The Masters tournament always offers a variety of pre-tournament story lines, but the 79th version of the year’s first major championship that tees off on Thursday has more than usual.

For one, Tiger Woods is playing again. Beset by back problems, he received a warm welcome when he arrived at Augusta National this week to prepare for his 20th Masters. Whether he’s able to contend for his fifth title is another matter. Woods’ last tournament round was on Feb. 7. He missed last year’s Masters because of his health issues, has played just one full tournament in his last six starts and has played only 47 holes of tournament golf in 2015. A strong showing this week seems unlikely.

There are more appropriate focal points than Woods at this Masters. Bubba Watson is hoping to win his third Masters in four years. Jordan Spieth, just 21 years old, tied for second in last year’s Masters and has a win and two second-place finishes in his last three tournaments. He’s poised to win his first major title.

For nostalgia, there’s two-time champion Ben Crenshaw making his 44th – and he says final – Masters appearance. And there’s Steve Stricker, playing his first tournament of the year after focusing on Wisconsin’s NCAA basketball run the last few weeks. He was on hand for the Badgers’ upset of Kentucky on Saturday in Indianapolis and — somewhat reluctantly — checked in at Augusta National rather than attend Monday’s championship game loss to Duke.

The best story line of the week, though, isn’t any of those. It’s Rory McIlroy, in his bid to complete the career Grand Slam. The 25-year old from Northern Ireland won the U.S. Open in 2011 and the British Open and the PGA Championship last year. All that remains is the Masters.

Only five players have competed the career Grand Slam. Gene Sarazen nabbed his wins in the four majors between 1922 and 1935. Ben Hogan did it between 1946-53, Gary Player from 1959-65, Jack Nicklaus from 1962-66 and Woods from 1997-2000.

McIlroy would be the second-youngest (behind Woods) to complete the career slam if he wins on Sunday. He’d also have won three straight majors. McIlroy, who has competed in the Masters every year since 2009, had a great chance to win in 2011 when he held a four-stroke lead after 54 holes before an 80 in the final round dropped him into a tie for 15th. Last year McIlroy had his best Masters finish so far, a tie for eighth.

Glenview girl wins at Augusta

Effie Perakis, of Glenview, helped get Masters festivities off to a great start when she won the 7-9 year old age division in the Drive, Chip and Putt competition. She was among 10 finalists in her age group that were determined at nation-wide qualifying rounds last year.

The nationally-televised finals were conducted at Augusta National last Sunday. Effie had a drive of 156 yards, put both of her chip shots inside eight feet and holed the first of her two putts.

A joint effort by Augusta National, the PGA of America and the U.S. Golf Assn., the Drive, Chip & Putt event started last year and drew rave reviews. This year Chicago hosts one of the regionals which will send winners to next year’s Masters. Medinah will host it on Sept. 19.

Hall of Fame finalists set

The selection committee for the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame has narrowed the 25 nominees to 10 finalists. They include Jerry Rich, creator of popular tournament site Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove; club professionals Emil Esposito, Leon McNair and Jim Sobb; and long-time tour player Gary Hallberg.

Also in the running are the late Phil Kosin, creator of Chicagoland Golf newspaper, and four who made a variety of contributions in the earlier decades of Chicago golf – H. Chandler Egan, William Langford, Francis Peabody and Harry Radix. The 18-member committee will determine the 2015 inductees in a second voting session on May 13.

Golf Channel picks two IPGA teachers

Todd Sones, of White Deer Run in Vernon Hills, and Kevin Weeks, of Cog Hill in Lemont, are among the first 45 instructors nation-wide named to the Golf Channel Academy. They’re the only two from Illinois in the newly-formed network of instruction facilities.

This weekend’s 32nd annual Chicago Golf Show will be highlighted by Lee Trevino’s two appearances on Saturday, but much more will be going on than that during the event’s three-day run at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

Winner of six major championships and 29 tournaments on the PGA Tour, Trevino will be joined by Australian David Graham on the main stage at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Graham, winner of the 1979 PGA Championship and 1981 U.S. Open, will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this summer.

