This week’s “Longest Day in Golf’’ was an especially long one for 20 Chicago-connected players who had hopes of qualifying for the 122^nd U.S. Open.  Only one made it through Monday’s 10 sectional qualifiers.

Belgium’s Adrien Dumont de Chassart, the star of the University Illinois team, squeezed in thanks to a solid second round in the elimination at Springfield, Ohio.  De Chassart, who sparked the Illini to the Big Ten title and will return as a fifth-year senior next season, finished in a four-way tie for fifth place.  The Springfield elimination had 77 players competing for eight sports in the finals at The Country Club in Massachusetts June 16-19.

Nick Hardy, a PGA Tour rookie and Illinois alum, finished one stroke behind De Chassart in an attempt to qualify for his fourth U.S. Open. Hardy shot 65 in the first round but dropped to a 72 in the afternoon while De Chassart shot 70-66 to advance. Englishman Harry Hall, who beat Hardy in a playoff for the title at last week’s Korn Ferry Tour event at The Glen Club in Glenview, was among those advancing in a sectional at Ansley, Ga.

This year’s U.S. Open drew 8,880 entries and 871 advanced through 109 local eliminations to reach the sectional stage where 65 spots at The Country Club were on the line. Springfield drew most of the Chicago competitors but only Hardy was a serious contender.

De Chassart’s Illini teammate Tommy Kuhl of Morton, IL., was among the leaders after the morning round in Jupiter, FL, when he carded a 68.  He faded to a 76 in the afternoon, however, and tied for 20^th.

GOING COLLEGIATE:  The University of Illinois opened the Atkins Golf Club, the renamed and renovated version of Stone Creek, last week and men’s coach Mike Small announced a 36-hole collegiate tournament there as a final tuneup for next year’s Big Ten Championship.

The Illini also added a graduate student transfer in Matthis Besard, who starred at Southern Illinois as an undergraduate.  He was the Missouri Valley Conference’s Player of the Year this season and leaves SIU with school records for most rounds in the 60s and low 54-hole score (a 16-under-par 200).

Meanwhile, Justin Fetcho, one of Small’s former assistants, is returning as head coach at Southern Illinois.  He directed the Salukis from 2015-20 and took them to the NCAA tournament twice. He left for an assistant’s job at Florida State before returning to SIU.

HERE AND THERE: Dave Lockhart’s Golf360 show is back on the air with Katie Kearney as the new host.  She will team with ex-Bears’ long snapper Patrick Mannelly, who will handle interviews and features in the show’s seventh season.  Each episode with be shown at least 10 times on NBC Sports Chicago.

Cog Hill, in Palos Park, will host the first of nine nation-wide qualifiers for the Amateur Putting Tour’s national championship on June 29.  The top five finishers in the 90-player field will advance to the national finals at Pinehurst, in North Carolina, on Nov. 6.

Marcus Hrpcha, former assistant at Bob O’Link in Highland Park, is the new head professional at Ravinia Green in Riverwoods.

 

`The Longest Day in Golf’ is fast approaching for U.S. Open hopefuls.

The golf focus for this week could be on the PGA Tour’s Memorial tournament in Ohio or the U.S. Women’s Open in North Carolina.  For Chicago followers, though, it should be on Monday’s U.S. Open sectional eliminations. They will determine the last players to get into the 156-man starting field in the June 16-19 U.S. Open proper at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass, and at least 15 locals are still alive.

The qualifying procedure is complicated. There are eight sectional eliminations on Monday to determine the final berths at Brookline.  The field there has 96 players who are exempt through various categories determined by the U.S. Golf Association.  Virtually all the rest will be decided in Monday’s 36-hole sectionals, which is why that day is annually dubbed “the longest day in golf.’’

This year’s U.S. Open had 8,880 entries, and 530 advanced through the 109 local eliminations held across the country. Some players, notably Chicago products Nick Hardy and Vince India, could bypass the local qualifiers because of their world ranking points.  Both have to survive the sectional stage to play at Brookline, however.

There are 871 players in the sectional eliminations, and only about 60 will get tee times at Brookline. All the sectionals are different.  The number of entries and the USGA’s perception of the strength of field will determine how many advance at each site.

The USGA hasn’t revealed who will compete, or where, but the strongest sectional is always in Columbus, Ohio, where the non-exempt PGA Tour players generally gather a day after the Memorial concludes its 72-hole run at Muirfield Village in suburban Columbus, Ohio.

