Eagles Battle Elements, Finish Tied for Sixth at Deere Hawk Classic

DEER GROVE, IL- The #3 Kirkwood Eagles Men's Golf team battled more than just the field this week, as harsh weather and course conditions forced the 2026 Deere Hawk Classic in Deer Grove, Illinois to be shortened to a one-day event. Originally scheduled as a two-day tournament at Deer Valley Golf Club, the opening round was canceled—leaving little margin for error.

Bringing two squads—Kirkwood Blue and Kirkwood White—the Eagles showed their depth and consistency, with both teams finishing tied for 6th place out of 16 teams at +19.

Balanced Effort Leads the Way

Leading the charge for Kirkwood was Tanner Wachtl, who turned in an impressive +1 (71), good for a tie for 8th overall. Wachtl delivered one of the steadiest rounds of the day, limiting mistakes and capitalizing on key opportunities to keep himself near the top of a competitive leaderboard.

Close behind was Ted Sargeant, who posted a +3 (73) and tied for 14th. Sargeant's round featured strong moments, including birdies on holes 1 and 8, as he once again proved to be a reliable presence for the Eagles in tournament play.

Kirkwood Blue Recap

Kirkwood Blue leaned on experience and resilience throughout the round. Isiah Zoske carded a +4 (74), showing flashes of strong play including a birdie on the par-4 6th and another on the par-4 11th. Reid Hall finished at +6 (76), with a steady back nine that included a birdie on hole 11.

Dean Roberts also posted a +6 (76), putting together one of the more eventful rounds of the day. Roberts caught fire early on the back nine with a birdie on hole 14 and another on the par-3 16th, showcasing his ability to bounce back after a difficult stretch that included a double bogey on hole 10.

Kirkwood White Recap

On the Kirkwood White side, consistency was again the theme. Jack Gomez finished at +5 (75), highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 10th. Chase Jahde added a +6 (76), stringing together multiple pars on the back nine to stabilize his round.

Max Schuchmann rounded out the scoring group with a +7 (77), showing resilience after a tough start by settling in and grinding out pars down the stretch.

Next Up

Kirkwood will look to build on this performance when they return to action at the SWCC Premier, held at Lake Panorama Golf Course on April 22nd and 23rd.