EVANSVILLE — How about that for a start to the Romain Cadillac Evansville City Tournament?
The opening weekend of the 97th edition didn’t disappoint. A lot of low numbers (including a new individual round record) and a lot of interesting storylines heading into the final rounds at Rolling Hills and Evansville Country Club. The final tally is only 13 players under par, and the cutline rose to 5-over.
Sunday at Helfrich wasn’t as frenetic as the previous day at Fendrich. The course had some bite, courtesy of morning rain and afternoon wind. Still leaves the tournament in a fun spot at the midway point, with what we learned from the first two rounds before heading to Newburgh next weekend.
Caleb Wassmer holds onto lead following historic first round
There was no bigger winner this weekend than Caleb Wassmer.
The North Posey graduate is the City Tournament leader at 13-under following a successful second round. It didn’t reach the highs of his record-breaking afternoon at Fendrich but left him in prime position for next week. Wassmer posted a 2-under 69 to earn a four-shot cushion going to Rolling Hills.
Nothing fancy in the bag – hit fairways and made putts. The latter wasn’t as sharp on Sunday but good enough.
“I drove it really, really well, which put me in a lot of very good scoring opportunities,” Wassmer said. “The putter was not as good today, but I’ve been really confident with it for the last month and a half. That’s probably the pieces that I’ll take into next week. Really work on the wedge game and hone in on the driver.”
The former University of Evansville golfer was as consistent as anybody at Helfrich with a nearly perfect scorecard. Wassmer birdied 4, 6, 17 and 18 to reach 15-under until his only error arrived on the final hole. He slipped on his tee shot, blocking the drive way right, and sent his approach above the hole. The first putt rolled six feet past and ultimately resulted in a double bogey.
It leaves Wassmer in uncharted waters. He was the first-round leader in 2023 but couldn’t keep pace – he finished tied for fifth, 11 shots behind Ben Hoagland. Wassmer is now the hunted as he attempts to win his first City title.
“Try to not treat it any different than any other round of golf,” he said. “Make a game plan is normally what I’d do on each course. Try to get myself the best chance going into Sunday.”
The two-time defending City champion is lurking
If there’s anyone capable of closing the gap, look no further than another member of the final group.
Peyton Blackard, the reigning Evansville City champ, is tied for second at 9-under. His opening weekend wasn’t as flashy as the leader but still what you’d expect from him. The Gibson Southern grad made seven birdies during a 5-under 65 at Fendrich and followed up with a 4-under 67 at Helfrich. The latter performance saw him record six birdies.
The only obstacle from matching Wassmer was the flat stick. Blackard estimated he had a dozen putts inside 15 feet for birdie at Fendrich. His only mistakes in the second round came at the turn with bogeys at 9 and 10. He responded with a four-under finish over the final eight holes.
“I felt like I rolled the ball well both days,” Blackard said. “Just nothing to really go in. I got off to a good start (at Helfrich) and hit it good again all day. Still didn’t really convert a lot but just hung in there and gave me a ton of good chances.”
The difference from his previous victories? Blackard was the opening weekend leader both times. He’s still more than capable of pushing for a third straight title. The Notre Dame sophomore had a strong summer – among the highlights was a competitive showing in the final U.S. Open qualifying stage and winning the Rolling Hills Invitational in June.
Only four individuals have won this tournament three straight times. None since Kevin Wassmer from 1999-2002.
“I’ve played really well this summer and been in a lot of final groups,” Blackard said. “I can kind of draw on a lot of that. Next weekend, I’m just going to keep giving myself great looks for birdie. With the way I can roll it, I’m going to make more of those than I did these last two rounds.”
Who made the cut in the 2026 Evansville Men’s City Tournament?
There’s still good odds the winner could be someone else on the leaderboard.
Daymian Rij also sits in second place at 9-under following the strongest Day 2 performance at Helfrich. The Gibson Southern grad posted a 5-under 66 with five birdies and zero bogeys. The other notable effort near the top came from two-time champion Logan Osborne, who went 63-70 with 11 total birdies to reach 8-under.
The list of contenders doesn’t stop there. Wade Worthington sits at 6-under. Luke Johnston (-5) and Alex Cook (-4) are capable of going low. Matt Monroe, an annual contender, is also lurking at 3-under. It should create an interesting dynamic in the second weekend when good ball striking is an absolute requirement.
“Last year, I was going after every pin,” Rij said. “I’m just waiting for the right opportunities (now). I feel like the winning score this year might be around 15 or 16, because I know they’re going to grow out the rough at Rolling and ECC. Get those greens rolling fast and pins in some tough places.”
Below is the entire top 40 and ties of which made the cut:
Caleb Wassmer (-13); Peyton Blackard, Daymian Rij (-9); Logan Osborne (-8); Wade Worthington (-6); Luke Johnston (-5); Alex Cook (-4); Matt Monroe (-3); Walker Beck, Kyle Aiton, Trevor Grant, Mason Mills (-2); David Mills (-1); Jacob Fleming, Michael Daum, Jace Day, Blake Ruckman, Nathan Hoss (E); Troy Wagner, Cameron Weyer, Peyton Butler (+1); Doug DeLong, Chase Emge, Hank Schreiber, Zach Thomas, Trevor Wagner (+2); Chip Tiemann, Alex Manion, Isaac Marx (+3); Stewie Hobgood, Patrick Montgomery, Cade Schiff, Nathaniel Caudle, Layne Cunningham, Drew Cahill (+4); Brady Fiester, Phillip Riggs, Eric Brinker, Brayden Lamborne, Brandon Moore (+5).
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: See who is leading the Evansville Men’s City Golf Tournament at its midway point
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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By Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press | USA TODAY Network