Their appearances will be sandwiched in between an array of teaching seminars and booths manned by resorts, courses and golf organizations from around the country. Even with snow on the ground, the Chicago Golf Show has become the unofficial start to the Chicago season, and the first 1,000 attendees each day will receive ticket vouchers for July’s Encompass Championship — the annual Champions Tour event at North Shore Country Club in Glenview.

The Illinois PGA has always played a major role in the Show, and this year its role has expanded with the creation of the IPGA Village where instruction will be the focus.

For Michael Miller, the IPGA executive director, it’ll also be the time to announce major changes for this summer’s Illinois Open. The IPGA has long been looking for ways to expand the premier tournament for Illinois residents, and Miller will remain mum on the subject until Friday’s show-starting luncheon.

Miller had a busy few months since most of the courses called it a season in November. He had to hire a new tournament director after Jared Nowak opted to leave the golf industry following a five-year stint on the job. His replacement will be Robert Duke, who had been running the junior programs for the Northern California Golf Assn.

Though the site of the Illinois Open remains a mystery, the IPGA did announce the move of one of its other four major tournaments. October’s IPGA Players Championship will return to Eagle Ridge, in Galena. It had been held the last two years at Metamora Fields.

In addition, three of the best-established area club professionals — Jim Holmes at Ravinia Green in Riverwoods, Bruce Carson of Onwentsia in Lake Forest and Paul Colton at Chicago’s Ridgemoor – announced their retirements. Holmes was the IPGA’s Professional of the Year in 2014.

Their departures triggered an unusually large transition within the IPGA ranks, with at least 12 new head professionals taking over pro shops in 2015. Nick Papadakes moved from Old Elm in Highland Park to replace Carson and John Warkentien, who had been an assistant at Crooked Stick, replaced Holmes. Among the other newly-named head pros were David Fazio, at Eaglewood in Itasca; Phillip Lenz, at Bartlett Hills; Jason Mannina, at Deerfield; and Joshua Weaver, at Deerpath in Lake Forest.

Additionally, two of the top players in the IPGA ranks, Frank Hohenadel and Rich Dukelow, changed jobs as assistant pros. Hohenadel left Midlothian for Westmoreland, in Wilmette, and Dukelow shifted from Cantigny, in Wheaton, to Medinah.

The Chicago District Golf Assn. will also have a significant presence at the Show. The CDGA will hold a putting contest in conjunction with its membership drive and will announce its Member Days schedule on Sunday. It’ll include new stops at Lost Dunes in Michigan and Flossmoor Country Club.

Show hours are noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The U.S. Golf Assn. has finally committed to holding a national championship for senior women players, though the first such tournament won’t be held until 2018.

While the USGA conducts 13 national championships, the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open was long overdue. The only other major event for senior women is put on by the LPGA Legends Tour, and it’s limited to professionals only. There will be plenty of differences between that one and the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

The Legends Championship has been played the last two years at the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind., which is also the site of the Legends Hall of Fame. The Legends event is over 54 holes; the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be over 72 holes.

Players can ride in the Legends event, won the first two years by Lorie Kane and Laurie Rinker. As per USGA tradition in open championships, the Senior Women’s Open will be walking-only. And, of course, the Legends is for former LPGA players while both amateurs and professionals can compete in the Senior Women’s Open.

Age requirements could be the most significant difference, however. The Legends Tour is for players 45 and over. The Women’s Senior Open is for players 50 and over.

Those differences will be the subject of discussion leading into the first Senior Women’s Open but, in the end, they may not matter all that much. The big thing is, senior women finally have their own open championship and another designated “major.’’ That figures to be a big boost for the serious players in that segment of golfers.

USGA president Tom O’Toole made the long-awaited announcement at the USGA’s annual meeting in New York.

