should have been playing in the River Cup seniors competition, for players ages 50 and older. After a couple years playing with the seniors, Saurs opted to play in the men's division so he could play with his son Ryan Saurs and he came through with a big win Sunday, defeating Illinois Central College golfer Quinn Cox 4 and 3. Ryan Saurs had the lone draw Sunday, tying with John Team Peoria's Ehrgott. Tim Saurs received a rousing ovation Sunday from the crowd of golfers and spectators that gathered for the awards ceremony as Team Tazwood posed for a team photo. He responded with a huge smile.

Andrew Wuethrich, Brien Davis, Doug Middendorf and Steven Taylor won Sunday for Team Peoria. Wuethrich defeated Craig 7 and 6. "I have to hand to Andrew. He kicked my butt," Craig said.

Team Peoria captain Britt Bothast, another first-year captain, also lost Sunday. He was defeated by Bradley University golfer Carter Stevenson in a close 1-up match. Craig praised Team Peoria, acknowledging the tough competition it provided, and said, "We know they're going to be hunting us down until next summer."

River Cup Foundation President Matt Fahel thanked the family members and friends of the River Cup competitors for filling the golf course during the weekend and cheering on "the best golfers in the area." He also thanked Mt. Hawley club professional Dave Lundy, assistant professional Rico Scott, club superintendent Spencer Smith and the Mt. Hawley membership for their hard work preparing the course and gracious hospitality and allowing the River Cup to "add to the history of Mt. Hawley."

Lundy, in turn, said Mt. Hawley was thrilled to host the River Cup, and he thanked the club's board and members for their support of the tournament. "I'm glad the area's best golfers had an opportunity to play our course,"  he said.

Craig said the River Cup men's and senior competitors aren't just the area's best golfers. "Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties have as many good golfers as any three counties in Illinois," he said.
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Here are the results of the 2024 River Cup men's competition:
 
SATURDAY
BEST BALL
(Par 71)
-- Scott Phegley/Jake Schneider (Peoria) drew with Carter Stevenson/DJ Norman (65-65).
-- Brian Draher/Jason Woll (Tazwood) def. Brien Davis/Steven Taylor (67-68).
-- Andrew Wuethrich/Jeremy Ott (Peoria) def. Tim Saurs/Ryan Saurs (68-73).
-- Curt Minkel/Mason Minkel (Tazwood) def. John Ehrgott/Quinn Cox (67-69).
-- Britt Bothast/Ryan Brown (Peoria) drew with Tim Sheppard/Austin Craig (66-66).
-- Scott Frankenreider/Doug Middendorf (Peoria) def. Jason Boeker/Ryan Cusack (67-71).
 
Peoria 3, Tazwood 3.
 
SUNDAY
INDIVIDUAL MATCHES
-- Andrew Wuethrich (Peoria) def. Austin Craig 7 and 6.
-- Brien Davis (Peoria) def. Jason Boeker 4 and 2.
-- Carter Stevenson (Tazwood) def. Britt Bothast 1-up.
-- John Ehrgott (Peoria) drew with Ryan Saurs.
-- DJ Norman (Tazwood) def. Scott Frankenreider 4 and 3.
-- Tim Saurs (Tazwood) def. Quinn Cox 4 and 3.
-- Doug Middendorf (Peoria) def. Jason Woll 3 and 1.
-- Ryan Cusack (Tazwood) def. Jake Schneider 3 and 2.
-- Brian Draher (Tazwood) def. Jeremy Ott 7 and 5.
-- Tim Sheppard (Tazwood) def. Ryan Brown 2 and 1.
-- Steven Taylor (Peoria) def. Curt Minkel 4 and 2.
-- Mason Minkel (Tazwood) def. Scott Phegley 3 and 2.
 
Tazwood 7.5 Peoria 4.5
 
FINAL SCORE
 
TazWood-  10 1/2, Peoria 7 1/2.

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