Hardy, a University of Illinois alum from Northbrook, is in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.  He showed he’s recovered from a wrist injury when he was the runner-up on Sunday in the Korn Ferry NV5 Invitational at The Glen Club, in Glenview. He needed to rest the wrist for a month after finishing in a tie for 21^st at the PGA’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event. The Glen Club tourney was the start of Hardy’s comeback.

“At the start of the week I didn’t even know if I could tee off on Thursday,’’ said Hardy.  “The layoff changed my perspective.  I had too many thoughts.  The layoff told me `I’m good at this game.’ Now my focus is the best I’ve ever had.’’

He’s already qualified for three U.S. Opens, finishing tied for 52^nd in 2015 at Chambers Bay and missing the cut in 2016 and 2019 before earning his PGA Tour card last year. Hardy is poised to play in the Open again.

“I’ll go to Ohio for the U.S. Open sectional, then the Canadian Open, then the Country Club,’’ he said.

India, 33 and still working for PGA membership on the Korn Ferry circuit,  is going to skip the  Korn Ferry event in Raleigh, N.C., this week to make a return to Open sectional qualifying.  He has focused on tour events in recent years, but not this time.

Otherwise Chicago-connected players in Monday’s sectionals got there through local qualifying, and 15 did it. Aurora’s Bryce Emory, a Northern Illinois alum, was low man at a local at Cantigny in Wheaton.  Tommy Kuhl, a veteran on the University of Illinois team from downstate Morton, was low man at a St. Louis sectional, and Winnetka’s Bennet Cotton shared honors at Wild Rock in Wisconsin.

Also advancing at Cantigny were Hoffman Estates’ Timothy Lim, Glen Ellyn’s Kyle Kochevar and Chicago’s Daniel Hudson – all professionals – and amateur Varun Chopra, a former Illini player.

Those coming through at the other Chicago local at Lake Shore in Glencoe were amateurs Daniel Tanaka of Wilmette, Jackson Bussell of Lincolnshire and Timmy Crawford of Arlington Heights along with pro Josh Esler of Wauconda.

Luke Gannon, of downstate Mahomet, was among the qualifiers at Illini Country Club in Springfield.

Chicago-connected tour players Kevin Streelman, Doug Ghim and Luke Donald are in the field at the Memorial and could be in the U.S. Open sectional in Columbus on Monday.  Neither are assured spots in the Open yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How difficult is it to get on the PGA Tour?   Just ask Vince India or Brad Hopfinger. They grew up in the Chicago suburbs, were stars at the University of Iowa together and among the select group of 10 players with wins in both the Illinois State Amateur and Illinois Open.

Both were early in their professional careers when they won the Illinois Open, Lake Forest’s Hopfinger doing it in 2014 and Deerfield’s India in 2018. Both followed those big wins by earning places on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour — a circuit that offers a direct path to the PGA Tour.

So far neither have completed that journey, but they should have an edge on their rivals in this week’s NV5 Invitational,  Chicago’s annual Korn Ferry stop.It tees off on Thursday at The Glen Club in Glenview – the same course where both Korn Ferry veterans won their Illinois Opens.

India, who has played over 20 tournament rounds there, has particularly fond memories of his win.

“In 2018 nothing was going on good golf-wise,’’ said India.  “My confidence was low, and I had a wonderful tournament.  I’ve got good memories of the shots I hit there.’’

He hopes those good vibes will carry into this week’s $750,000 tournament,  known as previously known as the Evans Scholars Invitational.

The top 25 on the Korn Ferry Tour’s point list at the end of this season get automatic berths on the PGA Tour in 2023, and those in the top 75 get a chance to play for 25 more in the three-tournament Korn Ferry Tour Finals that end in September.

 

India and Hopfinger aren’t the only Illinois Open champions in this week’s field at The Glen.  Patrick Flavin, a rookie pro from Highwood, also won at The Glen in 2017 to complete a sweep of the state’s Amateur and Open.  Other Illinois Open winners playing  this week are Northern Illinois alum Bryce Emory, who won his title at White Eagle, in Naperville, in 2020,  and Wheaton’s Tee-K Kelly who won last year at Stonebridge, in Aurora.

