Author: lenz

Sultan’s Run brings Senior LPGA tourney back to Indiana

Sultan’s Run boasts that its 18th hole is the most dramatic in Indiana.

 

JASPER, Indiana – Golf’s top senior women players found a home at French Lick Resort, which hosted big tournaments for nine straight years. The senior run ended in 2021 when the last of three Senior LPGA Championships was played on the Pete Dye Course there.

“A great run for them, and a great run for us,’’ said Dave Harner, long-time director of golf at French Lick Resort. He triggered the arrival of the Legends Tour, a circuit for players who had starred on the Ladies PGA Tour and wanted to continue to compete after reaching their 45th birthday. And now, 10 years later,  his team at French Lick played a major role in bringing the Senior LPGA Championship back to Southern Indiana.

The Legends Championship was a French Lick fixture from 2013 to 2016.  Then the event was upgraded, to the Senior LPGA Championship – the first major tournament for women in that age group.

French Lick opted to focus on the LPGA’s up-and-coming stars after that, and hosted a Symetra Tour event on its Donald Ross Course. That evolved into the biggest-paying event on what is now the Epson Tour when it makes its final appearance in the small southern Indiana town from Aug. 3-6 with a $335,000 purse on the line.

Women’s championship golf isn’t leaving the area, though, and Harner remains very much a part of it.  He helped steer the Senior LPGA back to Southern Indiana for this year ‘s Senior LPGA.  It’ll be played at Sultan’s Run, a public course located about 20 miles from the resort.

Sultan’s Run, which opened in 1992 and was remodeled by Pete Dye protégé Tim Liddy four years later, has been named the site for this year’s Senior LPGA.  It’ll run from June 26 to July 2.

“Salina Country Club (in Kansas) was the site last year, but there’s a renovation going on out there, so they had no site for 2023,’’ said Chris Tretter, co-owner and general manager of Sultan’s Run. “They reached out to Dave.’’

“Salina had really done a good job and wanted to come back,’’ said Harner. “They wanted to make sure the tournament had an appropriate venue for this year, and Sultan’s Run in a quality venue.’’

The relationship between the French Lick Resort and Sultan’s Run has always been a warm one. There were even talks about the resort buying Sultan’s at one point.  The resort staff managed Sultan’s for two years and Harner considers it “a sister course.’’  When there’s an overflow of play at French Lick or some guests want an extra course to play he sends them to Sultan’s Run.

“It adds another dimension to our golf experience,’’ he said.  “Having the Epson Tour has been super, and I wouldn’t be surprised – based on how the Senior LPGA goes – if the Epson came back here to play at Sultan’s Run.’’

That’s a topic for another day, but Tretter is excited about Sultan’s Run getting its biggest tournament  yet.  The course has received numerous state awards and been well received as the site for many Indiana amateur and professional events.

The course got its name from a legendary race horse, Supreme Sultan, who trained on the grounds before the course was built. The course has what’s been billed as “the most dramatic finishing hole in Indiana.’’

Tretter and Harner invited Tim Kramer of the PGA out for a visit in October.  They toured the course and Kramer immediately said “We’re coming.’’  More details, however, had to be worked out before the announcement could become official.

“This will be our first big women’s event, and we’re thrilled,’’ said Tretter.  “The history of the women’s tour is really robust, and very interesting.’’

The last Legends event at French Lick was won by England’s Trish Johnson in 2016.  Johnson also won the first Senior LPGA the following year. Laura Davies was the Senior LPGA champion in 2018 and Helen Alrfredsson in 2019.  The tourney was cancelled in 2020 due to pandemic issues, then Johnson won again in 2021.

Australian Karrie Webb was the winner last year in Kansas, and now Sultan’s Run is looking to add similarly great  champions to its resume like the ones who won at French Lick.  In addition to the Senior LPGAs played there the Legends winners included Lori Kane, Laurie Rinker and Juli Inkster, and Jan Stephenson won the Super Senior Division when it was part of the Legends format.

The winner at Sultan’s will receive the Steve Ferguson Trophy, honoring the chairman of the board of Cook Group, just like the previous champions did.

French Lick won’t be out of the tournament spotlight either.  The Pete Dye Course will become the site of the men’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship beginning in 2024.  That event will end its run at another Indiana course, Victoria National, this fall.  French Lick has a five-year agreement to take over that big event.

 

 

 

 

 

Preliminary events create early buzz for the Masters

Chicago’s hopefuls in the Drive, Chip & Putt national finals are  (left to right) Emory Munoz, William Comiskey, Ben Patel and Martha Kuwahara. (Rory Spears Photo)

 

The countdown to the year’s first major golf championship is on.  The first tee shot in the 87th playing of the Masters isn’t until next week, but – with Augusta National’s membership expanding its event in recent years — the preliminaries start this week.

