No 59, but Straka still wins at the John Deere Classic

 

Austrian Sepp Straka posted the best final round by a John Deere Classic champion.

SILVIS, IL. – Low numbers are nothing new at the John Deere Classic, and Sunday was no exception. Sepp Straka, far down the leaderboard at the start of the final round, shot 28 on the front nine at TPC Deere Run and strung four birdies on holes 11-14.

With four holes left Straka needed just one more birdie to shoot a 59.  Only one other player – Paul Goydos in 2010 – hit that milestone at the JDC.

Straka’s hot round took a strange twist, however.  That much-needed birdie never came. After three pars he hit an 8-iron approach shot from 180 yards into a pond left of the 18th green.

“My only bad shot.  I pulled it about seven yards left of my target,’’ said Straka.

A chip and two putts later he had a double bogey and – though Straka’s scorecard showed a 9-under-par 62 – the title was up for grabs.

The 62, matching the best round of the week, put Straka at 21-under-par 263 for his 72 holes.  Third-round leader Brendon Todd and Alex Smalley, aiming for his first PGA Tour win, had six holes left and Straka’s lead was down to two strokes.

“I wasn’t thinking about a 59,’’ insisted Straka, who was born in Austria but has lived in Georgia since he was 14 years old.  “As fun as it would have been to shoot a 59, I wasn’t going to change my game plan. It’s always better to win a golf tournament.’’

Straka went to the clubhouse to watch Todd and Smalley on television.  Todd got within a shot at one point but, when both players failed to make par at the par-5 seventh hole, Straka had his two-stroke lead back.

He was warming up on the practice range in anticipation of a playoff when both his rivals went to the No. 18 tee.  Both needed to make eagle on the finishing hole to force a playoff, and neither came close.

“It was stressful,’’ said Straka.  “Thankfully the playoff didn’t happen.’’

Post round concerts by Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton near the 18th fairway swelled the galleries for the JDC’s weekend rounds. (Photos by Joy Sarver)

Straka posted the lowest final round by a JDC champion, beating Payne Stewart’s 63 in 1982. It was also Straka’s career low on the PGA Tour, and he also had a 63 in Friday’s second round.

“It was pretty awesome,’’ he said. “The key here is getting the putter hot, and mine stayed hot.’’

A reason for that came via text from his putting coach on Thursday.

“We made a little tweak in my putting setup,’’ said Straka. “The toe of my putter was sticking up a little bit. All of a sudden I got hot.’’

Straka’s second win on tour – he captured the Honda Classic in Florida in WHEN – gave him a winner’s check of $1,258,000 from a purse of $7.4 million but he had an immediate expense, too.  He was staying with six other players at a home in Geneseo.  Among the others was defending champion J.T. Poston. Poston picked up the tab for the group of renters, and Straka did the same.

Ironically Todd was to be in the group but his family decided to join him so he rented a hotel room.

“I’ve known Sepp since he was in college at Georgia,’’ said Todd.  “He’s just a great guy, good personality, always happy for those around him.’’

With the win Straka moved up to No. 18 in the FedEx Playoff standings and No. 27 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He won in his third JDC appearance, having tied for 26th in 2019 and missing the cut in 2021.

Poston finished tied for sixth in his title defense after leading wire-to-wire last year. He was six shots behind Straka.

Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, who shot a 65 on Sunday, was the best of Chicago connected players with a tie for 21st.  Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim was a shot behind Hardy in a tie for 26th and Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman, who had a second-round 63 sandwiched in between three rounds at par 71, tied for 51st.

Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim had to escape a bunker on his last hole Sunday to happily finish in a tie for 26th at the John Deere Classic. Ghim was 65-67 in his middle in between to 70s.

 

 

 

 

Another first-time winner in the JDC? Smalley could be the man

Alex Smalley had his game in top form in the third round of the John Deere Classic. Can he do it again and become the 24th first-time winner at Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour stop?  (Joy Sarver Photos)

SILVIS, IL. – Every year a prominent story line at the John Deere Classic is who will be the next first-time winner on the PGA Tour and this year is no exception.

The JDC has had 23 champions who won for the first time in its 51-year history. That’s an extraordinarily high number, and they range from big names like Deane Beman, D.A. Weibring, Payne Stewart, Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau to the not-so-famous like Mike Morley, Blaine McCallister, J.L. Lewis, Michael Clark II, David Gossett and Michael Kim.

The stage was set to add another first-timer to the list Saturday when Alex Smalley charged into contention with the best score of the week – a 9-under-par 62 —  in the third round at TPC Deere Run.

Smalley will start Sunday’s final round one shot behind leader Brendon Todd, who shot 66 on Saturday. He stands at 16-under-par 197 after 54 holes and won’t be in the “first win’’ battle because he already has three titles on the PGA Tour. That doesn’t lessen the intensity ahead in the final 18 holes.

“You always want to be the guy being chased,’’ said Todd. “It’s just head down and made birdies.  It’s going to be hard to run away and hide here.’’

Especially considering his closest pursuers. Smalley’s colleagues at one back include Denny McCarthy and Adam Schenk. They’re also hungry for that first win, but Smalley fits into the list of new champions perfectly if he can get the job done. He has special ties to the JDC.

