Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur
Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur
Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur
Ryan Mahan, Springfield State Journal-RegisterThu, Jul 16, 2026·2 min readKendyl Mudd, 14, of Jacksonville, tees off on the No. 5 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Max Fisher of Sherman tees off on the No. 10 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Charlie Houston, 17, of Chatham, tees off on the No. 10 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Josalyn Murphy, 17, of Chatham, chips the ball onto the third green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Connor Brown, 16, of Washington, Missouri, tees off on the 11th hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Payton Wear, 15, of Pleasant Plains, tees off on the No. 15 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)A.J. Charpentier, of Jacksonville, hits the ball toward the 11th green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Augie Blinn, 14, of St. Louis, chips the ball onto the No. 9 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Liam Hoecker, 14, of Springfield, tees off on the No. 9 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Louis Pennell, 15, of Springfield, putts on the No. 9 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Emmalynn Ilsley, 14, of Pleasant Plains, tees off on the No. 15 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Addison Elmore, 17, of New Berlin, tees off on the third hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Lauryn Kelly, 15, of Springfield, tees off on the No. 15 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Madison Arnolts, 17 of Pleasant Plains, chips the ball onto the No. 3 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Cade Vineyard, 17 of Carlinville, hits the ball toward the No. 11 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)Ty Bowman, 17, of Palmyra, putts on the No. 10 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)1 / 16
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Kendyl Mudd, 14, of Jacksonville, tees off on the No. 5 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Max Fisher of Sherman tees off on the No. 10 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Charlie Houston, 17, of Chatham, tees off on the No. 10 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Josalyn Murphy, 17, of Chatham, chips the ball onto the third green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Connor Brown, 16, of Washington, Missouri, tees off on the 11th hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Payton Wear, 15, of Pleasant Plains, tees off on the No. 15 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
A.J. Charpentier, of Jacksonville, hits the ball toward the 11th green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Augie Blinn, 14, of St. Louis, chips the ball onto the No. 9 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Liam Hoecker, 14, of Springfield, tees off on the No. 9 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Louis Pennell, 15, of Springfield, putts on the No. 9 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Emmalynn Ilsley, 14, of Pleasant Plains, tees off on the No. 15 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Addison Elmore, 17, of New Berlin, tees off on the third hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Lauryn Kelly, 15, of Springfield, tees off on the No. 15 hole during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Madison Arnolts, 17 of Pleasant Plains, chips the ball onto the No. 3 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Cade Vineyard, 17 of Carlinville, hits the ball toward the No. 11 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn | Photo gallery
Ty Bowman, 17, of Palmyra, putts on the No. 10 green during the 89th annual Drysdale Junior Golf Tournament at Bunn Golf Course on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register)
BLOOMINGTON — Springfield’s Alex Eickhoff nearly had a magical Thursday as he tied for second place in the 95th annual Illinois State Amateur Championship at Crestwicke Country Club.
Eickhoff briefly took the lead through nine holes of his fourth round when he sat at 1-under par. Chicago’s Charlie Kulwin finished both of Thursday’s rounds under par and finished 2-under 282. He was the lone golfer to finish under par for the tournament.
Eickhoff was The State Journal-Register's Small School Boys Golfer of the year twice in his high school career: once as a freshman in 2016-17 and again as a senior in 2019-20. After high school, he golfed for the University of Minnesota for two years before transferring to SIUE.
He began the tournament with a 3-over 74 on Tuesday and shaved off a stroke Wednesday with a 2-over 73. He closed out the event with an even-par 71 in Thursday’s final round.
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Other area golfers who made the cut were Springfield’s Charles Hoogland (7-over 291, tied for 20th) and Jacksonville’s Brady Kaufmann (8-over 292, 25th).
The last golfer from The State Journal-Register's coverage area to win the Illinois State Amateur was Jay Davis. Davis, a Jacksonville Routt graduate, won the 1991 and ‘92 tournaments.
Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.