Unless Luke Donald, Doug Ghim, Nick Hardy or Kevin Streelman can pull of a win in this week’s Valero Texas Open the Masters will again be without a Chicago player next week. The last time a local player competed in the Masters was in 2016 when, Ghim, still an amateur, tied for 50th place.

Locals, however, have had success in the Masters preliminaries – the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which started in 2019, and the Drive, Chip & Putt finals, first contested at the Georgia club in 2014.

The ANWA starts its 54-hole run on Wednesday.  The first two rounds will be played at Champions Retreat, a nearby course, then all of its competitors play a practice round at Augusta National on Friday. Spectators start arriving at the Masters site for Saturday’s final round.

While several Illinois-connected players were invited to previous ANWA tourneys, the one competing this week seems a bonafide contender.  Crystal Wang, a fifth-year senior at the University of Illinois from Diamond Bar, Calif., won her first collegiate tournament on Sunday, making birdies on three of the last four holes at the Clemson Invitational.

Last year Michael Jorski, of Clarendon Hills, was the winner in the Drive, Chip & Putt’s boys 12-13 division.  He’s not among the 80 finalists this year, but four Chicago area players survived the regional qualifier held at Medinah.

Qualifiers for Sunday’s Drive, Chip & Putt finals at Augusta National hail from 29 states and Canada.  They were the survivors from 342 local qualifiers and 10 regional eliminations held across the country over the previous year. Northbrook’s Martha Kuwahara looms as a strong contender in the girls 14-15 age group.  Also a qualifier for the finals in 2022, she smacked a 268-yard drive en route to winning at the Medinah regional.

One of nine returnees nation-wide from last year’s finals, she’s excited about her return to Augusta National.

“I really want redemption from last year,’’ she said.  “This year I feel I can do a lot better.’’

The other three Chicago qualifiers are boys – Emory Munoz of Lockport in the 7-9 age group; William Comiskey, of Hinsdale, in the 10-11 category; and Ben Patel, of North Aurora, in 12-13. Kuwahara plays locally at The Glen Club, Comiskey and Munoz at Cog Hill and Patel at Black Sheep.

The first two rounds of the ANWA as well as five hours of Drive, Chip & Putt coverage will be televised on The Golf Channel and Peacock. The final round of the ANWA will be carried on NBC and Peacock.  CBS, which has televised the Masters since 1956, will again carry the main event.

HERE AND THERE: The Masters will have 89 starters plus the winner of the Valero Texas Open, assuming he hadn’t qualified previously. All 89 were invited by Augusta National, and they include 18 playing on the PGA Tour’s rival LIV Tour.  That group includes six former Masters champions. The LIV circuit competes at Orange County National in Orlando, FL., starting on Friday.

Masters invitees also include J.T. Poston, winner of last year’s John Deere Classic, and Belgium’s Thomas Detry, who starred for the University of Illinois from 2012-16.

Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim, while not qualified for the Masters, had his best finish in 12 starts in the PGA Tour’s wrap-around season on Sunday – a tie for 16th in the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic.

Robert Sereci has announced that he’ll end his eight-year stint as general manager and chief operating officer at Medinah Country Club on May 25.

Jake Mendoza is back on the maintenance staff at Rich Harvest Farms, the Sugar Grove club that hosts the LIV Tour in September. He was at Rich Harvest from 2005-08 and has also had stints at Medinah, Winged Foot and Detroit Golf Club.

 

Two-time Illinois Open champion now thrives as PGA Tour caddie

PALM HARBOR, FL. – The final round of the PGA Tour’s four-week Florida Swing was an unusual one.  Taylor Moore won the Valspar Championship on Sunday, but Adam Schenk and Jordan Spieth – paired in the final group – created all the drama.

It was their shortcomings on the three tough finishing holes at the Copperhead Course – the stretch is called the Snake Pit – that allowed Moore to win and Schenk and Spieth to have animated talks with their caddies  at critical moments. They were evident as TV cameras zeroed in.

That wasn’t unusual for three-time major champion Spieth, whose relationship with bag-toter Michael Greller has been well publicized, but Schenk has a special caddie, too.  David Cooke was a two-time Illinois Open champion, and Schenk regularly brought him into post-round discussions with the media during the tournament.

“David and I did about as good as we could have done with how I hit it (on Sunday),’’ said Schenk, who finished one stroke behind Moore in second place and one ahead of Spieth.  “I told David I wasn’t worried about the field.  I wasn’t worried about Jordan.  I wanted to play my game. I wanted David and I just to do the best that we could do from what we did. We did that.’’

Unfortunately for the Schenk-Cooke team, a bad drive on the last hole prevented both from claiming a first PGA Tour victory.