“We have studied and discussed the need for this championship for many years, and now we can celebrate its introduction,’’ said O’Toole.

The field size and prize breakdown for the first Senior Women’s Open haven’t been set. No dates or sites have been determined, either.

For comparison purposes, the LPGA Legends Tour will start its 15th season in March. It’ll have nine tournaments, but only the LPGA Legends Championship will be as long as 54 holes. It offered $500,000 in prize money the last two years and its third staging will be Aug. 28-30, also at French Lick.

The Senior Women’s Open will become the 14th national championship conducted by the USGA.

“We feel strongly that factors such as the international strength of the LPGA and the increasing number of age eligible quality competitors from around the world, as well as the growth of women’s golf, are key to reaching this historical announcement,’’ said Mike Davis, the USGA executive director. “We hope this new championship will inspire both amateurs and professionals.’’

The recently-concluded PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL., (SHOW WAS JAN. 20-23) with Chicago’s two major club manufacturers playing lead roles.

Batavia-based Tour Edge got its usual jump on the competition by formally introducing its line of new irons and putters a day ahead of the 62-year old main event, which drew 40,000 attendees and had over 1,000 exhibitors at its four-day run at the Orange County Convention Center.

David Glod, who founded Tour Edge out of his own garage in 1986, has held his season preview a day ahead of the show the last 10 years. This time he admitted “there’s so many new products it’s almost daunting.’’

The key to Tour Edge’s new club offerings is “robotic laser beam bonding.’’ You’ll be hearing more about that as the season progresses.

Wilson celebrated its centennial in 2014 but Tim Clarke, head of the company’s golf division, thought the milestone year would be just a springboard for things to come.

“Our first century had an exciting finish with (Kevin) Streelman getting a birdie win (a record seven straight birds to finish off a victory at Hartford), Marcel Siem won in Europe and Padraig Harrington won in Asia,’’ said Clarke. “But 2015 will be our best yet. Our product line is as good as we’ve ever had.’’

In addition to unveiling its new clubs and golf balls, Wilson announced the additions of Troy Merritt and Brendan Steele to its staff of touring pros and introduced the latest in its popular four-year TV ad campaign, “Seriously!’’ that features Guy Johnson.

According to PGA of America estimates, if you walked through every mile of the Orlando show to check out all the offerings relative to instruction, fashion, equipment, accessories and technology you would have covered about 10 miles. The two Chicago shows coming up in February won’t be nearly that big, of course.

The Tinley Park Golf Expo runs Feb. 6-8 and the Chicago Golf Show, bolstered by new presenting sponsor Encompass Insurance, will be staged Feb. 27-March 1. By the time they’re over there might well be enough snow off the ground to allow for play on at least some of the Chicago courses. At least one can only hope.

At any rate, this is my opportunity to reveal the products I found the most interesting in Orlando. They underscore how inventive and innovative the people in the golf industry really are.

My favorite was GolfBoard, which brings the concept of surfing to golf. You ride an electric board and it feels similar to snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding. The GolfBoard carries one golfer, who is standing, and his bag. This device speeds up play and makes the player more active than he would be sitting in the traditional cart. Dave Weretka, long-time publisher of GolfChicago magazine is GolfBoard’s representative in the Chicago area.

Swing trainers are frequently innovative, and DST Golf introduced one that is literally and figuratively “Ahead of the Curve.’’ PGA Master Professional Nigel Blenkarne demonstrated how to use what looks like a pitching wedge with a bent shaft. The bent shaft would make the club illegal, according to the Rules of Golf. For practice and warmup, though, it’s fine and Blenkarne said “some PGA guys are practicing with it.’’

In addition to the bent shaft, the club has a white line on the clubhead and a wide, flat sole angle that encourages the proper swing for chip shots. It forces you to be in the optimal impact position.

