Peyton Woods and Jake Erickson share the lead

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Peyton Woods is trying to win the Men’s City Golf Tournament for the third time in a row, but he’s up against seven-time champion Jake Erickson.

Woods, a sophomore on the Illinois Central College men’s team and a 2023 Springfield High graduate, shot a 6-under-par 66 in the opening round of the Bunn Golf Course of the City Tournament on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Erickson and Brian Anderson.

“It’s a tough course to hit off the tee with all the trees and stuff, but I think I came off the tee really well and hit a lot of the fairways,” Woods said of his round at Bunn.

Erickson won a medal at Lincoln Greens on Sunday with a 4-under 68 and was tied with Woods at the halfway point of the tournament.

“At Lincoln Greens, my wedges and my putts were really good. I made some key putts to keep myself in the match,” Woods said.

The four-day, two-weekend event moves to The Rail Golf Course on Saturday, followed by the final round on Sunday at Piper Glen. Woods and Erickson lead the pack with 136. Anderson is in third place with a two-day score of 139 — one stroke ahead of Kyle Appenzeller and two ahead of Ryan Schone.

“It makes it tough and puts a little bit of pressure on me, but I just have to stay in my own head, stay positive and have a good time,” Woods said of Erickson breathing down his neck. “He’s a really good putter, he’s a really good ball-striker and I’ve never seen him get angry on the course. He’s a pretty positive guy.”

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From 2012 through 2021, Erickson won a record seven City Tournament titles before Blaine Buente won his first in 2022. Dain Richie followed that up with his first title in 2023. If Woods can join the ranks of Buente and Richie, it would cap off his summer before he returns to his college team, he said.

“It’s quite a high level because it’s a local tournament and there are a lot of good competitors,” Woods said.

In the fall of 2022, Woods shot 4-over-par 146 for a tie for fifth place in the Illinois High School Association Class 2A boys state golf tournament. He was named Large School Boys Golfer of the Year by The State Journal-Register.

Springfield Park District golf professional Lance Flury coached Woods when their team won the Gateway PGA Junior Tour tournament in 2017.

“He’s got good mental toughness; I don’t think any moment is too big for Peyton when it comes to golf,” Flury said. “I think he enjoys the moment and rises to the challenge.

“I kind of jokingly told him he gets to play with a seven-time champion this weekend, and I think he’ll appreciate the opportunity. It should be fun to watch.”

Flury added that Woods continues to improve his game.

“I think he’s putting well, I think he’s gotten straighter with his tee balls and obviously they’re all getting longer as they get older,” Flury said. “He even has a new putter, a broomstick style … and he seems to be doing well with that.”

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This weekend will be a test for Woods, but he says he welcomes it.

“At The Rail, I have to adjust to the yardage because we play further yardage there,” Woods said. “I think I should be fine because it’s closer to my college yardage. Keep my own head cool; stay positive.”

He said he has to be accurate with his short game on the smaller, more challenging greens at Piper Glen.

Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, [email protected]Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.

PREVIOUS MEN’S CITY CHAMPIONS

2023 — Dain Richie

2022 — Blaine Buente

2021 — Jake Erickson

2020 — Jake Erickson

2019 — Scott Belcher

2018 — Ed Mabie

2017 — Jake Erickson

2016 — Jake Erickson

2015 — Jake Erickson

2014 — Josh Edison

2013 — Jake Erickson

2012 — Jake Erickson

2011 — Scott Teague

2010 — Dave Ryan

2009 — Tyler Link

2008 —Scott Belcher

2007 — Scott Teague

2006 — Scott Teague

2005 — Scott Teague

2004 — Brian Anderson

2003 — Brian Anderson

2002 — Dale Blankenship

2001 — Brian Anderson

2000 — Dave Ryan

1999 — Mark Beck

1998 — Jimmy Collins

1997 — Dale Blankenship

1996 — Dennis Duke

1995 — Rick Ciotti

1994 — Scott Teague

1993 — Rick Ciotti

1992 — George Logan

1991 — Rick Ciotti

1990 — Tony Saputo

1989 —Jerry Thomas

1988 — Dave Ward

1987 — Bill Shafer

1986 — Oil Fosdyck

1985 — Bill Shafer

1984 — JC Anderson

1983 — JC Anderson

1982 — JC Anderson

1981 —Jerry Thomas

1980 — Mark Hofstetter

1979 — Bret Voisin

1978 — Lance Morrison

1977 — Mark Hofstetter

1976 — Rick Haegele

1975 — John Phillips

1974 — Steve Taylor

1973 — John Phillips

1972 — Vito Saputo

1971 — Norm Rodier

1970 —Jerry Thomas

1969 — Dave Hazlett

1968 — John Phillips

1967 — Bill Carson

1966 — John Phillips

1965 — Norm Rodier

1964 — Bill Carson

1963 — Norm Rodier

1962 — Dale Schofield

1961 — Dale Schofield

1960 — Dale Schofield

1959 — Dale Schofield

1958 — Dale Schofield

1957 —Bobby Charlton

1956 — Jim Townsend

1955 —Bobby Charlton

1954 — Jack Coyle

1953 — Jack Coyle

1952 — Johnny Knight

1951 — Johnny Knight

1950 — Johnny Knight

1949 —Bobby Charlton

1948 — Jack Coyle

1947 —Bobby Charlton

1946 — Noonie Pease

(1945—NooniePease

1944 — Eddy Charlton

1943 — Eddy Charlton

1942 — Bill McKenzie

1941 —Bobby Charlton

1940 — Bill McKenzie

1939 — Kearin Slowe

1938 — Ray Whipple

1937 —Bobby Charlton

1936 — John Dipple

1935 — Eddy Charlton

1934 — Bud Maddox

1933 — Noonie Pease

1932 — Eddy Charlton

1931 — John Watson

1930 — Noah Dixon

1929 — Les Whipple

1928 — Eddy Charlton

1927 — Noah Dixon

1926 — Eddy Charlton

1925 — George Bunn Jr.

1924 — Noah Dixon

1923 — Douglas Cadawallader

1922 — Noah Dixon

1921 — Douglas Cadawallader

1920 — Noah Dixon

1919 — Hendrik Abels

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