Schenk led the tournament most of the way and provided more subjects for conversation than just his caddie.  His wife Kourtney, expecting their first child in a month, made an overnight trip from Indiana the night before the final round in hopes of seeing Adam win. She walked the final 18 with Spieth’s wife,  Annie, but neither could celebrate a win when the tournament was over.

Cooke, who grew up in Bolingbrook, and Schenk were golf teammates at Purdue when they were freshmen.  Then Cooke transferred to North Carolina State for his final three collegiate seasons and Schenk finished at Purdue.

While still an amateur Cooke won the 2015 Illinois Open by five shots after shooting a final round 63 at Royal Melbourne in Long Grove.  The win came just eight months after his brother and sometimes caddie Chad had died for a heart disorder playing a pickup basketball game.

Three years later, after turning pro, Cooke won the Illinois Open again – this time by four shots over current PGA Tour player Nick Hardy at The Glen Club in Glenview.

That win was special, too, as Cooke hurried from there to his wedding and then took his new bride, Clair, to Europe where he made a short – and unsuccessful – bid to earn a place on the pro tour there. It was during that year that he altered his career plans.

“I loved Europe but played terrible,’’ Cooke said then.  “I love caddying and getting exposure to the PGA Tour.’’

Only four players – Gary Pinns, Mike Small, Dick Hart and Marty Schiene – have won more Illinois Opens than Cooke, but he was on the bag of PGA Tour player Chesson Hadley when his title defense approached. Cooke opted for the steady job as a caddie and stuck with it.

His hookup with Schenk is a comfortable one.  Schenk grew up and still lives in Vincennes, Ind., and he remains a Hoosier at heart. His swing instructor is Anthony Bradley, at French Lick Resort, and he’s represented another Indiana facility, Victoria National.

Though that first big win eluded him, Schenk – who played his 10th straight week of tournaments at the Valspar — wants Cooke by his side as their PGA Tour adventure continues.

“We have a lot of discussions.  I love working with David,’’ said Schenk.  “We know our trouble areas, we know what we’re good at, and we just try to play to our strengths.’’

That philosophy is working.  Schenk has won $6 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2018.  This season he has made 12 of 17 cuts, including seven of his last eight starts.

 

 

 

 

 

Valspar’s Copperhead is ideal course for Chicago PGA Tour players

Life on the PGA Tour hasn’t been easy for the Chicago-connected players, but that could change this week.

Luke Donald, Doug Ghim, Nick Hardy, Kevin Streelman and Dylan Wu are all in the field for the Valspar Championship, the last of the four tournaments on the circuit’s Florida Swing.

With a paint company as the title sponsor, the Valspar bills itself as “the most colorful tournament on the PGA Tour’’ and it has some other unusual features.

All five courses at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, just outside of Tampa, were designed by legendary Chicago architect Larry Packard and the resort’s owner is Sheila Johnson, who went to Proviso East High School and the University of Illinois.

The Chicago fivesome  in the field will battle for a share of the $8.1 million in prize money when the tournament tees off on the Copperhead Course on Thursday. Donald (2012) and Streelman (2013) are past champions.

Only Wu, the former Northwestern star, has played well lately, however. Hardy has missed his last four cuts, Ghim has missed seven of his last eight and Streelman three of his last four.

Donald, 45, and Streelman, 44, are PGA veterans who won when the tournament had other names.  It was the Transitions Championship when Donald won and the Tampa Bay Championship when Streelman took the title.

Wu, though, has blossomed in the last two months.  He had strong finishes in his two starts in Florida, tying for 10th in the Honda Classic and tying for 35th at last week’s Players Championship.  He was the last player to make the field at The Players, getting in off his position on the FedEx Cup point list.

In addition to earning $114,166 in in one of golf’s best-playing tournaments Wu was up close to the excitement as Aaron Rai, his third-round playing partner, made one of the tourney’s three holes-in-one.

At the end of the 72 holes Wu matched the score of Sam Burns, who will be in the spotlight this week at Innisbrook.  Burns will be going after his third straight title on the Copperhead course.

Only nine players have won a PGA Tour event three straight years since World War II.  Tiger Woods did it four times at four different tournaments, last accomplishing the feat in 2007.  Arnold Palmer did it at two events in the 1960s.

Last player to notch a three-peat was Steve Stricker, who ruled the John Deere Classic from 2009-11. Other three-peaters since World War II were Gene Littler, Billy Casper, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson and Stuart Appleby.

None of the Chicago fivesome has qualified for the Masters yet, and time is running out.  Each will probably have to win a tournament to play at the year’s first major tournament at Augusta National starting on April 6. The Valspar and Valero Texas Open are the only tournaments before then that advance champions to the Masters.