The JDC has always been receptive to giving promising young players a chance through its issuing of sponsor’s exemptions each year.  Smalley wasn’t one of those lucky ones, but he has his own story to tell.

Smalley Monday qualified for the JDC in 2021 with his mother Maria  working as his caddie.

His agent landed Smalley a veteran caddie, Don Donatello, in time for the tournament that year and he tied for 47th. That meant a $17,339 payday for a young player just out of Duke University who hadn’t earned his PGA Tour card yet.

Donatello became his regular caddie and last year they came back and did even better. Smalley tied for 16th and earned $115,141.

Now TPC Deere Run seems the perfect place for Smalley’s first PGA Tour win after his hot round Saturday. He started birdie-eagle, shot 30 on the front nine and added four birdies on the back side.

“It was a dream start,’’ admitted Smalley. “I feel comfortable here.  After my first experience here in 2021 I liked the course. I like the atmosphere, the vibes, at the tournament. I don’t know why the next first-time winner here couldn’t be me.’’

The only trouble with that is that a few other players know the JDC’s reputation for first-time winners. They feel the same way and have come tantalizingly close already this year.

McCarthy lost to Norway’s Viktor Hovland in a playoff at the Memorial. Schenk, who also used Donatello as his caddie in the past, has two runner-up finishes.

When the last putt drops the champion will get $1,258,000 from a $7.4 million purse.  A spot in the British Open, coming up in two weeks at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England, is also on the line.

That’s particularly enticing for Smalley, who will play in next week’s Scottish Open no matter how the JDC turns out but still hopes to play in the British, the year’s last major championship.

Last year he missed a spot in the British when he made bogey on the last hole of the Scottish Open. He has a history at Hoylake, though. The 2019 Walker Cup amateur team matches were played there, and Smalley was a star for the U.S. team.

“I was 3-1 in the matches, and that was the first Walker Cup we won on foreign soil since 2007, so I certainly have good memories there,’’ said Smalley. “It was also the first time I played links golf.  It would be great to go back and draw on those memories.’’

Brendon Todd took the lead in the JDC but there’s still one round to go.

 

 

Streelman posts his best round ever in the John Deere Classic

Kevin Streelman celebrates his best round ever in Illinois’ only annual PGA stop.

 

SILVIS, IL. – Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman has been Chicago’s best PGA Tour player for years, but this season hasn’t been one of his best. Qualifying for the FedEx Cup Playoffs was even in serious doubt when the John Deere Classic teed off this week.

Only players ranked in the top 70 in the FedEx point standings qualify for the first  event of the lucrative three-tournament series that starts on Aug. 10. Streelman is No. 116 now, but still hopeful.

He should be, especially after shooting Friday’s low round – an 8-under-par 63 – in the second round of the JDC.

“My goal was always to get to 45 (years of age), then be home with my family for a few years before Champions,’’ said Streelman, who is 44 and can’t play on PGA Tour Champions until he’s 50. “But now that I feel I can shoot scores like this I’m not ready to give it up yet.’’

Streelman went from being in danger of missing the 36-hole cut to getting into a tie for 10th place. He’s within five shots of leader Cameron Young, last year’s PGA Tour rookie-of-the-year who had a 65-64 start.

A strong weekend showing at TPC Deere Run would help Streelman’s playoff hopes significantly and – if he does crack the top 70 – there’s the fact that one of the $20 million playoff events is like a home game.  The BMW Championship is back in the Chicago area, at Olympia Fields’ North Course. It tees off on Aug.17

Streelman played that course when it was used in the 2020 playoffs. The BMW hasn’t been back in the Chicago area since then.

“I love that golf course and I love the renovation it had,’’ said Streelman, “but the course was really rough in that playoff year.’’

Streelman will play in next week’s Barbasol tourney in Kentucky, then take a week off before the last two regular season tournaments – the 3M Open in Minnesota and the Wyndham Championship in South Carolina. Then, even if he cracks the top 70 to get into postseason play, he needs to be in the top 50 after the first playoff event to qualify for Olympia Fields.

“I’ve had my PGA Tour card for 16 years, and I’m proud of that,’’ said Streelman, “but what you really remember are the chances that you’ve had. If I have two more rounds like this one (the 63) I should be fine.’’

Making it to this year’s playoffs is a big challenge now, but there have been other distractions this year in addition to his results in tournament play.  First came the retirement of Tim Clarke, the long-time president of Wilson’s Golf Division. He is Streelman’s “dear friend, like a big brother,’’ and Streelman’s contract with the Chicago equipment manufacturer ends after this year. He’d like an extension.

Then there has been the ongoing battle between the PGA and LIV Tour.  Streelman, a member of several PGA committees, has been an outspoken critic of LIV. The announcement of a “merger’’ of the two tours has left the players in the dark and the month-long leave of absence of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is puzzling, even though the PGA Tour announced Friday that Monahan would resume his duties on July 17.

