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 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.

 

Poconos is a good place to get a taste of mountain golf

The Pocono Mountains loom over the Jack Frost National course. (All photos by Joy Sarver)

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 over we were on our way to the Poconos.

A good mix of golf is available on the Lehigh Valley Poconos Golf Trail and we experienced three very different types of courses with rounds at Jack Frost National, in Blakeslee; Woodloch Springs, in Hawley; and Shawnee, in Shawnee on the Delaware.

We had roughly two-hour drives between Valley Forge and Jack Frost National; another two hours from Jack Frost to Woodloch Springs; and still another two hours from Woodloch to Shawnee. These were all over winding, rolling roads through small towns. They provided pleasant glimpses into the quaint, charming communities but the roads weren’t designed for speed.  You had to take your time and enjoy the scenery.

Jack Frost National was the most interesting of the three courses, Woodloch the most challenging and Shawnee the most historical.  We’ll save Shawnee for last, just because it has the most interesting story to tell.

Jack Frost National has a casual setting for pre- and post-round relaxation.

JACK FROST NATIONAL: This layout, measuring 7,256 yards from the tips and spread over 200 acres, is championship caliber but few big events have been played there.

“It’s hard to schedule them because we’re a busy place,’’ said director of instruction Ryan Kearn.  “We do 218 rounds a day.’’

Most striking about the course are the changes in elevation, most evident between the par-5 ninth hole which plays uphill, and the par-3 eleventh, which is all downhill. No. 14 is the designated signature hole.

The area has a ski hill in operation during winter months, but Kearn says there’s no overlap between the sports. The golf and ski facilities have different owners.

“In each of the last three years closing day (for skiers) came the day before our opening day,’’ said Kearn.  “Our course is interesting, fun, wide open with big greens and fairways and only one water hole.’’

The bar/dining area is covered but open air on the sides, a nice friendly place for socializing before and after play.

Architect for Jack Frost National was Terry LaGree. He holds a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin but is best known as the chief executive officer at Florida’s Black Diamond Ranch. He completed Jack Frost National in 2007.

Deer are just part of the landscape at Woodloch Springs. They aren’t afraid of  the golfers.

WOODLOCH SPRINGS: Rocky Roquemore designed this toughie in 1992. It’s only 6,579 yards from the back tees but there’s some demanding shots that can’t be avoided.  Nos. 3 and 7 – the front nine par-5s – have three landing areas on the way to the greens that can’t be missed without costing strokes.

Roquemore is a busy, internationally-known designer.  He’s done courses in Portugal, France, Venezuela, Colombia and the Caribbean as well as across the United States. His best-known courses are probably the Magnolia, Lake Buena Vista and Palm at Florida’s Walt Disney World. His resume also includes Pine Meadow, a popular public course in Illinois.

The Woodloch Springs playing experience, while challenging, offers some fine views and deer meander through the layout without showing any fear of the golfers.

Woodloch Springs is a semi-private facility.  There are two restaurants in the clubhouse of the country club, and The Grille provided outstanding dining during our visit.

John Kiesendahl, owner of Woodloch Springs (left), and James Hamill, public relations director for the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, have pushed their area as a golf destination.

SHAWNEE: History abounds here at this Inn and golf resort that has 27 holes. The first 18 was the first design of the legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast, who went on to design such famous layouts as Winged Foot and Bethpage Black, in New York, and Baltusrol, in New Jersey. Tillinghast’s first course opened in 1910.

Big tournaments were commonplace there then.  Top tour players Fred McLeod and John McDermott, a two-time U.S. Open champion, won Shawnee Open tourneys in 1912 and 1913; Alexa Stirling captured the U.S. Women’s Amateur there in 1919 and Paul Runyan won a title match with Shawnee pro Sam Snead in the 1938 PGA Championship.

In 1943 the resort was sold to singer/entertainer Fred Waring.  Jackie Gleason learned to play golf there and Hale Irwin won an NCAA title at Shawnee before Karl Hope purchased the resort in 1974 and built a ski area with three-time Olympic gold medalist Jean-Claude Killy heading the operation on the slopes.

