SILVIS, IL. – Highwood’s Patrick Flavin is taking  a precarious route to the PGA Tour, but…so far, so good.

Flavin has no status on the PGA Tour, so the only way he can get into tournaments is through Monday qualifiers or sponsor exemptions. Neither is easy.

The qualifiers usually draw about 200 players, with just four spots in the main event on the line. Sponsor exemptions are a hit and miss thing. You’ve got to know the right people, and those people get lots of applicants.

Between Monday qualifiers and sponsor exemptions Flavin has gotten into eight PGA Tour events in this 2021-22 wrap-around season, the last being this week’s John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run.

In his first seven PGA Tour events Flavin survived the 36-hole cut in three and earned $145,165.  Most of that came in a $99,123 payday for a tie for 17^th in the Bermuda Open last fall.  The John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, could prove better than that by the time the $7.1 tournament ends on Sunday.

Flavin fired a 5-under-par 66 in Friday’s second round to get well under the cut number, assuring he’ll be playing on the weekend. He’s at 6-under 136 for 36 holes and trails leader J.T. Poston by nine strokes.

He got into the JDC on a sponsor’s exemption, this one offered by outgoing tournament director Clair Peterson, who will end a 20-year run on the job once the details of this staging are completed.

“Mr. Peterson have me a big high-five after my round,’’ said Flavin, one of only two players to win the Illinois State Amateur and Illinois Open in the same year.  He accomplished that feat in 2017 after a strong collegiate career at Miami of Ohio.

“I know I can get through those Monday qualifiers, but sponsor exemptions are hard to come by,’’ said Flavin.  “I wore Mr. Peterson out with emails for four years, and it was cool for him and John Deere to take a chance on me. It’s a real honor.’’

It’s more difficult to do well in a PGA Tour event if you get in via Monday qualifying instead of getting an invite. Flavin didn’t have to do it this week.  Not only did Peterson make him his first exemption, he also gave Flavin a spot in  Monday’s pro-am on the tournament course. That may have spurred his strong two-round start.

“It’s hard to put into words, but it’s incredibly huge,’’ said Flavin.  “From a preparation standpoint, it’s better if you can skip the qualifying round. Yesterday (in the first round) I made some awesome saves and today I played great, super solid.  I’m so pumped for the weekend.’’

Flavin, 26, hopes to earn enough money in his PGA Tour starts to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour Playoffs, then use a strong showing there to earn membership on the PGA Tour for the 2022-23 season.

“I’m not 100 percent sure what I need to do,’’ said Flavin, who will continue to play in all the Monday qualifiers unless another sponsor exemption comes his way.  “I’m pretty close to being there.  Putting myself in contention here would be my next big step, but I know I belong (on the PGA Tour). It’s so cool to get this much experience at this level.’’

Peterson’s sponsor exemptions in the past included John Daly, David Duval, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. The last top-10 finisher from the sponsor exemption ranks was University of Illinois alum Luke Guthrie who tied for fifth in 2012.

Flavin, in a tie for 25^th, is the best of the local players, though Kevin Streelman, Dylan Wu and Nick Hardy also survived the cut.  Defending champion Lucas Glover didn’t.

This week’s John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, will be the last with Clair Peterson as its tournament director.

Peterson, 69, will drop down to a player liaison’s role with Andrew Lehman, a JDC staffer for 16 years, assuming full time director’s duties after the post-tournament details from this year are completed.  The well-respected Peterson has held the job for 20 years, and the last three have been especially challenging.

In 2020 the tournament, which was planning a 50^th anniversary celebration, had to be cancelled because of pandemic concerns. In 2021 the tourney was held, and the anniversary celebrated, but with stiff restrictions. Attendance was limited to no more than 5,000.

This year the issues are a new date — albeit just a week earlier than in the past —  and a possible new rival.  The Saudi-financed LIV Tour will hold its first American tournament Thursday-Saturday in Oregon while the JDC has a Thursday-Sunday run at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.

Peterson downplays the importance of the LIV Tour, which has recruited many of the PGA Tour’s top stars over the last few weeks with the promise of bigger pay days. About 45 players have signed with the LIV circuit so far including the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau – the JDC champion in 2015.

“Those 45 historically weren’t going to come here anyway,’’ said Peterson.  “Their exhibition — a three-day event with a small field (48 players) and a shotgun start — has nothing to do with what we do. What we’ve got is a Super Bowl for our community.’’

The JDC is a huge benefactor for many charities throughout the Quad Cities area of Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa.  The tournament lost players in the past because it was held the week before the British Open. That’s not a problem now, though Peterson admits concerns over losing players to the Irish Open.