“Honestly we don’t know much more than anybody else,’’ said Streelman.  “The media articles seem accurate, but we haven’t heard from Jay, and that’s strange.  I hope he’s OK, but you’d think we would have heard something by now.’’

Streelman heard something from his caddie, Mike Bestor, that triggered his great round on Friday. His par 71 in the first round was not encouraging.

“I actually hit the ball fine, but Mikey helped me with my putting last night,’’ said Streelman.  “It was one of those 7 p.m. emergency sessions.  He had me adjust my eye line to the left a touch, and I could see the putt line a little cleaner.  I had been tilting.’’

There’s  no time for “tilting’’ now. Low scores are usually commonplace at the JDC, and that’s more so the case this year.  Streelman posted one of five 63s on Friday.  One of the others was by Michael Thorbjornsen, and his was the lowest round ever by an amateur at the JDC.

Still, Streelman climbed 72 places on the leaderboard with his big round.

 

 

 

How `Swede’ it is at the John Deere Classic

A golfer from Sweden was expected to contend in the John Deere Classic this week, but it wasn’t Jonas Blixt in Thursday’s opening round.

Blixt, a 39-year old journeyman, has won three times on the PGA Tour, the last time in the 2016-17 season. He hadn’t even played in a PGA Tour since the Byron Nelson tournament in May, and hadn’t survived a 36-hole in five of his eight tournaments this season.

All that changed once he got to TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis, IL. Blixt, an early starter playing in ideal weather conditions, made four birdies and a 43-foot eagle putt in his final eight holes to post a 9-under-par 62.

Blixt also made an eagle on the par-5 second hole.  He shot 29 on TPC Deere Run’s back side and ended the day with a two-stroke lead on Grayson Murray, a player who has been similarly unspectacular the last few years.  His 64 was his best round in three years.

Though their scores were great on Thursday, their games have been in decline.  Blixt arrived in the Quad Cities with a No. 210 ranking in the FedEx Cup standings, with only the top 70 advancing to postseaon play, and he is No. 842 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Murray, 29, is No. 221 in the FedEx and 225 in the OWGR. He got a big boost by winning an event on the Korn Ferry Tour a month ago.

So, what happened to turn their games around?

“I saw my swing coach back home (he lives in Jacksonville, FL., now) and, after six weeks off I just tried to put some swings on it,’’ said Blixt, who played collegiately at Florida State.  “It worked out.’’

The two eagles were obviously the key.

“Those holes, if you take advantage of them, you’re really happy,’’ said Blixt.  “I was happy to make those (eagles) and get going.’’

Murray was bogey-free in the afternoon until his approach to No. 18 landed in a green-side bunker.  He couldn’t get up-and-down to save par but had no complaints.

“I missed a couple of birdie chances early, but stayed patient and it worked out,’’ he said.  “I had such a solid back nine. I’ll take it, even with the bogey to finish.  I’m in a good position going forward.’’

The question is can Blixt and Murray stay there?  Time will tell.

Pre-tournament talk centered on another Swede, 23-year old Ludvig Aberg. He’s shown great promise since sweeping all three collegiate player-of-the-year awards in his final season at Texas Tech. He’s in his fourth PGA Tour event since turning pro and finished in the top 25 twice.

Counting his amateur days Aberg appeared in five PGA Tour events and made the cut in every one. He has been getting noticed, and the JDC gave him a special pairing in Wednesday’s pro-am.  He played the front nine with the event’s celebrity, Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark. The popular Clark swelled the galleries and impressed Aberg.

“She’s a rock star.  I was just a passenger,’’ said Aberg.  “It was cool.’’

Last week in Detroit he was paired for two rounds with Luke Donald, the European Ryder Cup champion. That spiked talk of Aberg possibly being a Ryder Cup selection for Europe. He called Donald “a great guy’’ but was guarded about the Ryder Cup.

“If I was asked about the Ryder Cup a few weeks ago I’d have said `no way’ because I was still in college,’’ said Aberg.  “All I can do is prepare for every tournament and see where that takes me.’’

Next week it’ll take him to the Scottish Open, the last stop before the year’s final major – the British Open.

Aberg’s 68 on Thursday matched the score of defending champion J.T. Poston, who – like Blixt – started with a 62 en route to leading wire to wire last year.

Best of the Illinois contingent was Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, who is tied for 13th after posting a 67. Doug Ghim, D.A. Points and Dylan Wu all carded 70s and Kevin Streelman is at 71.

 

 

Poston faces a tough title defense in the JDC

The John Deere Classic tees off for the 52nd time on Thursday with a new tournament director, a pro-am with a celebrity participant whose fame comes in basketball, a pair of weekend post-round concerts featuring high-profile entertainers and a new contract with the PGA Tour that will assure the tournament stays in the Quad Cities for at least three more years. The prize money is also higher, to $7.4 million – a $300,000 increase.

What’s not new is the defending champion who brings the same good vibes that he always brought to the tournament.  J.T. Poston was a wire to wire winner last year, his second win on the PGA Tour but the first was back in 2019.

“This is such a great community.  I’ve said it for several years, even before winning,’’ said Poston.  It just feels like home.  I’m a North Carolina guy, and it matches the community where I grew up.’’

