LaSalle, IL - The fifth-ranked Illinois Central College Men's Golf team spent Thursday and Friday up at the Oak Ridge Country Club, participating in the Eagle Spring Invitational, hosted by Illinois Valley. The weather was far from favorable on either day of competition, and it would go down to the wire. Individually, Brock Taylor and Trey Boecker had to face off against each other in a sudden death playoff, won by Taylor on a 12-foot birdie putt. Peyton Woods and Drake Kaufman combined for four Cougars in the Top 10, as #5 ICC would slip past #3 Parkland by a singular stroke for the team title, 596-597. 

BROCK TAYLOR | MEDALIST | +1 / 145
Slippery conditions on Thursday after over three hours of rain made for tricky scorecards, as no player in the 100-golfer field would break even par. 

Brock Taylor would battle through for a three-birdie round on the opener, with two coming on par-five holes on the back nine - the 11th and 15th, for a +2/74. 

On Friday, Taylor turned on the jets, now facing off against 20 mile per hour wind gusts. Taylor would only bogey two of the 18 holes, and played to a -2/34 on the front nine, getting a birdie on the par-four 5th and par-four 7th. Taylor's Friday would be one of just three under par rounds in the whole event, ending up with a -1/71. 

Taylor would wind up needing to play into a sudden death playoff, just getting past teammate Trey Boecker in two holes. 

TREY BOECKER | 2ND | +1 / 145
Boecker had a remarkable Thursday round, turning in four birdies on the front nine, including the par-four 5th, par-five 6th, and par-4 seventh, while also starting with the par-four first, all adding up to a +2/74. 

More front nine success would find itself on Friday, with Boecker tacking on five more birdies, and another on the back nine for one of those aforementioned three below-par rounds on Friday, a -1/71, and ending with a two-day total of 11 birdies.

PEYTON WOODS | 6TH | +5 / 149
Woods would turn in his best round on Thursday, with the lowest stretch being a -3 between the 11th and 17th holes, bested by an eagle on the par-five 11th. 

On Friday, Woods excelled at the front nine with a -2/34, including three birdies in four holes between the 5th and 8th. 

DRAKE KAUFMAN | 7TH | +6 / 150
Kaufman had a two-birdie Thursday, a day that featured five straight pars on the front nine. 

Friday saw a six-stroke improvement for Kaufman, which saw him get a +1/37 on the front nine and a -1/35 on the back nine, including three birdies, two of which were on par-five holes - the 11th and 15th. 

The E/72 on Friday helped Kaufman secure his first collegiate top 10 medal. 

QUINN COX | 13TH | +8 / 152
Cox would evenly split a four-birdie event, and the Thursday half would happen on back to back holes - the par-four 14th and par-five 15th - for a +4/76. 

It was nearly an identical Friday for Cox, with two birdies and a +4/76. 

DJ NORMAN | 20TH | +9 / 153
Norman would birdie twice on Thursday for a +6 / 78, and would show a three-stroke improvement into his Friday round. 

He would especially succeed on his Friday front nine, with a birdie on the par-three fourth joining alongside eight other pars for a -1/35. One more birdie found its way to the scorecard on the back for a +3/75. 

BROOKS CLUVER | 26TH | +10 / 154
Cluver finished the event with three total birdies, and identical +5/77 scores on both days. His personal best stretch of golf would come on Friday, when he was -1 between the par-five 6th and par-five 12th. 

HE SAID IT - QUOTE FROM COACH SEAN KENNEDY
"A terrific day for the Cougars. The Cougars stayed focused and executed difficult shots under competitive pressure and challenging weather conditions. The Region 24 National qualifying tournament is 10 days away. It's very encouraging to be playing some of our best golf right before the post season begins."