The Valspar has a stronger field than usual, despite the PGA Tour’s creation of “elevated’’ tournaments to lure the top stars.  Valspar is not an “elevated’’ event but this week’s field includes Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth. They have rarely competed in previous Valspars.

Thomas (PGA Championship) and Fitzpatrick (U.S. Open) will defend major titles later this year. Spieth, who has wins in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open, won the Valspar in 2015.

HERE AND THERE:  Mark Hensby, had wins at the Illinois State Amateur, Illinois Open and John Deere Classic earlier in his golf career.  Now, at 51, he’s making a splash on PGA Tour Champions.  Hensby tied for third in the Cologuard Classic in Arizona on Sunday, and that was his second top-three finish in three starts on the 50-and-over circuit in 2023.

 

 

New owners will boost Mission Inn’s prominence on Epson Tour

Mission Inn, one of Florida’s best golf resorts, has a big tournament coming up on a special course.

HOWEY-in-the-HILLS, Florida – Mission Inn, one of Florida’s oldest golf resorts, is no stranger to hosting tournaments. The fourth playing of the Epson Tour’s Inova Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship is coming up in May, but this time it’ll be different.

On Dec. 9 the resort changed ownership.  The Beucher family, with deep roots in Illinois, had owned the resort for 58 years, before selling it to MMI Hotel Group, a similar family operation based in Jackson, Mississippi.  The Sturdevant family has been part of the ownership group of MMI for 67 years.

The family ownership aspect played a part in the sale. The Beuchers still reside in the area, are members of the club and still own some of the land on which it was built.

MMI used an elaborate media day event as a means of getting involved with the golf side of the Mission Inn operation. Attendees included two of the top international players on the Epson circuit – Sophie Hausemann, from Germany, and Klira Riihijarvi, from Finland — and Mary Mills, winner of three major titles in her career as an LPGA player. Also on hand was Kay McMahon, a member of the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame.

The Mississippi group, with roots in the Southeast, has had hotels in Florida but its portfolio includes only one golf facility – The King & Prince Beach and Golf Resort in St. Simons Island, Ga.  The company is all in with the golf operation at Mission Inn, however.

“We’re a golf resort, and golf is critical to our success and always will be,’’ said Dominick Buompastore, MMI vice president of operations. “We’re thrilled to be part of this tournament.  These (the Epson Tour) are the next level of players.  That’s really great for us, and we have a contract for future years.”

Buompastore said an investment in technology has been the first order of business in the first three months of MMI’s ownership.  Next comes an analysis of what should be done with the two golf courses – El Campeon, site of the Inova event with roots back to 1917, and Las Colinas, an 18-holer designed by ex-PGA Tour winner turned broadcaster Gary Koch in 1992.

The Epson Tour will visit Mission Inn for the fourth straight year on the historic Ek Campeon layout.

El Campeon is one of the oldest and most challenging courses in Florida.  It was designed by a Chicago architect, George O’Neil, and was brought into prominence after the Beuchers took over the resort in 1964. It’s hosted a variety of high school, college and state professional tournaments, and its steeply-elevated terrain sets it apart from other Florida courses.

“It’s a tough track, a cool track,’’ said Riihijarvi, who played in the tournament last year.  “We don’t see many of these on the Epson Tour.’’

The tournament rounds are May 26-28.  The field will be cut to the low 60 and ties after 36 holes and two scramble pro-ams, on May 24 and 25, will precede the tournament rounds.

Riihijarvi, who recently earned her LPGA membership, will play on the premier women’s circuit when it reaches the Drive On Championship in Phoenix but she was still willing to promote the event a Mission Inn.

Three players who won on the Epson Tour in 2022 – Jillian Hollis, Daniela Iacobelli and Britney Yada – are in this year’s field at Mission Inn as are Cydney Clanton and Silvia Cavalleri, both of whom have won tournaments on the LPGA circuit.

Previous winners are Missi0n Inn were Matilda Castren (2020), Min Lee (2021) and Gina Kim (2022). This year’s 144-player field will compete for $200,000 in prize money, with $30,000 going to the champion.

Michael Bowery (left) and Dominick Buompastore are leaders in Mission Inn’s ownership change.

 

Golf-wise the ownership change produced a significant staff adjustment.  Michael Bowery, the director of golf at Mission Inn, has turned the golf reins over to Brian Mulry.  Bowery is taking on a sales and marketing role under the new ownership.

“It’ll allow me to go out to bring in things like this,’’ he said of the Inova Championship.  “We’re always looking at those opportunities.  I’d love to have a televised LPGA event on this golf course.  That’s really my goal.’’

The resort is a 35-minute drive northwest of Orlando. Its Spanish Colonial architecture features 176 hotel guest rooms, 131 deluxe rooms, 38 club suites, four one bedroom suites, two two bedroom suites and one penthouse suite with three bedrooms.