The new tournament director is Andrew Lehman, who replaced the retired Clair Peterson.  The celebrity in Wednesday’s pro-am is Caitlin Clark, the star of the Iowa women’s team that was the runner-up in the NCAA tournament.  The entertainers are Darius Rucker, on Saturday, and Blake Shelton, on Sunday.

When the tourney begins its 72-hole run on Thursday the focus won’t all be on Poston.  The field is stronger this year, with seven players ranked in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings.  There were none the last two years.

Figuring to be Poston’s top challengers are Cameron Young (ranked 19th), Russell Henley (29th), Denny McCarthy (34th), Sepp Straka (37th), Chris Kirk (41st), Nick Taylor (45th) and Seamus Power (50th). Poston is No.  62 in a year that saw him tie for 34th at April’s Masters and then miss five of his last seven cuts. He took the last two weeks off to prepare for his JDC title defense.

There are also 53 of the top 100 in the FedEx Cup rankings.  The top 70 qualify for the post-season playoffs as compared to 125 in previous years.  Ranked high in that category are Canadian Open titlist Taylor (9), Grillo (20), McCarthy (21), Power (23), Kirk (24) and Taylor Moore (28).

The U.S. Ryder Cup champion, Zach Johnson, is also back for his 21st consecutive playing in the JDC and he’ll also be paired with Clark in the pro-am.

Only past winner Brian Harman is notable among the late withdrawals but the most intriguing of the 156 starters is another past champion.  Michael Kim won his first PGA Tour title in the 2018 JDC and set the tournament scoring record of 27 under par in the process.  Then his game went sour, as he missed 19 of 20 cuts the following year.  That dropped him to the Korn Ferry Tour, but Kim has since regained his PGA Tour membership.  He’s yet to show the spectacular form that he did at TPC Deere Run five years ago, however.

HERE AND THERE:  Jaime Fischer, a teaching professional at Conway Farms in Lake Forest, tied for seventh in last week’s rain-hampered Senior LPGA Championship in Jasper, Ind.  She played the 54 holes in 1-under-par 215 and was nine strokes behind champion Angela Stanford, who will compete in this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Caliifornia’s Pebble Beach.

Bernard Langer notched his 46th  win on PGA Tour Champions at the U.S. Senior Open in Wisconsin on Sunday, breaking a record set by Hale Irwin.  Langer’s accomplishment provided another big boost for Batavia’s Tour Edge club manufacturer which had the foresight to sign Langer as an ambassador. At 65 Langer’s achievement is impressive, but he revealed afterwards that his health isn’t.  “I’m very human,’’  he said.  “I’ve got two bad knees and it hurts bending down and staying down.  Reading putts is very hard because I figure I’m bending down 200 times a day when I play 18 holes.  That’s a lot of bending down.’’

Geneva’s Sarah Arnold and New Lenox’  Grace Curran, the finalists in the Illinois Women’s State Amateur two weeks ago, survived the qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Indian Hill, in Winnetka, but DeKalb’s Emma Carpenter was the medalist there with a 1-under-par 70.  The finals are Aug. 7-13 at California’s Bel-Air Country Club.

Barrington’s Robert Beaubien was the winner of the 103rd Chicago District Amateur at Lake Shore, in Glencoe.  The Biltmore member and fifth-year senior at Illinois Wesleyan, beat Lake Forest’s Danny Fisher 6 and 5 in the title match. Fisher plays out of Lake Bluff Golf Club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stanford beats Johnson — and weather — to win Senior LPGA

 

England’s Trish Johnson was the focal point of the Senior LPGA Championship, as she chased her third title in six years at Sultan’s Run. She didn’t win, however. (Joy Sarver Photos)

 

JASPER, Indiana – The Senior LPGA Championship, only six years old, is the youngest of golf’s designated major tournaments. It was first played at French Lick’s Pete Dye Course in 2017 and England’s Trish Johnson was the winner.

This year’s tourney was played only 20 miles away, at Sultan’s Run Golf Club, and Johnson was in position to win for the third time — but she didn’t.  A triple bogey-bogey finish by Johnson handed the title to Texan Angela Stanford, who reached the tourney’s 45-year old age requirement only seven months ago.

That wasn’t the only strange happening at the event, either.  The weather almost trumped the competition, and it was touch-and-go whether the event would finish on time.

Not only could no one in the 72-player field finish the first 18 holes on Thursday’s opening day, but two threesomes couldn’t even tee off.  The day-long rains were that bad, making a marathon second day inevitable.

Angela Stanford celebrates her firs title in the Senior LPGA Championship. (Mike May Photo)

Rain couldn’t dampen Round 2, but some players had to play 36 holes.  That long day ended with Johnson, shooting the day’s low round of 66, opening a three-stroke lead over defending champion Karrie Webb and Becky Morgan with Stanford five strokes back in her first Senior LPGA appearance.

Bad weather was in the forecast for Saturday’s final round, and players were to begin play at 7:30 a.m. with threesomes starting off both the Nos. 1 and 10 tees to get the round in as quickly as possible.