The field also includes University of Illinois alums Michael Feagles, Luke Guthrie, Nick Hardy and Dylan Meyer. Feagles tied for fourth in last week’s Korn Ferry stop in Kansas City, Mo., and Hardy, who earned his PGA Tour card through his play on the Korn Ferry last season, is dropping back down for a week in an effort to recover from a wrist injury.

Of all the players on that list only India and Feagles are in position for a berth in the Korn Ferry Finals now.  India is No. 50 in the point standings and Feagles No. 70.  India, who has been close to earning his PGA Tour card several times despite battling health issues, needs some good finishes to make the jump to golf’s premier circuit.

“I’ve been in striking distance.  I’ve had plenty of chances but didn’t it done on the weekends,’’ he said.

India, now living in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, suspected his climb to the PGA Tour would be a slow one.

“When I got my (Korn Ferry) card at 25 I had stuff wrong with my body and my  swing, and I’ve undone a lot of those tangles,’’ said India.  “Our season is so short you’ve got to play as many events as you can, and playing more leaves you more susceptible to injury.  My body feels real good now, though, and that’s pretty encouraging because I’m seeing results in my golf game.’’

Now 33, India is even confident enough to skip a Korn Ferry event in Raleigh, N.C., next month to compete in a sectional qualifier for the U.S. Open in Georgia.  With an Official World Golf Ranking in the top 500, India could skip the Open local qualifiers this time and – while he admits progress has been slow – he’s in it for the long haul.

“The thirties are the new prime,’’ said India.  “I have absolutely no time limits.  As long as my body is healthy and my mid is fresh I’ll do this forever.  I’m married to my golf game, and there’s not going to be a divorce.’’

FOOTNOTE:  Clair Peterson, tournament director of the John Deere Classic for 20 years, has announced that next month’s JDC will be his last. He plans to retire after the post-tournament details are completed in the fall.

Last year’s PGA Championship at Kiawah, in South Carolina, will be remembered historically for Phil Mickelson becoming, at 50, the oldest winner of a major championship.

It’ll be memorable for Kevin Streelman, as well.  Chicago’s most prominent PGA Tour member finished in a nine-way tie for eighth place, his first top-10 finish in 26 appearances in golf’s majors.  Streelman finished five strokes behind Mickelson and matched the score of – among others — reigning Masters champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa.

Times have changed a lot since then.  Streelman is entered again in this week’s PGA Championship, at Southern Hills in Oklahoma, but Mickelson isn’t.  Embroiled in a controversy over his role in the creation of a Saudi-financed tour, Mickelson declined to make a title defense.

And Streelman, while the only Chicago-connected player among the 156 starters who will tee off on Thursday, has hardly been playing like a potential contender.

In his last three starts the Wheaton product has two missed cuts with a tie for 67^th in the Mexico Open in between.  He didn’t play in last week’s Byron Nelson tournament in Texas.

A qualifier for the FedEx Cup Playoffs the last 14 years, Streelman has been dropping fast in the rankings this year.  Last year he finished at No. 64.  Now he’s No. 114 and the top 125 qualify for the three-tournament climax to the season in August. In the Official World Golf Rankings Streelman was 77^th at the start of 2022; now he’s 113^th.

At 43 Streelman’s best golf days may be behind him.  His two wins on the PGA Tour came in 2013 (in Tampa, FL) and 2014 (Hartford).

Still, another good PGA Championship showing could turn this season around. In 14 years on the tour Streelman qualified for the PGA Championship seven times, missing the cut in four of them before his strong finish at Kiawah. He also came off four straight missed cuts to notch his most memorable victory eight years ago at the Travelers Championship when birdied the last seven holes to win.

HERE AND THERE: Chris Nieto, the new head professional at Exmoor in Highland Park, defeated Brian Carroll, of Royal Hawk in St. Charles, in the title march of the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Elgin Country Club. It was the first of the section’s four major events of 2022.

Carbondale’s Britt Pavelonis and Crystal Lake’s Mike Karney shot 2-under-par at Biltmore in North Barrington to earn berths in the U.S. Senior Open June 23-26 at Saucon Valley, in Pennsylvania.

Bryan Cox, who had been general manager and head professional at Piper Glen, in Springfield, is now the general manager of golf operations at the Arlington Heights Park District.