In addition to the two golf courses, Mission Inn has four restaurants,  two lounges and a poolside bar. Its amenities include tennis, pickleball, jogging and cycling trails, volleyball courts, a spa, fitness center and a marina offering pontoons, bass boat and kayaks for eco-touring. More than 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space is available for meetings, banquets, holiday parties, weddings and special occasions.

El Campeon, which opened in 1917, has elevation changes that are rare in Florida courses.

 

 

Honda showed the Ryder Cup captains have the right attitude

THE END: Chris Kirk (left) beat Eric Cole (right) in a playoff to win the PGA Tour’s final Honda Classic.

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, had an interesting pairing in his two rounds at the Honda Classic last week.  He played with Padraig Harrington, the European Ryder Cup captain when the U.S. scored its record victory at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits in 2021, and Zach Johnson, who will be Donald’s rival U.S. captain in this year’s Ryder Cup in Italy.

The trio got along well, though Johnson and Harrington survived the 36-hole cut and Donald – despite playing a rare event near his Florida home — didn’t. Given the contentious atmosphere in golf now that the PGA and LIV tours are both in action again, that was refreshing.

Granted, the next Ryder Cup is still months away, but there isn’t a more competitive event in the sport. Johnson, though, calls Donald “always a good friend, and to partner with him in this endeavor, in this distinct honor, is awesome.’’

The friendly vibes even go beyond the rivalry between two veteran touring golfers.

“It’s (Luke) and (his wife) Diane, for that matter,’’ said Johnson.  “I love the Donalds.’’

The competitiveness of the Ryder Cup, however, won’t be lost in the sweet talk.

“We’re in this together,’’ said Johnson.  “Bottom line is that we’re ultra competitors first.  We’re probably similar in the way we approach the game, and our temperaments are pretty comparable….I’m confident in saying that we’ll both try to lead the proper way and let the golf clubs of our 12 players do all the talking.’’

Just who those players will be is a mystery.

Johnson knows he won’t be able to use players competing on the  controversial Saudi-backed LIV Tour but Donald isn’t sure. The European powers that be are  non-commital.

“There is some differences, some subtle and some substantial, between what he’s (Donald) going through and I’m going through,’’ said Johnson.  “I don’t even understand it all with his team, but I don’t need to.  I feel for him.  It’s not the easiest thing to navigate. And I’m not sure what clarity I really have, to be honest with you, because it’s ever changing.’’

One thing is certain.  Johnson’s game is better than Donald’s at the moment.  Johnson finished tied for 12th in the Honda, his best finish in six starts in the 2022-23 season.  Donald missed three cuts and tied for 40th in the Genesis event at Riviera in his four starts this season.

Both are in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill this week and Donald has a sponsor’s exemption to compete in the last event of the Florida Swing, the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor. Donald won there in 2012.

Long-time Florida resident Billy Horschel hopes PGA National will have another tournament in 2024.

Before moving on from what was the final Honda Classic there’s some indications that PGA National will welcome the PGA Tour players again.

Florida native Billy Horschel was not happy that the Honda – the longest-running title sponsor on the PGA Tour – won’t return in 2024.  The tournament began in Ft. Lauderdale, as the Jackie Gleason Inverarry Classic, in 1972.  Honda was the title sponsor since 1982 and PGA National was the site since 2007.

“We used to have two tournaments in South Florida – here and Doral,’’ said Horschel.  “Now we only have one, and we’re not going to lose this one.  I’ve been told we’re going to stay here.’’

Difficult dates led to weak field at the Honda in recent years.

“You’ve got 30 to 40 PGA Tour pros who live within a couple miles of this place, and only a handful played last week.  That’s disappointing,’’ said Horschel. “The PGA Tour needs to make sure this event is put in the right spot (on the schedule) so they get all the top players here on a regular basis.’’

Like Horschel, Jack Nicklaus – whose nearby children’s hospital was the Honda’s main beneficiary – also believes a tournament will be back at PGA National once new sponsorship is finalized.

The Honda Classic, a fixture on the PGA Tour since 1982, won’t be forgotten. (Greg Wise Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Honda created a career first for Northwestern alum

Dylan Wu, second only to Luke Donald as a Northwestern golfer, had a breakthrough on PGA Tour.

 

Dylan Wu, the former Northwestern star, won’t look back on last week’s Honda Classic because it was the event’s last-ever playing on the PGA Tour.  He’ll remember it as the spot where he notched his first top-10 finish on golf’s premier circuit.

Wu won three college tournaments while at NU and compiled the second-best scoring average in school history behind Luke Donald, who parlayed his college success into a stint as the world’s No. 1 golfer during his early years on the PGA Tour.