Outdoor music and a cookout is part of the off-course atmosphere at the Shawnee Inn.

Arnold Palmer met his first wife, Winnie, on the porch of the Shawnee Inn and golfers there over the years included Lucille Ball, Art Carney, Perry Como, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eddie Fisher, George Gobel and Ed Sullivan.

Indiana architect Bill Diddel added a third nine to Tillinghast’s work in 1963 and Tom Doak created a nine-hole practice facility at the resort.  A major bridge construction was underway when we visited. That’s significant because the course is divided by what director of marketing Jeromy Wo describes as “international waters.’’

The par-3 second hole on the Red nine plays over the Delaware River to an island that ends when golfers tee off on the No. 7 hole of the Blue nine and the holes come back to the mainland. Twenty-four of the 27 holes at Shawnee are on the island.

“The island isn’t part of either Pennsylvania or New Jersey,’’ said Wo.

The three nine-hole courses are basically flat, but very much fun.  Shawnee isn’t all about golf, however.  The 80-room Inn is old, but charming, and there’s vacation cottages and the Delaware Lodge also available for visitors.

The resort has two pubs and a brewery. Spa Shawnee and Salon is a place to get pampered and unwind. There’s also river boating and rafting, an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool, a beach along the Delaware River, biking and hiking trails and a playhouse.

That’s a lot to digest, but Shawnee is a special place and I’m glad to have experienced it.

This bridge, now under construction, will simplify traffic over the Delaware River at Shawnee.

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 to golf’s biggest controversy in years would come at some point – just not this soon.

As the day progressed I enjoyed the colorful responses coming via Twitter from players and fans on both sides of the issue and, upon arriving at home, I watched the slanted version of the news provided by The Golf Channel.

The long day of travel gave me plenty of time to ponder what had happened.  Since most of my golf pundit buddies had their say, I wanted mine, too.

First of all, this “merger’’ may be a step toward peace in the golf world – and that’s a good thing. It’s not a merger yet, though.  It might be called a truce, because it was at least a way for the three tours to eliminate the costly litigation that would have soon ensued.

There’s a long, long way to go before there’s anything that might bring golfing peace, however. Though there’s nearly six months left in 2023, the “merger’’ announcement said there won’t be any changes until 2024.

Said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan in a memo to his players: “Many details need to be worked through as we develop a definitive agreement, which will ultimately require PGA Tour Policy Board approval.  And I know you have many questions.’’

Dylan Wu, the young tour player out of Northwestern, had one:  “Tell me why Jay Monahan basically got a promotion to CEO of all golf in the world by going back on everything he said the past two years.  Wish golf worked like that.  I guess money always wins.’’

Monahan heard more complaints in a closed-door meeting with his players on Tuesday.  He was called a hypocrite and, I suspect, a lot worse. Monahan owned up to that in a Golf Channel interview on Wednesday.

He’s been a difficult guy for me to figure out.  Monahan did a great job bringing his tour through the pandemic. Golf was up and running long before any of the other professional sports.  As for dealing with the threat LIV presented, his actions were questionable at best.

As for LIV, I’ve been to two of its tournaments – Florida stops at Doral and Orlando.  The galleries at both were significant and enthusiastic. I’ve never been pro-LIV, and I’ve  never been anti-LIV. Journalistically I have, as always, strived to be fair.  I’ve treated LIV for what it is – a fledgling golf tour.

Still, whenever I wrote about it, there was always some negative reaction. In a few instances it evened boarded on hate mail.

I like LIV’s inclusion of team competition to supplement individual play at its events, though the team part needs some fine-tuning.  I have no problem with the 54-hole formats and shotgun starts.  Just because that’s not the way the PGA Tour does it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

If you want to see top level golf in the Chicago area LIV is good opportunity.  The PGA Tour, after making the area an annual stop for decades, last staged one of its tournaments here in 2019.  (This year the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship is at Olympia Fields Aug. 17-20 – and nothing else is scheduled until the President’s Cup in 2026.  The LIV Tour stops at Rich Harvest Farms for the second straight year Sept. 22-24).