Ray Rapcavage, a New Jersey resident who considers himself “a good amateur player,’’ brought along the Golf Swing Shirt – a striking orange pullover endorsed by Harrington, a three-time major champion, and teaching guru Jimmy Ballard. You put the Swing Shirt on over your own shirt, insert one arm at a time into the center sleeve and then head for the range.

You may look and feel funny, but those who tried Swing Shirt felt they were striking the ball with body turn rather than the flipping of the hands, and the hands were always slightly ahead of the ball at impact. That resulted in a more reliable motion through the ball.

Putting also traditionally inspires new products. Ed Klein, of Aberdeen, Wash., didn’t come with a new putter. He came with a new grip that could catch on as the USGA’s ban on anchored putting closes in for 2016. Klein’s Arm-Lock Converter Putter Grip. You simply have a new (bigger) grip installed on your present putter. It comes in two models – round and flat – and fits any putter. Klein says either model will make you an arm-lock putter and eliminate the issues presented by anchored putting.

Ball technology may be more ongoing than any area in golf, and OnCore Golf has come out with “the world’s only hollow metal core golf ball.’’ It just gained USGA approval last May.

Staying in one place for very long isn’t easy for a golf touring pro. Carlos Sainz Jr. was able to do it from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, when he spent most of the holiday season with family and friends in Elgin. Now, however, the PGA Tour rookie is on the road again and looking forward to the opportunities immediately ahead.

Though he’s calling Ponte Vedra, FL., his home base now – it’s where the PGA Tour headquarters are located – Sainz made a stopover to visit his brother Michael in Phoenix this week before heading to what he expects will be his first tournament of 2015, the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Michael, at 25 four years younger than Carlos, also has tour aspirations. He’s playing on the Arizona mini-tours now. Carlos knows all about that. The Larkin High School graduate succeeded in the small pro tournaments after finishing college at Mississippi State, then moved through the smaller tours to make it to golf’s big time. But he still isn’t able to play every week.

“For me it’s all about being ready to play whenever I get in a tournament so that I can establish a schedule for the rest of year,’’ said Sainz. “I’m trying to do my job, like everyone else. I’m young, working hard, looking forward to what I do and cherishing it.’’

Sainz has a history of playing good at the right times. He finished out 2013 with a win in on the Canadian PGA Tour, a runner-up finish in the Illinois Open and a victory in the Chicago Open. Those events led to him earning playing privileges on the PGA’s Web.com Tour.

In 2014 he had just one top-10 finish on the PGA Tour’s satellite circuit, but finished strong in the Web.com Playoffs to earn his PGA Tour card for the 2014-15 season.

Under its new split-season schedule the PGA circuit started with six events prior to the New Year. With limited playing status Sainz got into only three of them and missed the cut in two. But he had one strong showing, a tie for ninth in the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, that earned him $100,000 – more than he had earned in the entire Web.com season. That one good tournament boosted his playing position from No. 49 at the start of the PGA Tour season to No. 35 on the PGA Tour’s eligibility list.

New players are subject to re-shuffling of their tournament eligibility based on their immediate play, and the big jump in status means Sainz can get his PGA Tour career off to a fast start.. He will be in the field at the Sony Open in Hawaii, which tees off on Thursday, and will get into the first three events of the circuit’s California swing – the Humana Challenge, Farmers Insurance Open and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He’s also pushing to get into the fourth and final stop in California, the Northern Trust Open, via a sponsor’s exemption. He hopes that the Chicago-based tourney sponsor will look kindly on a Chicago player when invitations are handed out. The second re-shuffle of new players will be made after the Northern Trust Open.

The PGA’s top players usually fill the field at Phoenix (Waste Management Open in February) and then turn out in big numbers for the Florida tournaments in March. Sainz may find it difficult to get into those events.

“I’m not sure which tournaments I’ll get into by then,’’ said Sainz. But he knows he’ll get into plenty of them if he plays well the next two months, and there’s another, more long-range incentive to consider. It’s not unrealistic to think he could compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil when golf returns to the Games.