Even that strategy didn’t work, and it wasn’t even close.  The first tee shots weren’t hit until 1 p.m. Though the Sultan’s Run course held up well despite the heavy deluge of rain the cart path only rule was put into effect. That slowed up play, and late in the afternoon tournament officials were warned that more bad weather – including tornado threats – was on the way.

Australian Karrie Webb finished third in her Senior LPGA title defense.

Johnson had a four-stroke lead, though, so hopes of a finish before darkness or more storms set in were high.

And then Johnson hit a bad tee shot off at No. 17. That led to a triple bogey.  Stanford, playing a group in front, made birdie at 18 and the four-shot swing left them both at 10-under-par. A Johnson birdie on the finishing hole would still give her the win but a par would force a playoff and more golf in – to put it mildly – questionable weather.

Johnson couldn’t shake off the nightmare at the 17th.  She hit another bad tee shot on the 18th and had a 12-foot putt for birdie that would have led to extra holes.  For better or worse, the putt missed.  Stanford was the champion and the weather issues were then of minimal importance. (They would have been a factor, as storms and strong winds emerged as darkness was setting in).

The end result was that Stanford was $60,000 richer after claiming the biggest prize from a $400,000 purse.  The low round of the tournament – a 65 – got her the win, which will go together with the seven she captured on the LPGA Tour.  Stanford then hurried off to California for this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.

“I’m leaving with more confidence than when I came here, that’s for sure,’’ she said. “I just figured some things out and got my mind right this week. I’ve had some confidence issues lately.’’

Now confidence issues might be Johnson’s problem.

“My game was great for about 16 holes, then I ended triple bogey-bogey to finish,’’ she said. “There’s not much more you can say, really. It was just a horrible finish. It was very disappointing, literally throwing the tournament away, but life goes on. There are worse things.’’

No. 18, the classic finishing hole at Sultan’s Run, was the scene of great drama in the 2023 Senior LPGA Championship. It’s a great hole for viewing from the clubhouse, too.

 

This PGA tourney shows it can change with the times

 

The John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, has never had a staging like the one coming up in two weeks.  Professional golf has changed dramatically this year, and so has the JDC.

Andrew Lehman is the JDC’s new tournament director, replacing the retired Clair Peterson. This isn’t Lehman’s first rodeo, but he inherited a challenging situation. Just a few months ago there was even concern that this JDC would be the last.  The sponsor for 25 years, Moline-based John Deere, and the PGA Tour did not have a contractual agreement beyond this year’s tournament.  It runs July 5-9.

“In my estimation – and we (the tournament staff) didn’t have a seat at the table in the negotiations – we never had a fear that the tournament was going away,’’ said Lehman. “A lot of people in the community had some doubts because everyone was tight-lipped.  Not much information was going out, so there was a lot of uncertainty.’’

The uncertainty ended when the JDC and PGA Tour announced a three-year contract extension on June 5. Three-year commitments seem short in tournament golf, but the arrival of the LIV Tour and the developments surrounding it have changed everything.

“The golf world has flipped upside down more than once,’’ said Lehman.  “There aren’t seven-eight year extensions any more.  Now it’s more like three to five years, and Deere was smart to look at it that way.  Who knows what the golf world will look like in three years?’’

Lehman does know what the 52nd playing of the JDC will look like.

“This is Year 17 for me, and I was blessed to be with Clair for 16,’’ said Lehman.  “This one looks entirely different.’’

For starters there’s big name entertainers performing on the 18th fairway after play ends on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday it’ll be Darius Rucker and on Sunday it’s Blake Shelton.  Music has been a part of other JDC’s, but not like this one. There’ll be no seating, but the on-course viewing is targeted to accommodate between 5,000 and 7,000 spectators with the concerts start at 5:45 p.m.

“We’ll close our gates at 4 p.m. on those days.  Our goal is for tickets to drive people to the golf tournament and have them stay for the concert,’’ said Lehman.

The Wednesday pro-am will be different, too.  Caitlin Clark, the star of the Iowa women’s basketball team that made a run to the title game of the NCAA tournament, will play with Quad Cities favorite Zach Johnson.  Clark will be the first “celebrity’’ in the pro-am since Bill Murray participated in 2016.

Young stars – former Western Amateur champion Michael Thorbjornsen, NCAA medalist Gorden Sargent and Illinois alum Tommy  Kuhl — again dominate the sponsor exemptions but the whole field will be stronger.  The JDC had no players in the top 50 of the world rankings the last two years, but seven have entered this time and a few more might sign up before the deadline on Friday.

The influx of PGA Tour players may be due in part to the return of a jet.

The availability of a jet across the pond – a brainchild of Peterson’s – boosted the field when the tourney was played the week before the British Open.  The jet was dropped when the JDC was given new dates for a year.

“Our charter is back,’’ said Lehman, “albeit to the Scottish Open instead of the British.  That has helped us, too.’’

SENIOR STARS: Mike Small, the University of Illinois men’s coach, is back in player mode in a big way this week.  He was in the field for the Illinois Senior Open Monday and Tuesday at The Preserve at Oak Meadows, in Addison, and will compete again in the U.S. Senior Open, which tees off on Thursday at SentryWorld in Wisconsin.