Donald, the current Ryder Cup captain for the European side, missed the cut in the last Honda — a tournament played near his Florida home — but there’s still a big difference between Donald and Wu on the professional level.

Wu, 26, turned pro in 2018 after his college career ended.    After a brief stint on the Canadian PGA tour Wu earned a spot on the Korn Ferry circuit and won an event before earning his PGA Tour card for the 2022 season. He barely retained it for this year, finishing No. 150 in the FedEx Cup standings as a PGA rookie. That’s the last spot to earn a tour card.

In his two seasons on the circuit Wu made 18 cuts in 36 starts and earned $834,286.  He’s improving, though.  In the 2022-23 season he’s made six-of-nine and the 66 he shot in the final round of the Honda matched his best round of the year.

NEXT UP: BAY HILL – Despite his strong finish last week at PGA National Wu won’t be in the field for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the second of the four-week Florida Swing.  It tees off on Thursday in Orlando and is one of the newly designated Elevated Tournaments, meaning it has more prize moy than most events and is guaranteed most of the game’s top stars. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion.

Wu, Donald and Northbrook’s Nick Hardy were the only Illinois-connected players cing at PGA National.  Donald and Hardy are in the field at Bay Hill along with Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman, Illinois alum Thomas Detry and Northwestern alum David Lipsky.

Wu will compete in the PGA’s alternate field event, the Puerto Rico Open, along with Pekin’s D.A. Points, who won that event in 2017.

CAPTAIN’S COURAGEOUS: Donald had an interesting pairing in his two rounds at the Honda.  He played with Padraig Harrington, European’s Ryder Cup captain when the U.S. scored its record victory at Whistling Straights in 2021, and Zach Johnson, who will be Donald’s rival U.S. captain in this year’s Ryder Cup in Italy.

Johnson knows he won’t be able to use players competing on the  controversial Saudi-backed LIV Tour but Donald isn’t sure. The European powers that be have been non-commital.

“There is some differences, some subtle and some substantial between what he’s going through and I’m going through,’’ said Johnson.  “I don’t even understand it all with his team, but I don’t need to.  I feel for him.  It’s not the easiest thing to navigate. And  I’m not sure what clarity I really have, to be honest with you,  because it’s ever changing.’’

FLORIDA DILEMMA: Florida native Billy Horschel was not happy that the Honda – the longest-running title sponsor on the PGA Tour – won’t return in 2024.  The tournament began in Ft. Lauderdale, as the Jackie Gleason Inverarry Classic, in 1972.  Honda was the title sponsor since 1982 and PGA National was the site since 2007.

“We used to have two tournaments in South Florida – here and Doral,’’ said Horschel.  “Now we only have one, and we’re not going to lose this one.  I’ve been told we’re going to stay here.’’

Difficult dates led to weak field for the Honda in recent years.

“You’ve got 30 to 40 PGA Tour pros who live within a couple miles of this place, and only a handful played last week.  That’s disappointing.  The PGA Tour needs to make sure this event is put in the right spot (on the schedule) so they get all the top players here on a regular basis.’’

Like Horschel, Jack Nicklaus – whose nearby children’s hospital was the Honda’s main beneficiary – also believes the tournament will be back at PGA National once new sponsorship is finalized.

The PGA Tour has lost a long-standing title sponsor. (Greg Wise Photo).

 

 

Two-year hiatus is finally over for the Chicago Golf Show

 

For 37 years the Chicago Golf Show was considered the unofficial start to the Chicago golf season.  And then the pandemic hit.

The show was cancelled in 2001 and 2022 because of pandemic concerns, but it’s back this weekend in full force at the Stephens Convention  Center in Rosemont. It’ll feature Colt Knost, an on-course TV reporter for CBS, and Paige Spiranac, a prominent social media influencer on golf, sports and fitness.

Knost is one of the most decorated amateurs in golf history, having won the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Public Links and was a member of the U.S. Walker Cup team in 2007.  He won the Public Links title at Cantigny, in Wheaton, then played on various pro tours before retiring in 2020.

Spiranac and Knost will appear together on the show’s Daily Herald Main Stage at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and Knost will also be there at 11 a.m. on both days.

Show visitors can also sign up for free rounds at the 13 Chicago area courses operated by SportsVisions and Illinois PGA professionals will be offering free lessons.  There will also be deals available on equipment, apparel, shoes, golf bags and balls, swing aids, indoor putting greens and range finders.

Show hours are noon to 6:30 p.m. on Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

IPGA MAJORS ARE SET:  The Illinois PGA has announced its 2023 schedule and its two oldest and biggest major championships will have major venue changes.  The Illinois PGA Championship, first held in 1922, will make its first appearance at Thunderhawk, in Beach Park, Aug. 14-16 and the 74th staging of the Illinois Open will be at Flossmoor July 31-Aug. 2.