Bryce Emory, the 2020 Illinois Open champion from Aurora, and Jaime Lopez Rivarola, of Jacksonville, FL., led the fields Monday in Chicago’s U.S. Open local qualifiers at Cantigny, in Wheaton, and Lake Shore, in Glencoe, respectively. The survivors will compete in sectional play for spots in the Open proper June 13-19 at Brookline, in Massachusetts.

The Big Ten champion University of Illinois men’s team concludes its bid to reach the NCAA finals at today’s regional at Yale’s course in Connecticut. Also concluding their bids in three-day regionals are Notre Dame, at PGA National in Florida; and Northwestern and Southern Illinois, at Ohio State Golf Club.

The first championship event of the Chicago District Golf Association’s 109^th season – the CDGA Mid-Amateur – also concludes today at Naperville Country Club.

 

 

 

 

 

The University of Illinois men’s team earned its 15^th straight appearance in NCAA regional play, which starts on Monday.  That was no surprise after the Illini won their seventh straight Big Ten title and 12^th in the last 13 years last week, extending a run of three straight tournament titles.

Now things get more difficult.  Coach Mike Small’s team was assigned the No. 4 seed the Yale Regional in New Haven, Ct.  It begins a 54-hole run Monday and the top five teams go to the NCAA finals  at May 27-June 1 at Grayhawk, in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“As a program you always want to build momentum at the right time of the year,’’ said Small.  “We’ve gotten better every month, and we were pretty solid in the last three tournaments.’’

Regardless of how the Illini perform in NCAA play, they figure to remain a collegiate power for at least another season.  Small’s top two players, seniors Adrien DuMont de Chaussart and Tommy Kuhl,  have decided to use a fifth season of eligibility – an opportunity afforded by pandemic issues.

This year Small had an inexperienced team.  Next year that won’t be the case, and the Illini hope to build on their streaks – Big Ten championships, NCAA regionals and NCAA Championships after their run in their year’s NCAA tourney.

If the Illini survive the regional in Connecticut they’ll make their 14^th straight appearance in the NCAA finals.  With their present 13 the Illini have the second longest streak in the finals, one behind Texas’ 14.

“These streaks mean a lot to everybody,’’ said Small.  “They show good longevity, but there’s a little added pressure.  Each team has to play for its own identity, not for the teams from the past.  But I know they’re excited about the NCAA.’’

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN:  Naperville’s Lisa Copeland, who finished third in the Girls 12-13 age group at April’s Drive Chip & Putt national finals at Georgia’s Augusta National, was in the spotlight again at Monday’s 36-hole qualifying round for the U.S. Women’s Open at Stonebridge, in Aurora.

Lisa was in a 4-way tie for second after shoot 71 in the morning round of the 36-hole elimination. Only one berth in the U.S. Women’s Open was on the line, however, and  Mexico’s Lisa Gutierrez, who played collegiately at the University of New Mexico and is now on the LPGA’s Epsom (formerly Symetra) Tour, got it with  a 70-72 performance on the 6,309-yard par-72 layout that hosted last year’s Illinois Open.

Lisa was a two-time qualifier out of the Medinah Regional for the Drive Chip & Putt national finals. She plays out of Cog Hill, in Palos Park,  and is coached by that club’s Kevin Weeks.

HERE AND THERE: After not being held for two years the Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities outing will be staged for the 51^st time on July 14 at Twin Orchard, in Long Grove. Twin Orchard, gearing up for its centennial celebration in 2024, will begin a renovation of its White Course in August with architect Drew Rogers supervising the project that also includes the addition of four pickleball courts.

Jason Hyatt, head coach at College of DuPage and a member of the teaching staff at Cantigny, in Winfield, has been named to the NCAA Men’s Coaching Association Hall of Fame.  In his 19^th season as COD’s coach, Hyatt won the NCAA title and was part of national championship teams in 1997 and 1998 as a player there. His current team goes after its 10^th regional title beginning on Sunday at Prairieview, in Dixon.

A local qualifier for the U.S Senior Open will be held today at Biltmore, in North Barrington, and a U.S. Open local elimination is on top for Monday at Lake Shore, in Glencoe.

Judson University will hold a golf outing to benefit its World Leaders Forum on June 13 at Bull Valley, in Woodstock.

 

 

The awarding of sponsor’s exemptions isn’t a big deal at a PGA Tour event.  Tournament directors usually announce the lucky four or so winners in the early days of tournament week.