Sainz’ parents are from the Philippines and Bolivia. As “a token of respect’’ he acquired dual citizenship in the Philippines when he played in a tournament there and he plans to apply for similar status in Bolivia. That would make Sainz eligible to play for those countries, neither of which is rich in golf touring pros.

Chicago’s golf season may be in its final days as far as 2014 goes, but you wouldn’t know it by developments over the last few days.

On the PGA Tour Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman made a final-round charge in the Shriners Hospital for Children’s Open in Las Vegas on Sunday. Making five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine, Streelman took over the lead before third round leader Ben Martin rallied to overtake him.

Streelman shot 65 in the final round but wound up as the runnerup, two strokes behind Martin, who posted a 20-under-par 266 to claim his first PGA Tour victory.

Before Streelman made his charge the PGA’s Champions Tour announced a change in leadership. Greg McLaughlin took over as president of the 50-and-over circuit, replacing Mike Stevens. McLaughlin was the long-time tournament director of the Western Open before directing the Tiger Woods Foundation for 14 years.

The biggest news, though, was made on Sunday in Korea when the Ladies PGA Tour announced that Underwriters Laboratories will be the sponsor for its International Crown event.

UL, a premier global independent safety science company with a headquarters location in Northbrook, has been in operation since 1894 and has more than 11,000 employees world-wide. UL was an ambassador sponsor when the LPGA introduced its International Crown at Caves Valley in Owings Springs, Md., this season.

Jerry Rich, owner of Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, was a leader in the creation of the global team competition that was won by Spain in its first staging. The second staging will be at Rich Harvest, with the dates of July 18-24, 2016, revealed when UL’s involvement was announced.

Rich had hoped the International Crown would be based at his course, but LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said the third playing in 2018 would be in Korea – a country that has produced a number of top players on the LPGA circuit in recent years.

In making the announcement Whan declared that “Big is coming to Chicago,’’ but said a staging in Korea was appropriate as well.

“The Republic of Korea has clearly demonstrated their support for the LPGA by hosting 18 different tournaments over the years with tremendous fan support,’’ Whan said. “It made perfect sense that the first time we take the International Crown out of the U.S. was to a country with so many dedicated fans who support women’s golf.’’

Rich’s private layout has become Chicago’s best tournament venue in recent years. The biggest event there so far was the 2009 Solheim Cup matches between the LPGA stars of the U.S. and Europe. The Western Amateur and Palmer Cup, a prestigious team competition for collegiate players, will be played at Rich Harvest in 2015 before the International Crown makes its appearance.

In addition to Chicago’s influences on the international golf scene, the Illinois PGA made its awards announcements for 2014. Heading the list was Medinah teaching professional Travis Johns, who was named the section’s player-of-the-year.

Johns earned the honor, based on season-long point standings, for the second time. He took it for the first time in 2010. In winning this season Johns snapped the two-year reign of Curtis Malm, who is completing his first season as head professional at White Eagle in Naperville.

This week the world golf spotlight in on Gleneagles in Scotland, where the 40th Ryder Cup matches begin on Friday. Don Larson, who was chairman of the 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah, headed overseas to witness how things unfold this time, but he’ll never forget that epic week at Medinah in September of 2012.

“Now it’s like going to someone else’s wedding,’’ said Larson, who was also the chairman of the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah and a leader in that tournament’s staging there in 2006.

All those big events were exciting, but none more so than the Ryder Cup.

“I can’t believe ours was two years ago,’’ said Larson. “It was a lifetime event for a lot of people. One thing is for certain: that tournament will be remembered for a long time.’’

Medinah has changed a bit since the European team’s gigantic rally in the singles matches on the final day deflated a U.S. team in dramatic fashion. Renovation work began on Medinah’s No. 1 course 13 hours after the last putt dropped on the No. 3 layout to conclude the Ryder Cup.

