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…
Author: lenz
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…
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…
Stanford beats Johnson — and weather — to win Senior LPGA
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…
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…
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…
Daytona Beach is a good town for golfers, but….
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…
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…
Poconos is a good place to get a taste of mountain golf
Playing golf in the mountains isn’t our norm, but when the opportunity arose we jumped at it – and we’re glad we did. The International Network of Golf Spring Forum was held in Valley Forge, Pa., and the mountainous area known as The Poconos was barely an hour away. As soon as the Forum was…
Golf `merger’ might bring peace, but it’ll take awhile
I had just begun a 10-hour drive back home to Sarasota when I got the word, via a phone call, of the “merger’’ between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the LIV Tour. I was shocked by the bombshell announcement, but just because of the timing. I expected some sort of a resolution…