That’s not the case with this year’s John Deere Classic, however.  Highwood’s Patrick Flavin received the good news nearly two months  before the JDC, which tees off on June 30 at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.

Not only did JDC executive director Clair Peterson declare Flavin the first special exemption for this year’s tourney, he also invited him to the event’s May 13 media preview event where he will share the spotlight with defending champion Lucas Glover. Rarely are non-PGA Tour members accorded that honor.

“I’m pumped.  This is a dream come true,’’ said Flavin, who starred for his college team at Miami of Ohio but got his first major notoriety by winning both the Illinois State Amateur and Illinois Open in the same year (2017). Only David Ogrin, a PGA journeyman, had accomplished that feat, back in 1980.

“Patrick’s performance in Monday qualifiers this season in addition to his strong college career and Midwestern roots compelled us to invite him,’’ said Peterson.

Flavin’s showing in the 18-hole Monday rounds, in which about 100 players compete for four berths in the tournament proper, particularly caught Peterson’s attention. Flavin sees them as his path to the PGA Tour, and so far so good.

Flavin survived the Monday qualifier for the Bermuda Open and tied for 17^th in the tournament.  He survived the Monday qualifier for the Puerto Rico Open and tied for 22^nd.

In addition to those successes he narrowly lost spots in Monday playoffs at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Valspar Championship and was one shot out of a playoff for a berth in this week’s Wells Fargo Championship.

Though Flavin survived on Monday at last week’s Mexico Open he missed the cut and didn’t cash in for prize money or the all-important FedEx Cup points.

“I need enough points to get into the last three Korn Ferry (Tour) events of the year,’’ said Flavin.  “That’s my goal.  That’s the carrot I’m chasing.’’

If he gets into the Korn Ferry Finals and finishes in the top 25 he’ll get his PGA Tour card.  It’s not an impossible feat.  Patrick Reed tried the Monday qualifier rout in 2012 and survived six of them. In 2018 he won the Masters.

Sponsor exemptions also can lead to FedEx points, and Flavin earned some when he was invited to the Corales Puntacana tourney in the Dominican Republic and tied for 54^th.  Now the only PGA Tour event in his home state has also opened a door for him.

“John Deere’s a game-changer,’’ said Flavin.  “I’ve given myself lots of opportunities. I’ve gotten so much better, but the biggest change is mentally.  It’s just feeling you belong.  I’m really in a good place.’’

Flavin has earned 75 FedEx points in the three PGA Tour events in which he made the cut and estimates he’ll need 100 to get into the Korn Ferry Finals. He could get 100 just by playing well in the JDC and hopes to compete in Illinois before that.

Last year the Western Golf Association gave him a sponsor’s exemption into its Evans Scholars Invitational, and Flavin finished fifth in that Korn Ferry stop.  He’s hoping for  a return to the tourney, renamed the NV5 Invitational, when it comes to The Glen Club May 26-29.

 

HERE AND THERE: The Illinois men’s team rallied in Sunday’s third round of the Big Ten championships at French Lick, Ind., to win the league title for the seventh straight year and 12^th in the last 13. The Illini learn where they’ll be playing the regional stage of the NCAA tournament at today’s 3 p.m. Golf Channel announcement..

Kent State won the Mid American Conference title for the sixth straight time last week at White Eagle, in Naperville.  Northern Illinois finished third, but the Huskies had a notable accomplishment on the women’s side.  Jasmine Ly, who won the MAC title a week earlier, became the first NIU woman to qualify for the NCAAs.

Illinois alum Nick Hardy is dealing with a wrist injury in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.  He hopes to return to action at the Byron Nelson Classic.

The 32^nd season of the Golfers on Golf Radio show begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday on WNDZ (750-AM). Rory Spears, Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger and myself will return as co-hosts of the longest-running golf radio show in the Chicago area.

 

Coach Mike Small’s University of Illinois men’s golf team hasn’t been the powerhouse this season that it had been during most of the last two decades.

Things changed for the Illini  in a big way at this crucial point of the season, however.

The Illini tied for the title in their first tournament, then went seven straight events without a victory before winning their last two in commanding fashion.  They expanded a one-stroke lead to eight in the final round of the Boilermaker Invitational on Purdue’s home course two weeks ago, then defended their title in Ohio State’s Kepler Invitational on Sunday by expanding a seven-stroke lead to 13 in a rousing final round..