The next day director of golf Mike Scully resigned from Medinah to take a similar job at Desert Mountain in Arizona. Medinah’s membership has undergone minimal changes since the Ryder Cup, and the club has a few openings for new ones. Since the Ryder Cup is the biggest event in golf, it’s highly unlikely Medinah will ever host a bigger event and it figures to be quite awhile before any major event comes there.

“We’ve talked with both the USGA (U.S. Golf Assn.) and PGA (of America),’’ said Larson, “but they’re locked up way in advance now. A lot of clubs want to host tournaments, and the USGA and PGA can have their pick of locations now. We’ll have to see what’s offered us.’’

Medinah is one of only five clubs that have hosted a U.S. Open, a PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup. The U.S. Open came three times (1949, 1975, 1990) and the PGA twice (1999, 2006). The club is still attractive for select events and would probably be willing.

“They’re a big undertaking,’’ said Larson. “What sets us apart is our championship golf course, our location, a willing membership and our facility.’’

Not many clubs anywhere have the space and clubhouse that Medinah has, and those are necessities for golf’s biggest events. So, Medinah could well host a big one again.

“We’re definitely not an every year place (which would rule out a PGA Tour stop),’’ said Larson, “but an event every six-eight years years would work out.’’

In the meantime, the club members and their guests aren’t playing their famed No. 3 course as much as they once did. Tee times were hard to come by leading up to the Ryder Cup. To correct that the club hired Michigan architect Tom Doak to elevate the stature of its No. 1 layout, and he did a good job.

“People can walk out to play No. 3 now,’’ said Larson, “and the demand to play No. 1 is extreme. The newness will come off eventually, but its fun to play. It’s a great golf course, and people are really excited about it.’’

IPGA showdown

The Illinois PGA Player of the Year will likely be decided at the last of the second’s four major championships. The IPGA Players Championship will run Monday and Tuesday (SEPT 29-30) at Metamora Fields.

Curtis Malm, head professional at White Eagle in Naperville, owns a 14-point lead on Medinah assistant Travis Johns going in the Players event. Malm is seeking his third straight Player of the Year award.

Here and there

Matt Swan, formerly an assistant t Westmoreland in Wilmette, has been named the new head professional at Kemper Lakes in Long Grove.

The Illinois Super Senior Open concludes its two-day run on Wednesday at Pine Meadow in Mundelein.

Ed Whitaker, of downstate Tremont, won the Illinois State Senior Amateur last week at Royal Country Club of Long Grove. He had a four-stroke edge on Skoie’s Paul Hindsley.

Carlos Sainz Jr. will be the focal point of the Chicago Open, the last big tournament of the local season – assuming he plays, that is.

Sainz, 28, earned his PGA Tour card two weeks ago and the premier circuit’s 2014-15 season begins next week. The Chicago Open features a pro-am on Friday and tournament rounds Sunday through Tuesday (OCT 3-5) at Cantigny, in Wheaton.

The first event of the PGA Tour’s next season is the Frys.com Open, a California event that starts two days after the Chicago Open concludes. The problem is, Sainz hasn’t secured a place in the field for what might be his first PGA Tour event and he might not know if he’s in until the last minute.

Latest report is that he’s the No. 6 alternate in the Frys.com Open. He’s also the defending champion in the Chicago Open. The Frys.com Open has a $5 million prize fund. Last year’s Chicago Open paid $50,00 last year, but it does offer Sainz a competitive event. As a tour player, he must go where the money is, and he played tournaments 14 weeks in a row at one point this season.

In addition to playing lots of tournaments this year, he also found competition in Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Panama and Mexico in addition to the U.S. So, squeezing in events in Chicago and San Martin, Calif., in the same week isn’t that big a deal.

“I’ll play the Chicago Open unless I know I’m in the Frys,’’ said Sainz. “As of now I’m not. We’ll see how things go.’’