Two Illinois teaching pros – Nicole Jeray of Mistwood in Romeoville, and Jamie Fischer of Conway Farms in Lake Forest – will be in the Senior LPGA Championship, which begins on Thursday (JUNE 29) at Sultan’s Run, in Jasper, Ind.

HERE AND THERE: The 103rd Chicago District Amateur teed off on Monday for a 36-hole qualifying session.  The top 32 advance to match play, which begins on Tuesday and concludes with the championship match on Thursday.

Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim tied for 15th in the PGA Tour’s Travelers tourney on Sunday – his third straight top-20 finish after having only one in his first 11 starts this season.

Hans Risvaer, an 18-year old Floridian, captured the 105th Western Junior title at Midlothian last week.  He’ll be back in the area to play in August’s Western Amateur at North Shore, in Glencoe.

The Western Golf Association’s 96th Women’s Junior tournament begins its four-day run Tuesday at Greenbriar Hills in Kirkwood, Mo.

A long-time Illinois golf tournament is in limbo

Last week the Illinois State Women’s Amateur celebrated its 90th anniversary with one of its most interesting tournaments. Two past champions decided the title in sudden death and an up-and-coming star emerged, too. That’s the good news.

Geneva’s Sarah Arnold couldn’t protect a 2-up lead in regulation play at The Grove, in Long Grove, but her 18-foot birdie putt on the 19th hole made her the champion again.

Arnold, who plays collegiately at Western Kentucky, was also the winner in 2019.  This time her victim in the final was Grace Curran, of New Lenox.  Curran, a college player at Minnesota, won the title in 2021 and lost in the finals the last two years.

A future star also surfaced. Campbell Ray, an eighth-grader, was the youngest player among the 32 who qualified for match play last week.  She will enter Stevenson High School in the fall.

Now for the bad news.  The Women’s State Am future is in limbo for 2024.

The Illinois State Women’s Golf Association, a downstate-based organization, has run short of volunteers and is planning to close operations.  A few years back the IWGA had 25 active board members.  Now it has 12 and six will be retiring at the end of this year. The Chicago District Golf Association and U.S. Golf Association provided rules officials and referees last week.

“I’m definitely bummed out that it may not continue next year,’’ said Arnold.  “It’s been awesome that I’ve been able to be a part of it, but maybe the CDGA will pick it up.’’

That’s a possibility, but no decision will be made on the tourney’s future until after this season.  The IWGA also conducts a junior tournament, the 44th playing of which will be Aug. 1-2 at Aldeen in Rockford, and a senior tourney, the 54th playing of which will be Sept. 19-21 at Oakwood in Coal Valley.

Arnold will have lots of tournaments left before school resumes. Arnold, who also works as a caddie at Glen Oak Country Club in Glen Ellyn, will play in the U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier at Indian Hill, in Winnetka, on Monday (JUNE 26); the Women’s Western Amateur at White Eagle, in Naperville, July 17-22; and the Illinois Women’s Open at Mistwood, in Romeoville, July 24-25.

U.S. OPEN FLASHBACK: Los Angeles Country Club was kind to three of the Illinois-connected players who qualified for last week’s U.S. Open.  Northbrook’s Nick Hardy did the best, shooting 67 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 20th.  He earned $200,152.

Northwestern alum Dylan Wu and Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman both failed to break 70 on the weekend.  Wu tied for 32nd and Streelman tied for 50th.

Gordon Sargent, a junior at Vanderbilt, was the low amateur, finishing in a tie for 39th.  He’ll be a sponsor’s exemption at next month’s John Deere Classic.

SHOCKED: Jerry Rich, owner of Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove – the site of a LIV Tour event in September – was caught by surprise by last week’s announcement of a merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV last week.

“While I suspected this to be the inevitable result, I did not think it would happen so soon,’’ Rich said in his latest message to friends of Rich Harvest Farms.  “I am very happy.  What a great day for golf! LIV Golf has a fantastic product, bringing change to the golf world that it so sorely needed.’’

HERE AND THERE: Illinois alum Adrien Dumont de Chassart, won his first tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour after turning pro and on Sunday he nearly  made it two in a row.  Dumont de Chassart blew a four-stroke lead in the final round of the Wichita Open and lost the title to Ricky Castillo in a three-man playoff.

The Chicago District’s amateurs beat the Illinois PGA’s best 11 ½-5 ½ in the 61st Radix Cup matches at Oak Park Country Club.  It was the CDGA’s largest margin of victory since 2012, but the professionals still lead the series 37-22-2.

Cog Hill owner Frank Jemsek has been named the winner of the Donald Ross Award by the American Society of Golf Course Architects.

The first of seven qualifiers for the 74th men’s Illinois Open is Wednesday at Deerfield Golf Club.  The 54-hole finals begin July 31 at Flossmoor Country Club. The 103rd Chicago District Amateur begins its four-day run on Monday at Lake Shore, in Glencoe, and the 105th Western Junior concludes a three-day run at Midlothian on Thursday.