Adrien Dumont de Chassart, a senior from Belgium, enjoyed a big two weeks.  He captured his third collegiate victory at Purdue, then was named to the International team for the second time in the Palmer Cup, a high profile team event that’ll be played July 1-3 in Switzerland.

De Chassart played in the event in 2021 when the Palmer Cup was held at Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove.  He’ll become the second Illini to play in two Palmer Cups, fellow Belgian Thomas Detry being the first in 2014 and 2015.

Topping off his big two-week stretch, de Chassart was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week thanks to his victory at Purdue and joined fellow senior Tommy Kuhl in a tie for third place to spur the win at Ohio State.

While his star player was picking up those honors Small made a rare competitive appearance while the college season was still in progress.  He tied for 33^rd in last week’ s PGA Professional Championship in Texas, an event he had won it three times. While his finish wasn’t good enough to crack the Class of 20 who qualified for next month’s PGA Championship in Oklahoma, it was good enough for the 55-year old Small to finish the highest among the 11 Illinois PGA members who qualified for the national championship.

Amidst the team’s strong play the school also announced a June 3 date for the Grand Opening of the Atkins Golf Club, the renamed and much renovated new home of Illinois’ men’s and women’s teams.

The wins at Purdue and Ohio State gave the Illini momentum going into the three-day Big Ten championships, which tee off on Friday on the Pete Dye Course at French Lick, Ind., and the NCAA tournament, which concludes the season.

The Illini have won the last six Big Ten titles and 11 of the last 12, and they’ve made 13 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament during Small’s 21 seasons at the helm.

 

HERE AND THERE:  Mistwood, in Romeoville, has announced that the 27^th Illinois Women’s Open will be played there July 25-26 with a format change.  The event will be reduced from 54 to 36 holes.

Mistwood also announced that Angelica Carman has been hired as the sustainability specialist.  Her first project will be to establish The Farm at Mistwood.

Hickory Knoll, a nine-hole course in Lake Villa that was closed the last two years, has announced a re-opening on May 6. North Shore Capital Group has acquired the course, which originally opened in 1947.

Illinois-connected PGA Tour players Dylan Wu, Nick Hardy and Doug Ghim all made the cut in the circuit’s only in-season team event last week but they were on separate teams at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.  Wu and Justin Lower tied for 10^th, Hardy and Curtis Thompson tied for 21st and Ghim and Matthias Schwab tied for 32^nd.

The Golfers on Golf Radio show will return for its 32^nd season at 10 a.m. on May 7.  The show will  switch to WNDZ (750-AM) for this season.

The Chicago District Golf Assn. will conduct a qualifying round for its Senior Amateur on Thursday at Bloomingdale.

 

This week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans isn’t a big deal compared to other events on the PGA Tour.  It could turn out big for Doug Ghim and Nick Hardy, two of the Chicago area’s young guns on the circuit, however.

The Zurich Classic is the only full-field team event of the PGA Tour season.  Lots of the top stars skip the two-man team battle to rest up for the bigger events coming up. Ghim. though, saw value in team last year, recruited non-PGA Tour member Justin Suh to be his partner and they cashed in with a tie for 11^th finish.

Ghim has a different partner this year in Matthias Schwab, an Austrian in his first season on the PGA Tour.  Hardy, also in his rookie PGA Tour season, will team up with Curtis Thompson, another first-year player who – like Hardy – used the Korn Ferry Tour as a path to the premier circuit.

Now in his second PGA Tour season, Ghim could reflect on his success with Suh to  appreciate what the Zurich Classic offers.

“You just feel a little added weight because usually itj’s just me and my caddie that have high hopes for our golf ball,’’ said Ghim.  “Now there’s two extra people counting on you (his partner and that partner’s caddie).  It could be a season changer.’’

The Ghim-Schwab team is a little further along than Hardy-Thompson.  Though neither qualified for the Masters two weeks ago, both Ghim and Schwab made the cut in last week’s RBC Heritage Classic at Hilton Head, S.C.  Ghim, who grew up in Arlington Heights before starring at the University of Texas, tied for 35^th after going 67-69 on the weekend.  Schwab tied for 59^th but has three top-10 finishes already in this first PGA Tour season.