The Illinois PGA was played at a first time venue last year, at Makray Memorial in Barrington, when player-of-the-year Brian Carroll edged 13-time winner Mike  Small for the title.

Flossmoor hasn’t hosted the Illinois Open since 1984 when former PGA Tour player Lance Ten Broeck won the title.  That south suburban club also was the site for Bob Harris’ victory in 1955.

First of the section’s four majors, the Match Play Championship, will make its second appearance in three years at Bull Valley, in Woodstock, May 8-11 and The Players Championship will conclude the big events Oct. 9-10 at Twin Orchard, in Long Grove.

HERE AND THERE: Thomas Pieters, who grew up in Belgium before starring collegiately at Illinois, will reportedly join the LIV Tour this week.  He was the 2012 NCAA champion for the Illini and holds a No. 34 world ranking after spending most of his professional time on the European tour. The LIV circuit begins its second season on Friday in Mexico.

Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim snapped a string of six straight missed cuts on the PGA Tour at last week’s Genesis tourney in Los Angeles.  He finished in a tie for 62nd place.  Northbrook’s Nick Hardy missed his second cut in eight starts at the Genesis event.  He’ll play in this week’s Honda Classic, the start of the PGA’s Florida Swing.

Four Illinois players were in the 78-man field in last week’s PGA Tour Champions Chubbs tourney in Florida where Bernhard Langer tied Hale Irwin’s record for most wins on the 50-and-over circuit.  Mark Hensby tied for 18th, Jeff Sluman tied for 25th and Illinois Golf Hall of Famers Gary Hallbeg and Jay Haas tied for 66th and tied for 70th respectively.

Palatine Hills has landed a qualifying round for the U.S. Women’s Open.  The qualifier, one of 26 nationwide, will be held on June 7 and the main event will be July 6-9 at California’s Pebble Beach.

 

 

 

Langer finally catches Irwin as winningest player on Champions tour

The Chubbs Classic fans were allowed to spill into the 18th fairway of the Black Course at Tiburon Golf Course  as Bernhard Langer closed in on his historic 45th victory on PGA Tour Champions.

 

NAPLES, FL. – Bernhard Langer now shares the honor of being the winningest golfer in the 43-year history of PGA Tour Champions. This great accomplishment was a long time coming.

In winning the Chubbs Classic on Sunday Langer notched his 45th win on the 50-and-over circuit to pull even with Hale Irwin. Irwin, who very rarely plays any more, won for the last time in 2007.  That was the same year that Langer earned his first Champions win.

And more will be coming.  The Chubbs was only the third of 28 events on the  50-and-over circuit this season so it figures Langer will have the cherished record all to himself in the very near future – maybe as soon as the next tournament.  The Cologuard Classic is just two weeks after the Chubbs, and Langer has won that Arizona event previously.

“He continues to amaze us all,’’ said Steve Stricker, one of Langer’s top rivals in every tournament.  “He just keeps going.  He stays in shape, and he’s a nice person, too.  That’s the coolest part; he’s a good guy.’’

That showed immediately after Langer’s final putt dropped at the Chubbs.  It wasn’t just his playing partners, Steven Alker and Jerry Kelly, who were quick to give Langer their best wishes. Scott McCarron, one of Langer’s fellow ambassadors for Illinois-based club manufacturer Tour Edge, waited long after he had finished his round to congratulate Langer.

Also on hand was Langer’s wife, daughter and grandson and Bobby Clampett, the long-time tour player who introduced Langer to a Bible study group.  The has had far-reaching positive effects for Langer.

Langer turned to Tour Edge clubs in recent years, and that contributed to his success.

The 36th playing of the Chubbs, again at the Greg Norman-designed Black Course at Tiburon Golf Club,  was like a home game for Langer.  He has been a south Florida resident for over 30 years and he has won the Chubbs five times.  He came into his record-tying victory as the event’s defending champion.

Moving ahead of Irwin is, of course, his next challenge but Langer wanted to savor win No. 45 first.

“It was extremely special because I never thought it would happen,’’ said Langer, who extended his record of being the oldest Champions Tour winner to four events. He was 65 years, five months 23 days old for his latest win.

Irwin got his 45 victories in 217 starts and Langer did it in his 319th.  Though the latest was officially a wire-to-wire win, it didn’t seem that way.  Fred Couples, Padraig Harrington, Alker and Dicky Pride all at least shared the lead before Langer wrapped it up with four birdies on the last five holes.

It helped that Harrington, Alker and Pride all made major mistakes down the stretch,  though Langer wasn’t really aware of their problems.

Bernhard Langer’s latest win led to a family celebration for the golfer’s mother, daughter and grandson.