Sainz, who grew up in Elgin and attended Larkin High School before moving on to Mississippi State University, doesn’t have much priority on the PGA Tour’s performance list. He was No. 49 of the 50 qualifiers off the Web.com Tour’s advancement list. That means he’ll have trouble getting into the big-money PGA Tour events.

“I’ll get into 15-20 events,’’ he said. “It comes down to, when I get in, I’ve got to be ready to play. It might be harder for me, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ll get in enough events, in my eyes, to make it.’’

So, Sainz will be watching the priority list on a daily basis to see if enough players withdraw for him to compete. If enough drop out early enough he could skip the Chicago Open and head straight to California. He could also try to get into the Frys event via a Monday qualifying tournament, but he’d prefer competing in the Chicago Open to doing that.

“I’ll know where I stand,’’ he said. “Every tournament has between two and 10 guys withdraw. If I’m close I’ll play the Chicago Open, then head to California and practice there Wednesday and play in the tournament.’’

Sainz will face a similar dilemma for most of the season. In fact, he might not get into a PGA Tour event until January. His money total come September will determine where he plays next season. If he’s in the top 125 he’ll remain on the PGA Tour for another season. If not, he’ll be back to the Web.com Tour Finals, where he earned his PGA Tour card for this season.

The Chicago Open will be played for the 25th time, and is part of Cantigny’s 25th anniversary season. The Chicago Open, though has had an on-again, off-again history. The Illinois Junior Golf Assn. revived it last year as its primary fundraiser.

This year’s tourney has 147 entrants. In addition to Sainz they include Mark Hensby, former winner of the Illinois State Amateur, Illinois Open and PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic; Illinois men’s coach Mike Small, who won the Illinois PGA Championship for a record 11 times in August; and former Northwestern star Jack Perry.

The Chicago area has a new member on the PGA Tour. Elgin’s Carlos Sainz Jr. earned playing privileges for the 2014-15 season after finishing in a tie for 31st place in the Web.com Tour Championship on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.

Sainz, 28, had only one top-10 finish and survived the 36-hole cut only 10 times in 23 tournaments in his rookie season on the PGA’s satellite circuit, but his best play came when it counted the most.

A tie for second in August’s Price Cutter Charity Championship earned Sainz $44,550, which accounted for most of his regular season earnings. Still, it allowed him to squeeze into the Web.com Finals, a four-tournament series of $1 million events that offered 25 berths on the PGA Tour for next season. The Finals was limited to the top 75 on the Web.com money list and players ranked from 126-200 in the PGA’s FedEx Cup standings.

Sainz, ranked 74th in regular season money, posted a tie for 19th and a tie for 12th in the first two Finals events before missing the cut by one stroke in the third. That put him in a precarious position going into the last event at TPC Sawgrass, but the former Mississippi State golfer put together rounds of 70, 70, 68 and 71 for a 278 total that was just good enough to put him on the 50 players from the Web.com circuit to advance to the PGA Tour.

A bogey on the last hole Sunday left Sainz in a precarious position, and he had to wait for the last putt to drop several hours after he finished his round before he was assured advancement in the No. 49 position.

Sainz is scheduled to defend his title in the Chicago Open at Cantigny, in Wheaton next month, but that may be in limbo now. Under its new scheduling format, which went into effect in the fall of 2013, the next PGA Tour campaign begins with the Frys.com Open in Napa, Calif., from Oct. 6-12. The Chicago Open is Oct. 5-7.

Though he has his PGA Tour card, Sainz won’t have a high enough priority to play in all the tournaments, and he may not get into an event on the premier circuit until January.

Derek Fathauer won the Web.com Tour Championship, finishing at 14-under-par 266 for the 72 holes. He was 13 strokes ahead of Sainz.

Three weeks ago University of Illinois men’s coach Mike Small won the Illinois PGA Championship for a record 11th time, with two of those victories coming at Olympia Fields Country Club in 2010 and 2013. This weekend Small reverts from player to coach with hopes that his well-regarded Illini can do as well at the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational.

