The 2026 high school boys golf season came to an end for a quartet of area golfers Monday afternoon in Illinois High School Association Sectional competition.
In Class 2A play at Spring Lake Country Club in Quincy, three Macomb High golfers battled for the opportunity to earn a berth to state.
Sophomore Eli Griffith finished in a four-way tie for 20th out of 112 golfers with a 79 on the 6,607-yard par 72 layout.
Starting on the 10th hole, he posted a score of six over 42 before shooting a 37 over his final nine holes.
Griffith joined Darren Klein of Mascoutah, Kayden Turner of Peoria High and Hubert Allen of Alton Marquette in a playoff for the final two individual spots via a playoff, where Griffith was eliminated.
Meanwhile, Bomber junior Sam Helling finished tied for 26th with an 81, while freshman Cohen Anderson finished tied for 39th, shooting an 84.
Eli Lucas of Highland was meet medalist, shooting an even-par 72 winning a playoff against Peoria Notre Dame’s Jack Coulter, who also carded a 72.
Other advancing individuals included Adam Robinson of Jerseyville Jersey (73), Caden Kite of Waterloo H.S. (73), Brendan Gibson of Columbia (75), Cole Henson of Rochester (77), Aidan Grant of Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (77), Alex O’Leary of Peoria Notre Dame (78), Klein (79) and Turner (79).
In team play, host Quincy Notre Dame (299), Breese Mater Dei (312) and Belleville Althoff Catholic (319) move on to state tournament play Friday and Saturday at the Weibring Golf Club on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.
In Class 1A Sectional play at Kellogg Golf Course in Peoria, West Prairie sophomore Tyson Carnes finished tied for 96th out of 112 golfers, shooting a 95 on the 6,399-yard par 72 layout.
Illini West’s Bryson Grotts won medalist honors, finishing with an even-par 72.
Advancing individuals from this sectional included the following: Noah Plym of Spring Valley Hall (75), Crew Fortin of Illini Bluffs (77), Elijah Ackerman of Peoria Christian (77), Joseph Perez of Spring Valley Hall (77), Carter Senko of Minonk Fieldcrest (78), Jacob Benck of Beecher (78), Luke Holland of Peoria Christian (79), Grady Mueller of Peru St. Bede (79), Leo Niebrugge of Pleasant Plains (79) and Drake Hanson of LVC (80).
In team play, Illini West won the sectional title with a score of 308. Delavan was next at 319, followed by Brimfield (324).
The top three teams and top 10 individuals from non-qualifying teams advance to Friday’s and Saturday’s Class 1A State Finals at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington.