Hopefully the “merger’’ will reduce the number of times I hear terms like “sports-washing’’ and “blood money.’’ I like Dustin Johnson’s response when asked why he left the PGA Tour to join LIV.

“I make more money and work less,’’ said Johnson.  “Who wouldn’t?’’

A simple answer to a simple question. I can live with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardy, Streelman deliver with U.S. Open berths on the line

 

The “Longest Day in Golf’’ always produces plenty of drama, but this year’s – held on Monday – was particularly interesting. The ten 36-hole sectional qualifying tournaments held across the country sent four Chicago players to the 123rd U.S. Open, to be played June 15-18 at the Los Angeles Country Club.

Those who made it into the 156-man finals included Kevin Streelman, the PGA Tour veteran from Wheaton, and second-year PGA Tour member Nick Hardy, from Northbrook. Both missed the 36-hole in  the Memorial tournament, last week’s PGA Tour event, but got their games together at their U.S. Open qualifier – especially Hardy.  He posted a stunning 61 in his second 18 to get back to the Open.

Streelman, 44, stayed in Columbus to compete in the traditional sectional conducted at two nearby courses.  He finished in a tie for ninth place, and his 8-under-par 136 score was just good enough to earn a spot at Los Angeles Country Club.

The Columbus field is usually the biggest and strongest of the sectionals because of its proximity to the PGA Tour event.  Eleven Open spots were available for 103 competitors there.  Streelman tied for ninth with three others, among them amateur David Nyfjali, a member of the Northwestern golf team who also made it to the Open finals.

Making the Open is nothing new for Streelman.  He’s played in eight of them, with his best finish coming in a tie for 13th at Oakmont, in Pennsylvania, in 2016.

The Springfield, Ohio, sectional was again a charm for Hardy.  His 71-61 showing put in him third place with his sectional having 75 players battling for five spots in the Open. Though Hardy played in the Memorial he opted to compete for a U.S. Open berth in a sectional on a course where he had been successful before.

Hardy, 27, had played in four U.S. Opens and had his best showing last year with a tie for 14th at The Country Club, in Massachusetts.  He got into that one after being the first alternate in sectional play. Dylan Wu, a Northwestern alum who is also a PGA Tour member, was also a qualifier at Springfield after shooting 63-70 for a tie for fourth.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick won last year’s U.S. Open. The U.S. Golf Association had nearly 10,000 entries for this year’s version and 84 were exempted into the starting field off past performances. Andy Pope, who qualified for five U.S. Opens and made the 36-hole cut in two of them, didn’t make it this time.  The former Glen Ellyn resident and Korn Ferry Tour regular lost out as the second alternate in a three-man playoff at Canoe Brook, in New Jersey. Pope, who won the Florida Open after dropping off the Korn Ferry circuit last year, had previously qualified via local and sectional qualifiers four times before coming up short on Monday.

The biggest contingent of Chicago-connected hopefuls was in Columbus where past Illinois Open champions Tee-K Kelly and Bryce Emory, Illinois alum Luke Guthrie and Northwestern alum and PGA Tour player David Lipsky all missed the cut.

Big news was also made off the course, at the John Deere Classic media preview for its 52nd playing at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.   John Deere and the PGA Tour announced that they have agreed to a three-year extension for John Deere to remain as title sponsor of the tourney.  Moline-based John Deere has been the title sponsor since 1998 and this year will mark its 25th anniversary in that role.

“The John Deere Classic is a significant example of one of the PGA Tour’s most engaged communities coming together to achieve great things,’’ said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “As title sponsor John Deere has gone above and beyond to help create an outstanding experience for our players and fans while making a lasting impact with local non-profits.’’

Since its founding in 1971 the tournament has raised over $159 million for local charities. This year’s event is July 6-9.