Hardy, from Northbrook and the University of Illinois, made 12 of 24 cuts since earning PGA Tour membership but he missed in four of his last five starts.  Not qualified for the Heritage, he returned to the Korn Ferry for competition in a Texas event and missed the cut there.

Thompson’s brother Nicholas is also a PGA Tour member and his sister Lexi is a mainstay on the LPGA circuit.  Curtis’ first PGA Tour season has been a reverse of Hardy’s so far.  Curtis started slowly and has made seven of 15 cuts, but he did play all four rounds in six of his last seven tournaments.

Ghim has improved from his first PGA season to his second.  He was even No. 6 on the U.S. Ryder Cup points list before the Masters, and the top six when the standings are over get automatic berths on the U.S. team for the next Ryder Cup in Italy.  That’s not until the fall of 2023, however,

Ghim has a formula for more immediate gratification at the Zurich Classic, which tees off on Thursday. At least his strategy worked last year, when he challenged Suh to a birdie contest.  It brought out the best in both their games.

“The best way for us to be competitive is to play against each other,’’ said Ghim. “I thought, if he was going to be competitive with me I knew I was going to bring my game, so he had better step in with his. (Suh) ended up beating me, so that’s always good.’’

BITS AND PIECES: Other Illinois players will compete at New Orleans.  D.A. Points is paired with Scott Gutschewski and Dylan Wu with Justin Lower.  The tourney will also make the return to competition of Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.  He’ll play with Ryan Palmer.

Wednesday will decide the 20 club professionals who will qualify for next month’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Oklahoma.  The Illinois PGA had 11 players qualify for the 72-hole event at Barton Creek, in Texas, and six survived the 36-hole cut on Monday. Mike Small, the University of Illinois men’s coach, was in a tie for 16^th midway through the competition and the only local player in the top 20 at that point.  Tim Streng, Garrett Chaussard, Frank Hohenadel and Brian Carroll also survived the cut.  So did Brad Marek, a former Arlington Heights resident now living in California.  He was a qualifier for last year’s PGA Championship.

 

Only Zach Johnson had been sporting the logo of Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event on his golf bag.  Now America’s next Ryder Cup captain has company.

Daniel Berger, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour and member of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team last fall at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits, sported the John Deere Classic logo on his bag for the first time at last week’s Masters. You might have had a hard time seeing it, as Berger finished in a tie for 50^th place and didn’t get much TV time.

Now a charitable ambassador for John Deere, Berger’s involvement is a big boost for the tournament that will be played a week earlier than usual – June 30 through July 3 – at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.

Berger and John Deere, in a multiyear agreement, will commit $100,000 in donations to various organizations in lieu of a traditional win bonus. Berger has two wins at the St. Jude Classic and one at both the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Charles Schwab Challenge in his PGA Tour career.  The Schwab win came in the first PGA Tour event conducted after the circuit took a three-month break because of pandemic issues in 2020.

“I’ll bet I’ve got the best looking bag around,’’ Berger said on Twitter.  He’ll be in the field at the RBC Heritage Classic, which tees off on Thursday in Hilton Head, S.C.  The field also includes Illinois-connected players Luke Donald, Kevin Streelman and Doug Ghim.

ILLINI BREAKTHROUGH:  Coach Mike Small’s current University of Illinois men’s team hasn’t been the dominant force it had been in collegiate golf but that could be changing with the most important tournaments of the season closing in.

The Illini tied for first with Cincinnati in their season-opening tournament in September, then went winless in seven straight until last week’s victory in Purdue’s Boilermaker Invite. Illinois senior Adrien Dumont de Chassart was the medalist and Tommy  Kuhl, Jackson Buchanan and Piercen Hunt also finished among the top 10 individuals.

“A solid team effort,’’ said Small.  “The guys weren’t fazed by the tough, cold conditions at the start, then we were going  head-to-head with a good team on their home course. To close solidly is a mindset that we have talked about embracing and becoming a habit.’’

The Illini compete in Ohio State’s Kepler Intercollegiate April 23-24 before the Big Ten championship and NCAA tournaments kick in.

BITS AND PIECE: Dubsdread, the long-time Western Open site at Cog Hill in Palos Park, opens on Saturday, as one of the last Chicago area courses to welcome players.  Cog Hill also has a new director of grounds.  He’s Reed Anderson, who previously worked at Butler National, Chicago Golf Club and New Year’s Winged Foot.