It’ll be the season opener for the Illini, who were ranked No. 4 by Golfweek and No. 6 by the Golf Coaches Assn. of America in preseason polls. Annually one of the top collegiate invitations in the country, the Olympia Fields test is also — potentially at least — the beginning of the collegiate careers for both Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim and Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, two of the most promising young players to come out of the Chicago ranks in years.

While tournament rosters haven’t been announced, Ghim could be in Texas’ lineup and fellow freshman Hardy was among Small’s latest recruiting class at Illinois. Ghim was runner-up in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship this summer and medalist in the Western Amateur. Hardy was runner-up in both the Western Junior and Illinois State Amateur.

Hardy’s presence aside, Illinois’ lofty rankings are understandable since Small has five of six players returning from last year’s squad including All-Americans Brian Campbell, Charlie Danielson and Thomas Detry.

The Illini reached the match play finals of the NCAA tournament three times in the last four years, but winning their own event this weekend won’t be easy. The 15-team field for the three-day 54-hole event that tees off on Friday comprises one of strongest in collegiate golf with Texas and Stanford looming as the top challengers for the host team.

In the first in-season poll, released by TheGolf Channel this week, Texas was No. 2 and Illinois No. 3 behind Oklahoma State. In addition to Ghim, the Longhorns have the two finalists from this summer’s Western Amateur at Chicago’s Beverly Country Club in champion Beau Hossler and runner-up Scottie Sheffler, both Californians.

From the tours

Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman won’t be in the Tour Championship, last event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs. It begins Thursday at East Lake in Atlanta, and Streelman couldn’t retain his spot among the top 30 qualifiers. Despite a closing round 66 at the BMW Championship on Sunday Streelman ranked only 48th after the first three events of the four-tourney playoff series.

Elgin’s Carlos Sainz Jr. continued his bid to earn his PGA Tour card for 2015 with a tie for 12th in the second event of the Web.com Tour Finals. He’s tied for 16th midway through that four-tournament series and the top 25 money winners after the finals conclude on Sept. 21 advance to the premier circuit next season.

Northwestern alum David Lipsky won the Omega European Masters in Switzerland, an event co-sponsored by the European and Asian PGA Tours. The victory earned Lipsky his playing privileges on the European Tour for two years and elevated him to the top spot in the Asian Order of Merit.

Lake Forest’s Chip Beck held the first-round lead in the Champions Tour’s Quebec Championship last week but a pair of 75s after that relegated him to a tie for 49th place. Hinsdale’s Jeff Sluman tied for 10th and is now in fifth place in the Charles Schwab Cup point race with five events left in the season.

Holmes tops IPGA honorees

Jim Holmes, head professional at Ravinia Green in Riverwoods, has been named the 60th recipient of the Illinois PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award.

Katie Dick, of Chicago’s Bryn Mawr Country Club, is Assistant of the Year while Wheaton’s Gary Pinns was named the Teacher of the Year and Brett Packee of Vernon Hills took the Youth Player Development Award.

Others cited include Eric Aldrich, Glen Ellyn, Player Development Award; Tim Buscombe, Champaign, Bill Strausbaugh Award; Todd Sones, Vernon Hills, Horton Smith Award; and Wally Hines, Naperville, Bill Heald Career Achievement Award. Merchandiser award-winners were Lake Zurich’s Andy Shuman (private clubs) and Hampshire’s Steve Gillie (public facilities). All will be honored Oct. 23 at Medinah

Coming up next

The Illinois State Senior Amateur runs Monday through Wednesday at Royal Club of Long Grove. It has an 85-man field, but figures to be a two-man duel. Either Taylorville’s Dave Ryan, the defending champion, or Kewanee’s Tom Miler have won the last three titles in the event and five of the last six.

There’ll be 18-hole rounds on Monday and Tuesday before the field is cut to the low 35 and ties or any player within 10 shots of the lead for the final round next Wednesday, Sept. 17.