“We didn’t have any problems. We were just trying to make birdies, and we did,’’ he said. “I played solid, but didn’t set it on fire.  All of a sudden I made those birdies coming in.  That’s when you have to do it, when everything is on the line.’’

Langer was tied for the lead after the first round and led by one after the second.  He bettered his age in posting a 64 on Friday and matched his age with a 65 on Sunday.  His 17-under-par 199 score for the 54 holes resulted in a three-stroke victory margin but the historic win wasn’t that easy.

Couples knocked Langer out of the lead by making four birdies in the first six holes.  When he cooled off Harrington shot 29 on the front nine to take the lead and Pride, in the field as a sponsor’s exemption, used a hole-in-one at No. 10 to also move into the top spot.

Langer wasn’t aware what was happening to them as the back nine unfolded, but it was to his benefit.

Harrington put his tee shot near a pond at No. 14 and needed three more shots to just get out of the hazard.  That led to a double bogey that doomed Harrington’s chances.   Alker threatened until putting a fairway bunker shot into the water at No. 13. That also meant a double bogey that stymied Alker’s hopes.

Pride hit his tee shot tee shot deep into the woods on No. 17 and finished bogey-bogey. That left Langer a stroll to the finish, where the gallery piled in behind him in appreciation of his accomplishment.

“My whole life has been an improbable story,’’ said Langer after the celebrating had died down.  “I should have died as a kid when I had an extremely high fever.  Doctors told my mother not to have a child, but she got pregnant anyway.  They told her to abort me, but she decided not to take a chance of killing herself and me.  We both survived.’’

Then came his start in golf.

“I was just a German kid from a village of 800 who started as a caddie,’’ he said.  “Nobody started a career in golf in Germany.  They thought I was crazy.  Just to earn a living at it was incredible.  Maybe some day we can make a movie about my life. That would be cool.’’

The  movie may take a while, as Langer has no intention of cutting back on his tournament schedule any time soon. And, in the end, those who might watch that movie could well find it hard to believe.  The Langer story might well seem too good to be true.

The thrill of victory was obvious when Langer’s last putt dropped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Langer pulls even with Irwin in Champions’ wins

NAPLES, FL. – Bernhard Langer now shares the honor of being the winningest golfer in the 43-year history of PGA Tour Champions.  In winning the Chubbs Classic on Sunday Langer notched his 45th win on the 50-and-over circuit to pull even with Hale Irwin.

The 36th playing of the Chubbs was like a home game for Langer, who has lived in nearby Boca Raton for over 30 years.  Langer has won the Chubbs five times and came into Sunday’s final round on the Tiburon Golf Club’s Black course as the defending champion.

Moving ahead of Irwin could come as early as the next tournament, the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Ariz., in two weeks. Langer has won there in the past, but he was savoring win No. 45 Sunday without looking past that.

“It was extremely special because I never thought it would happen,’’ said the 65-year old Langer, who extended his record of being the oldest Champions Tour winner to four events.

Irwin won the first of his 45 tournaments in 2007, the same year that Langer won his first.  Irwin got his 45 in 217 starts and Langer has made 319.

Langer was tied for the lead after the first round on the Black Course at Tiburon Golf Club and led by one after Saturday’s second round.  He bettered his age in posting a 64 on Friday and matched his age with a 65 on Sunday.  His 17-under-par SCORE resulted in a three-stroke victory margin but the historic win wasn’t that easy.

Fred Couples knocked Langer out of the lead by making four birdies in the first six holes on Sunday.  When he cooled off Padraig Harrington shot 29 on the front nine to take the lead and Dicky Pride, in the field as a sponsor’s exemption, used a hole-in-one at No. 10 to also move into the top spot.

Langer wasn’t aware what was happening to them as the back nine unfolded, but it was to his benefit.

Harrington put his tee shot near a pond at No. 14 and needed three more shots to just get out of the hazard.  That led to a double bogey, and Harrington was done.  Steven Alker, one of Langer’s playing partners, threatened until putting a fairway bunker shot into the water at No. 13. That also meant a double bogey and finished Alker.

Pride his tee shot tee deep in the woods on No. 17 and finished bogey-bogey. That left Langer a stroll to the finish, where the gallery piled in behind him in appreciation of his accomplishment.

“My whole life has been an improbable story,’’ said Langer after the celebrating had died down.  “I should have died as a kid when I had an extremely high fever.  Doctors told my mother not to have a child, but she got pregnant anyway.  They told her to abort me, but she decided not to take a chance of killing herself and me.  We both survived.’’

Then came his start in golf.

“I was just a German kid from a village of 800 who started as a caddie,’’ he said.  “Nobody started a career in golf in Germany.  They thought I was crazy.  Just to earn a living at it was incredible.  Maybe some day we can make a movie about it.’’

That may take a while, as Langer has no intention of cutting back on his tournament schedule any time soon.