KemperSports has made some major hires at its Chicago courses.  Chris Stewart is the new general manager at Royal Melbourne, in Long Grove; Tom Grey becomes the general manager at Canal Shores, in Evanston; and T.J. Wydner is the GM at Chicago’s Harborside International.

Dave Lockhart’s Golf360 TV show now has a co-host. Katie Kearney will join ex-Bear Patrick Mannelly when the broadcasts begin in June on NBC Sports Chicago.

Taylor Lambertsen, who grew up in Palos Park and held assistant professional jobs at Kemper Lakes and Exmoor, is the new director of instruction for the First Tee of Greater Chicago.

The Illinois PGA has announced the site for its fourth and final major event of the season.  Lake Shore, in Glencoe, will host the IPGA Players Championship Sept. 26-17.

 

 

Picking the winner of any PGA Tour event is an exercise in futility. Still, come Masters time, forecasting the champion seems almost an obligation. I’ve been making the effort since attending my first Masters in 1986, and I’ve picked the winner only once – Fred Couples in 1992.

With the 86^th Masters teeing off on Thursday, I’ll first tell you who won’t win this week.  Then I’ll explain why Scottie Scheffler will.

The usual contenders don’t seem ready.  Tiger Woods, assuming his “game time decision’’ is to play, hasn’t been in serious competition since being involved in a serious auto accident in 13 months ago. The fact that he even considered teeing it up so soon was surprising.  Winning? Well, even he’s not ITAL that END ITAL good.

Phil Mickelson won’t play, either because he’s suspended or contemplating his future in the game – take your pick.

Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama has a sore neck that was painful enough to force his withdrawal from last week’s Valero Texas Open and Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau couldn’t even come close to making the cut in that last tournament leading into the year men’s first major championship of 2022.

Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, surprisingly, haven’t won yet 15 tournaments into the  2022 portion of the PGA Tour schedule.  Thomas has played in seven events, Johnson in five.  Patrick Cantlay, the FedEx Cup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2021, hasn’t won either and his form has been way off since a runner-up finish at Phoenix in February.

And now for Scheffler.  The 25-year old Texan is on a role.  He’s won three of his last five starts that began with a win over Cantlay in a playoff at Phoenix and included a head-to-head win over Johnson in the semifinals of his last start – a victory in the World Golf Championship’s Match Play Championship two weeks ago.

I was up close and personal for Scheffler’s other victory, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month.

Already the first player to win three times before the Masters since Thomas and Johnson did it in 2016, Scheffler wisely skipped the Valero Texas Open in his home state to get ready for this week’s shootout at Augusta National.

Despite his youth, Scheffler knows all about Augusta National.  He played in the last two Masters and finished top-20 in both. This is a young player coming on fast, and a tournament in the Chicago area played a big role in that.

In 2019, when the pandemic was keeping fans and media away from tournaments, the Western Golf Association created the Evans Scholars Invitational in an effort that kept the Korn Ferry Tour in Chicago.  Scheffler won it at The Glen Club in Glenview, beating Marcelo Rozo in a playoff. That was Scheffler’s first win as a touring pro and triggered his ascension to the PGA Tour.

Last year he was a captain’s pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team — a surprise to many, myself included.  Still, he was unbeaten in his matches at Whistling Straits, going 2-0-1 in the Americans’ one-sided victory over the Europeans.

Now, after his continued success over the last three months, he’s been elevated to the No. 1 player in the world, according to the Official World Golf Rankings.  Can that first major championship be that far off?

BITS AND PIECE: Chicago had a champion in Sunday’s Drive, Chip & Putt national finals at Augusta National.  Michael Jorski, of Clarendon Hills, won in the Boys 12-13 division. It was his second appearance in the finals.  He made it in the 7-9 age group when his family lived in Kansas.

No Chicago-connected players qualified for this year’s Masters.  Needing to win last week, all five entered the Valero Texas Open.  Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman did the best, tying for 18^th.

Deerfield’s Vince India, a former Illinois Open champion and  now a regular on the Korn Ferry Tour, helped his father Dan get a tee time for his foursome on a recent guys’ trip to the TPC Stadium Course in Florida. It produced a shot for the record books.  Playing from the White tees, Dan holed his tee shot from the White tees at No. 12 – a 296-yard par-4 – for an albatross.