“That tournament has 75 slots for PGA Tour members, so that could affect us,’’ said Peterson. “We’ll still have 156 world class players.’’

Peterson has been resourceful in building attractive fields.  The proximity to the British was mitigated when he hired a jet to take players directly to the British site the night the JDC ended.

This year his diligence in using sponsor’s exemptions of the past is helping out.  Peterson’s first invite was Zach Johnson, who received two of them before going on to win a Masters and a British Open and taking a position on the JDC board. This week’s defending champion, Lucas Glover, is also a past invitee.

Peterson has also given invites to Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and DeChambeau. They won’t be at the JDC this week, but   past recipients Jason Day and Webb Simpson, major championship winners who haven’t played in the Quad Cities in recent years, will. Day was invited to the JDC when he was a 17-year old.

All the Chicago-connected PGA Tour players – Kevin Streelman, Luke Donald, Doug Ghim, Nick Hardy and Dylan Wu – will be in the field. Northbrook’s Hardy has been on a roll since recovering from a wrist injury.  The PGA Tour rookie tied for 14^th in the U.S. Open and tied for eighth in the Travelers Championship in Connecticut the last two weeks.

This year’s sponsor exceptions have a local flavor. One is Highwood’s Patrick Flavin, who has survived an astounding five Monday qualifiers to get into PGA Tour events this year.  Another is Southern Illinois’ Luke Gannon, who Monday  qualified for last year’s JDC and also competed in this year’s U.S. Open.

BITS: The 102^nd Chicago District Golf Association Amateur concludes its four-day run at Glen Flora, in Waukegan, on Thursday….Antioch High School’s Donald Barnett made two holes-in-one in an Illinois Junior Golf Association tournament at Bristol Oaks, in Wisconsin….Naperville’s Lisa Copeland bowed to Jessica Mason, of Westminster, Colo., in the title match of the 95^th Women’s Western Junior at Prestwick, in Frankfort, and Mexico’s Eduardo Derbez Torres captured the 104^th boys Western Junior at Naperville Country Club.

 

 

The U.S. Open is history, and now the focus turns to what’s coming up in two weeks.  The John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, goes head-to-head with the first American event on the controversial LIV Tour.

This week’s PGA Tour stop is the Travelers Championship in Connecticut and all the Chicago-connected players – Nick Hardy, Kevin Streelman, Luke Donald, Doug Ghim and Dylan Wu – are in the field. They’ll probably be in the JDC as well. It runs June 30 through July 3 at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.

In last year’s JDC the tourney celebrated its 50^th anniversary (be it a year late).  This year it’ll go head to head for the first three days of tournament play with the Saudi-backed  LIV stop at Pumpkin Ridge, in Oregon. Chicago will have its own LIV Tour event at Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove, from Sept. 16-18.

Jerry Rich, the owner of Rich Harvest Farms who has done wonders for amateur golf by welcoming events on his course, has been pumping up one of his rare entries into the professional competition.  His biggest such venture was hosting the 2009 Solheim Cup, a women’s team competition that proved a rousing success. He liked how the LIV Tour made its debut in London two weeks ago.

“While you can expect the same level of exciting tournament play, our event will have a unique player roster and fan experience, with some good old-fashioned Chicago flair,’’said Rich in his latest newsletter to friends of RHF. “We’ll find out who is playing closer to our tournament date, but trust me when I say you’re going to see some big names.’’

Two big ones – Bryson De Chambeau and Patrick Reed – will join the Saudi circuit at Pumpkin Ridge and more may be coming because of the prize money the new tour is offering. Still, of the 15 PGA Tour players who joined the LIV Tour and qualified for the U.S. Open, only four made the cut.

The John Deere Classic will have a four-day 72-hole run and a $7.1 million prize fund.  The Saudi events offer $25 million purses and run just 54 holes with a shotgun start each day and a team competition mixed in.

The LIV Tour purses are bigger than the U.S. Open ($17.5 million), PGA Championship and Masters (both $15 million) and The Players Championship ($20 million). That’s why players like Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson were willing to jump to the Saudi circuit. Rich expects them to be at Rich Harvest.

“Illinoisans deserve to have their socks knocked off by a spectacular golf tournament, one that encapsulates why this area is such a mecca for golf,’’ said Rich.

Tickets have been on sale for a few weeks.  They start at $70, and they’ll be complimentary for youth 15 and under, active duty military and veterans. There’ll also be discounts for first responders, medical professionals, teachers and students.

 

HERE AND THERE

The 89^th Illinois Women’s Golf Assn. state championship resulted in another matchup of defending champion Grace Curran, of New Lenox and the University of Minnesota, and Megan Furtney (St. Charles, Duke) in the final at The Grove in Long Grove.  This time Furtney won 2-up.