Oak Park’s Cameron Beeler won the Illinois PGA Assistants title at Briarwood, in Deerfield.

 

 

Daytona Beach is a good town for golfers, but….

This Florida town welcomes more than just golfers.  That’s why it’s a top tourist destination.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL. – The Daytona Beach area is good place for golfers, no question about it.

The greater Daytona area has 20 courses. Two are part of LPGA International, the area’s premier golf destination. Since 1994 it has been the home of the Ladies PGA Tour, and it hosts the final stage of the circuit’s Qualifying School each year.  Its courses were designed by luminaries Arthur Hills and Rees Jones. Enough said.

Three of the other courses have withstood the tests of time, as they’re included in the 50 facilities selected for the Florida Historic Golf Trail. One of the oldest such conglomeration of courses in the country, it honors courses that were built between 1897 and 1949 that remain open for public play.

That trio includes Riviera, in Ormond Beach.  It’s the home of The Riviera Open, the longest-standing mini-tour event in  the U.S., and two designs by the legendary architect Donald Ross – New Smyrna Beach and the South course at Daytona Beach Golf Club.

Ross designed the first nine holes of Daytona Beach South in 1921 and completed the 18 in 1923.  He also did a re-design in 1944. In 1945 the course celebrated with a star-studded foursome – Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Jug McSpaden were brought together for an exhibition — and the following year Jimmy Demaret replaced McSpaden and won the competition by shooting a 63.

New Smyrna is one of Ross’ last creations, and he only did the front nine.  He started his work there in 1947, died in 1948 and the first nine opened in 1949.  The full 18 wasn’t available until 1956 and Bobby Weed did a complete renovation in 2006. A side footnote on New Smyrna is that Jim “Bones’’ McKay, the well-known caddie for Phil Mickelson and Justin Thomas and part-time TV analyst, grew up there.

LPGA International combines beauty with two challenging golf courses.

Another course in the mix is Spruce Creek Country Club in Port Orange.  It’s part of the largest fly-in community in the country.

As far as a golf destination goes, Daytona has a problem, however.  Chances are the golf – while interesting – will always play second fiddle to Daytona’s biggest attractions, its white sand beaches and the Daytona International Speedway, home of the Daytona 500 auto race.

“We have a wide group of courses,’ said Andrew Booth, director of communications for the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, “but we offer a lot of different things. We’re a great destination. There’s lots of ways you can plan your visit.’’

Indeed he’s right, and big things have been happening there – most notably around the Speedway. A $400 million renovation was initiated in 2014, which greatly upgraded the motor sports aspect. More recently One Daytona, a shopping and entertainment  area across the street from the Speedway, has enhanced tourism options.

“The renovation transformed the area into an arena experience,’’ said Booth, “and that was a real game-changer.’’

The Daytona One, an upscale entertainment and shopping center, fits everyone’s needs. It has several restaurants and shops and a Marriott Autograph hotel called The Daytona.

The family of Bill France, the founder of NASCAR who opened the Speedway in 1959, had a big vision for the area. One Daytona now includes The Daytona Hotel, a variety of restaurants and shops surrounding a play area for youngsters willing to get wet whether or not the hot sun is shining.

While the dining is fine at One Daytona, there’s one area restaurant that’s not to be missed.  Rose Villa Southern Table, in Ormond Beach, was established as a bed and breakfast in 1901.  It evolved with the times and is now an upscale former historic home that serves a wide variety of cuisine in a Southern hospitality atmosphere.

In addition to One Daytona the Speedway itself is welcoming more than motor sports enthusiasts. Soccer matches were played there last year and a rock music festival drew a huge crowd this year.  Now Jacksonville’s National Football League team, the Jaguars, are considering playing some of their games there while their own stadium is undergoing a two- to three-year renovation.

Sure, the 11 miles of vehicle access around the beaches is nice, but there are other things to consider on a visit to Daytona.

The Speedway has a museum that interests more than just casual racing fans. The Daytona Tortugas are a minor league baseball team that plays in an historic place.  The Jackie Robinson Ballpark, which opened in 1914, was renamed to honor Robinson, who made his professional debut there in 1946 when he played in a spring training game for the Montreal Royals.  That was the lead-in to Robinson breaking the color barrier in the Major Leagues the following year.

Rose Villa Southern Table is a restaurant with a rich history and outstanding cuisine.

Now Ponce Inlet Watersports offers boat tours to explore glimpses of manatees and dolphins as well as kayaking or parasailing for the more adventurous visitors. The Atlantic Ocean is right there for fishermen and Tomoka State Park is an ecological masterpiece for those into cycling, botanical study, paddling, hiking, boating or wildlife viewing. And, the Museum of Arts & Sciences, has a diverse collection of art, history and science exhibits.

Latest attraction is pickleball. Forty-nine courts – some shaded, covered or lighted – are available.  They were the site of the USA Pickleball Diamond National Championships in 2022.

Getting back to golf, though, you don’t want to miss Spruce Creek.  It was an airport before it was a golf course. The airport existed during World War II. The golf course opened in 1972 and home-building started after that. Lots of retired pilots and commercial pilots live in the area.

