PEORIA — The 2026 Illinois High School Association boys golf postseason opened across the Peoria area on Wednesday, Sept. 30, with Illini Bluffs, Hall and Illini West capturing Class 1A regional titles while Washington won Class 2A and Dunlap took Class 3A. Rain forced the postponement of the Class 2A Galesburg Regional at Bunker Links Municipal Golf, featuring six Peoria-area teams, until Friday, Oct. 2, as seven breakout performers punched tickets to sectionals set for Monday, Oct. 5, ahead of the IHSA state finals Oct. 9-10 in Decatur.
At Coyote Creek Golf Club in Bartonville, Illini Bluffs senior Fortin battled rain to win the Class 1A Illini Bluffs Regional with an even-par 72, carding 16 pars, a bogey on No. 2 and a birdie on the par-5, 527-yard No. 12 to close with a 1-under 35 on the back nine as Illini Bluffs (328) won by 21 strokes. Peoria Christian's Ackerman finished runner-up there with a 9-over 81, rallying to even-par 36 on the back nine after a double-bogey on No. 13 with birdies on 14 and 15 to lift Peoria Christian (349) to second place. At Wolf Creek Golf Course, Fieldcrest senior Senko won the Class 1A Streator Woodland Regional with a 1-over 73 despite a quadruple-bogey nine on No. 16, answering with par on 17 and birdie on 18, though Fieldcrest missed advancing on a fifth-player tiebreaker to St. Bede.
Junior Burrell starred at Shambolee Golf Course in the Class 1A Petersburg PORTA Regional, shooting 1-under 71 to place second behind Illini West junior Bryton Gavillet (3-under 69) after going 2-under on the front nine with birdies on Nos. 1, 2 and 4, then adding six pars, two bogeys and a birdie on the par-5, 532-yard No. 13. Farraher earned regional champion honors at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth with a 2-under 70 and a sudden-death playoff win over teammate Jacob Cooper, posting a 2-under 34 on the front nine with birdies on Nos. 3 and 5 and an even-par 36 on the back nine after birdieing the par-4, 373-yard No. 10 and bogeying No. 15 as his Redbirds finished second.
Dunlap senior Eccles opened his bid for back-to-back state titles at the Class 3A Normal Regional at Ironwood Golf Course in Normal, firing a 3-under 69 with seven birdies including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 for a 2-under 34 on the front nine to lead Dunlap (292) past Moline (294) with help from Nick Herget (1-over 73) and Jacob Shelby (2-over 74). Sophomore Cunningham, a two-time Big 12 Conference champion, also advanced from Ironwood with a 1-over 73 that featured four birdies on Nos. 1, 3, 7 and 9 for a 4-under 32 on the front nine before a 5-over 41 on the back nine that included a fifth birdie on the par-4, 397-yard No. 15.
All seven now turn to sectionals on Monday, Oct. 5. Fortin, Ackerman, Burrell and Senko head to Kellogg Golf Course for the Class 1A Peoria Christian Sectional, Farraher travels to Effingham Country Club for the Class 2A Effingham Sectional, and Eccles and Cunningham move on to Stonewolf Golf Club for the Class 3A O'Fallon Sectional with state berths on the line.