Frankfort’s Mark Small, 58, was the key player for the Chicago District’s Amateur team in a 10-8 victory over the best players in the Illinois PGA in the 60^th playing of the Radix Cup matches at Oak Park Country Club.  Small and partner David Keenan, of Champaign, scored the clinching points at Oak Park Country Club.  Small was making his ninth appearance for the Amateur squad but first since 1998. The Amateurs won for the first time since 2018, but the IPGA leads the series 37-21-2.

Kevin Flack, of Mauh-Nah-Tee-See in Rockford, successfully defended his title in the Illinois PGA Assistants Championship at Biltmore, in North Barrington.  Flack has won the title three times in the last four years.  Chris French, of Aldeen in Rockford, and Paul Schlimm, of Chicago Highlands in Westchester, also qualified for the Assistants national championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL., in November

NBA star Steph Curry has created the Underrated Golf Tour for junior players and the first of its tournaments runs through Thursday at Cog Hill, in Palos Park. Prestwick Country Club, in Frankfort, is hosting the Women’s Western Junior tourney this week.  It’s the 50^th anniversary of Nancy Lopez’ win there, and Naperville Country Club is hosting the boys’ Western Junior.

Jeff Sluman, the semi-retired PGA Tour Champions player from Chicago; Crystal Lake amateur Mike Karney and Britt Pavelonis, a pro from Carbondale, will be in the U.S. Senior Open, which tees off on Thursday at Saucon Valley, in Pennsylvania.

 

The Illinois contingent in the 156-man field for this week’s U.S. Open at The Country Club, in Brookline, Mass., tripled in the last week.

Only Adrien Dumont de Chassart, the Belgium-born standout for the University of Illinois, qualified during regulation play in “Golf’s Longest Day,’’ the nation-wide 36-hole series of sectional qualifiers for the Open.

Since then, though, former Southern Illinois University player Luke Gannon, of downstate Mahomet, survived an eight-for-five playoff for the final spots in the San Francisco sectional at Olympic Club and Illinois alum Nick Hardy moved into the field after being first alternate in the Springfield, Ohio, sectional.

Hardy, a 26-year old PGA Tour rookie from Northbrook, has made a magnificent recovery from a wrist injury that had sidelined him for a month. He made a rehab start on the Korn Ferry Tour at The Glen Club three weeks ago and went to a playoff before losing the title to Harry Hall.  Then, after being first alternate – one stroke behind De Chassart – in the Springfield sectional Hardy earned first alternate status by winning a five-hole playoff that started with five players.

He returned to the PGA Tour at the last week’s Canadian Open and survived the 36-hole cut on Friday.  Late that night he received a call from a U.S. Golf Association official informing him that he had a spot in the Open field.  The next day he shot a third-round 65 in Canada that briefly put him in the tourney’s top 10. A 71 in Sunday’s final round left him in a tie for 35^th place but already looking ahead to his fifth appearance in the U.S. Open.

“I was pumped, pretty excited obviously,’’ said Hardy. “I’m really proud of the way I bounced back (in Canada) to get into the playoff.  Just to get into it, on a day I didn’t have my best finish in the last round, I easily could have quit.  But I didn’t.’’

Hardy was a 19-year old amateur when he qualified for his first U.S. Open, finishing in a tie for 52^nd at Washington’s Chambers Bay in 2015. He missed the cut in 2016 at Oakmont, in Pennsylvania, and in 2019 at California’s Pebble Beach.

The Country Club course is not a mystery to Hardy.  He played in the 2013 U.S. Amateur there when he was still in high school at Glenbrook North.

“I played well – sixth in stroke play before losing in the first round to Zac Blair on the last hole,’’ said Hardy.  “That was tough, but I was such a young player. It definitely brings back good memories.’’

He called his fiancé and his father immediately after learning he was in the field — “my dad was sleeping’’ – and then texted his family and friends.’’  A sizeable number of them will be cheering him on at The Country Club when the 72-hole event tees off on Thursday.

HERE AND THERE: The 60^th Radix Cup matches, pitting the top players from the Illinois PGA against the top amateurs from the Chicago District Golf Association, will be held Thursday (JUNE 16) at Oak Park Country Club.  The IPGA leads the series 37-20-02.

Amy Coghill, owner and manager of the 45-hole Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park, has taken her open to the public facility off the market.  It had been listed for sale for 15 months.  The Coghill family, spanning four generations, has owned Silver Lake for over 80 years.

A July 6 Grand Opening has been set for The Lawn, a 30,000 square foot putting and chipping course that has been under construction at Deerpath, in Lake Forest.

 

 

 

 

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.