Here are 12 of the Peoria area's high school golfers to know ahead of the 2023 season
High school golf season for 2023 is teeing off very soon.
Matches begin Aug. 10, while boys regionals are Sept. 27 with the girls starting their postseason the following day. Sectionals for boys and girls are then on Oct. 2. The girls state finals are at two separate Decatur golf courses along with the boys playing at Bloomington and Normal courses on Oct. 6-7.
Here are the Peoria area's boys and girls golfers to watch in 2023. Golfers are listed in alphabetical order.
BOYS
Brock Brown, Richwoods
The all-Big 12 Conference golfer was a Class 2A state qualifier last season, shooting an opening-round 17-over at Weibring Golf Club. Brown was a tied-for-15th-place sectional finisher with a 6-over-78 at Coyote Creek. In the regional, the junior was a top-10 finisher, taking seventh place on a 6-over-77 at Macomb Country Club.
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Owen Gruden, Pekin
With the graduation of reigning Journal Star boys golfer of the year Carter Stevenson, Gruden takes over the Mid-Illini Conference's top player. The junior was the league runner-up last season with an 8-over-80 at Lick Creek Golf Course. Gruden was tied-for-13th with his 11-over-83 in helping the Dragons win the regional.
Nolan Hunter, Roanoke-Benson
The senior made the cut at the Class 1A state finals, taking a 67th-place finish with a final-round 15-over-87. Hunter will compete for the No. 1 golfer now that DJ Norman has graduated. R-B could make a run at the state finals, returning sophomore Kaden Harms, juniors Jack Leman and Tucker Bond as well as senior Drew Garrels.
Luke Martin, Eureka
Martin helped lead Eureka to a Heart of Illinois Conference runner-up team finish. The senior earned all-HOIC earns with a career-best 83 as a seventh-place finisher. He then took fifth at the Class 1A regional, shooting a 7-over-79. In the sectional, Martin just missed out on being a state qualifier with his 11-over-83.
Gavin Schreurs, Washington
Schreurs was one of two freshmen on the 2022 all-Mid-Illini Conference team. He was a sixth-place finisher, shooting a 13-over-85 in the conference tournament at Lick Creek Golf Course. The sophomore was tied-for-8th with a 9-over-80 at the regional. He'll team with senior Troy Reiser to improve off last season's conference runner-up finish.
Connor Watson, East Peoria
Watson made a big splash during his sophomore season. He was tied for 44th with a final-round 10-over-81 at the Class 2A state finals, becoming one of 30 non-seniors to place in the top 50. The junior was a regional runner-up finisher with a 2-over-73 at the Macomb Country Club. He then finished tied for 12th at the sectional.
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GIRLS
Sophia Barzallo, Peoria Notre Dame
Barzallo made a big impression in her final match of the season at the Class 1A state finals. She shot a final-round 13-over-85 for a 55th-place finish as the Irish were the fourth-place team finishers. The senior and her classmates, Marin Ruskusky and Ella Coulter, could help give PND its first-ever state trophy and a fourth consecutive regional.
Ella Coulter, Peoria Notre Dame
The reigning Journal Star girls golf of the year is back after a Class 1A all-state finish last season. In helping PND with a fourth-place team finish, she was tied for 21st with a final-round 8-over-80 at the Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur. Coulter's third-place finish at the Big 12 Conference tournament helped the Irish win the team title.
Tavia Dowell, Morton
The 1-2 Mid-Illini Conference finishers in Abby Nieukirk and Reagan Braker have graduated, leaving Dowell as the top returning Potter golfer. She was an all-Mid-Illini second-team finisher, taking eighth with a 16-over-87 as Morton won the league title by 18 strokes. Dowell was tied for 73rd at the Class 2A state meet.
O'livia Ghidina, Dunlap
Ghidina was an all-Mid-Illini Conference first-team selection last season. She finished fifth overall, shooting a 14-over-85 at Metamora Fields as the Eagles were the third-place team finisher. The senior went for a 15-over-86 in the regional to take fifth. She'll be a contender to take home the Mid-Illini individual title.
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Morgan Grant, Illinois Valley Central
The senior is no stranger to playing in big matches, having a top-10 regional finish with a 10-over-81 and seventh place. She followed up her performance with a 24th-place sectional finish, shooting a 19-over 91 to just miss the Class 1A state final cut by five strokes. Grant was consistently the No. 2 golfer on the IVC boys team last season.
Sydney Hubner, Pekin
Hubner was a top-50 finisher in the Class 2A state finals. The senior was tied for 48th with her final-round 10-over 82 at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur. She was a third-place finisher at the regional with a 10-over-81. Hubner and junior Kami Jarvill will be the 1-2 punch for Dragons, who are looking for their first Mid-Illini title since 2014.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA golf preview: Top high school boys and girls golfers in Peoria
