| 2026 IESA Golf State Tournament Tees Off Sept. 17-18 in Metamora
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The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) is excited to announce that the 15th annual IESA Golf State Tournament will take place on September 17-18, 2026, at Metamora Fields Golf Course in Metamora, Illinois. This year, students from 87 member schools will compete, featuring over 177 talented young golfers. The girls' tournament will kick off on Thursday, September 17, followed by the boys' tournament on Friday, September 18. This year marks a significant milestone as it will be the fourth year the tournament incorporates a team element, with eight teams advancing to the boys’ competition and six to the girls’. A complete list of the individuals, participating schools, and tee times is located on the IESA website at the following LINK
Rockford Christian leads the girls' team standings with a combined sectional score of 346, while Effingham St. Anthony tops the boys' field with a score of 297. The first tee times for both divisions are set to begin at 8:00 a.m. off the 1st and 10th tees. Participants will compete in a single 18-hole round of golf, with separate divisions for girls and boys.
The girls sectional qualifying tournaments were held on Thursday, September 10 at six different sites across the state. The boys sectional qualifying tournaments were held on Wednesday, September 9 at eight different sites across the state. This is the twelfth year that the boys and the eleventh year that the girls advanced to the finals as a result of sectional tournaments. A total of 184 schools participated at the sectional level.
There are several returning medalists within the girls' field this year. Alessia Cefalu (River Forest St. Luke) finished second in the girls tournament last year as a 7th grader and won Sectional A this year. Emma Greenberg (Rockford Holy Family), who was a 7th grader last year, placed 7th in 2025, and finished third in the Sectional A this year. Ansley Bardwell (Downs Tri-Valley), who finished 9th last year, has also returned to the 2026 field—all return for what should be a very competitive 2026 Championship.
In the Boys division, Lucas Burkhart (Winfield Wheaton Christian), who tied for third place last year, returns this year after winning Sectional G. Also returning is Hayden Hogg (Champaign Next Generation), who won Sectional E and will look to repeat last year’s top 10 performance.
Six courses served as sectional hosts on September 10 for the girls ---Sectional A was held at Countryside Golf Course in Mundelein; Sectional B was held at Madison Golf Course in Peoria; Sectional C was played at Lincoln Greens in Springfield; Sectional D was played at Wolf Creek Golf Club in Pontiac; Sectional E was played at Willow Pond in Rantoul; and Sectional F was played at Lincoln Oaks Golf Course in Crete. Results from all girls’ sectionals are located at this LINK.
The boys competed in their sectional qualifier on September 9 at eight different sites. Sectional A was held at Ingersoll Golf Course in Rockford; Sectional B was held at El Paso Golf Club in El Paso; Sectional C was held at Parkview Golf Course in Pekin; Sectional D was held at The Lincoln Elks Golf Course in Lincoln; Sectional E was held at the Oaks at Rivers Edge in Pontiac; Sectional F was held at Hickory Point Golf Club in Decatur; Sectional G was held at Wolf Creek Golf Club in Pontiac; and Sectional H was held at Minne Monesse Golf Club in Grant Park. Results from the boys sectionals are located at this LINK.
Fans will be able to follow live scoring on the IESA website during the event, which will culminate in an awards ceremony where individual awards and team trophies will be presented to the top finishers. There is no admission or parking fee for spectators wishing to support the young athletes. In the event of weather-related disruptions, updates will be posted on the IESA website.
For more information, including a complete list of participants, tee times, and tournament details, please visit iesa.org.
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