“People can fly right in and drive their airplanes right into their garages.  We have a lot of hangar homes and a whole lot of roadways for airplanes to drive on,’’ said Jason Pomroy, Spruce Creek’s head golf professional. “It’s quite a unique environment.  Aviation is first, and golf is always second here.’’

The club has about 400 members.  Past members included actor John Travolta, but his jet was too big for the airstrip around the Nos. 1, 8 and 9 holes so he moved on. The club is semi-private now and still accepts public play. About 10-15 planes go in and out on some days, particularly Wednesdays and Saturdays.  You shouldn’t expect peace and quiet on your rounds at Spruce Creek, but you are guaranteed a unique golfing experience.

Spruce Creek head pro Jason Pomroy revealed what it’s like having an airstrip on his course.

 

 

Illini alums come up big in Korn Ferry tourney

 

Michael Feagles, one of the University of Illinois’ stars of the recent past, shot the ninth sub-60 score in the history of the Korn Ferry Tour at last week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am but he wasn’t the Illini alum to win the tournament.  Adrien Dumont de Chassart was – and it came in his first pro tournament.

The twists in this tournament on the PGA Tour’s alternative tour couldn’t match what happened when Nick Taylor snapped a 69-year dryspell for Canadian players by winning the Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, but it added to another big season for the Illini.

Feagles turned pro after his Illini career ended in 2021. He quickly made it to the Korn Ferry circuit, but was struggling until last week’s first round of the BMW event in South Carolina.

Then everything came together. Feagles made 12 birdies en route to carding his 59. His best finish during this year’s Korn Ferry campaignhad been a tie for 25th and he stood just 143rd in the circuit standings before his game caught fire.

“If you looked at my scores of late you probably would not see me doing this,’’ said Feagles in the immediate aftermath of his hot round.  “Golf’s just been doing that to me.  Certain weeks parts of my game will feel really good, and the other will feel like I never played before.  I’m finally feeling like I’m piecing it all together.’’

Feagles came to Illinois after growing up in Scottsdale, Ariz.  He needed just 23 putts in his milestone round, then posted rounds of 71-73-67 and finished in a tie for 15th.

Then it was Dumont de Chassart’s turn.  He was a star on coach Mike Small’s powerhouse that ended its season in the match play portion of the NCAA finals.  Thanks to a last round 65 Dumont de Chassart finished tied with Josh Teater at the top of the leaderboard at 21-under-par 264, then won the title in a playoff.

Illinois Women’s Amateur turns 90

The 90th playing of the Illinois Women’s Amateur began on Monday (JUNE 12) at The Grove, in Long Grove. Monday’s qualifying round determined the 32 players moving into the championship flight.  The first round of match play is on Tuesday (JUNE 13) with the quarterfinals and semifinals on Wednesday and the championship match on Thursday.

Megan Furtney, from St. Charles and a collegiate player at Duke, won the title last year at The Grove after being the tourney’s runner-up in 2021.

New pro at Kemper Lakes

Jim Miller, a former head professional at Evanston Golf Club, is back in the Chicago area as the head pro at Kemper Lakes, in Kildeer.  Miller, who had been an Evanston assistant, moved up to the head job there when his father Hal retired.  Hal Miller went on to be named to the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.

After five years at Evanston Jim Miller moved to Bloomington Country Club as its head professional and served as president of the Illinois PGA from 2018-20. He replaced Matt Simon at Kemper.  Simon is now at The Grove.

HERE AND THERE – Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim was lost in the drama of Taylor’s dramatic win in the Canadian Open, but his tie for 12th was his best finish in 19 tournaments this season.

More drama could be coming this week in the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.  Kevin Streelman, Nick Hardy, Dylan Wu and Northwestern amateur David Nyfjall are the local qualifiers. Thomas Pieters, an Illini alum, is also in the field.

Small has named his new assistant.  It’s Ruben Sondjaja, who played at Iowa State and was the assistant at his alma mater the last two years. He replaces Justin Badgett, who left to become director of collegiate relations with PGA Tour University.

Small was named GolfWeek men’s college coach of the year for the second time in three seasons. With the Illini season over Small returned as a tournament player and finished tie for 22nd in the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship in Wisconsin. Steve Stricker, Small’s former college teammate at Illinois and the tournament host, won the title.

The 61st Radix Cup matches between the Illinois PGA’s best players and the top amateurs in the Chicago District Golf Association will be played Thursday at Oak Park Country Club.   The competition consists of six better ball matches.  The IPGA leads the series 37-21-2 but the CDGA won last year’s match 10-8.

Ted Pecora, a Winnetka resident and Bob O’Link member, captured the 21st CDGA Senior Amateur at Aurora Country Club, beating Terry Werner of Briarwood and Schererville, Ind., 5 & 3 in the final.

University of Illinois golfers Crystal Wang and Tommy Kuhl teamed up to win two matches and help the U.S. team to a 32-28 victory over an International squad in the 27th Palmer Cup matches at Laurel Valley, in Pennsylvania.