The Chicago Golf Show, the unofficial start to the Chicago golf season, kicks off its 40th anniversary season on Friday (FEB 28) at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
Hank Haney, long-time swing coach for Tiger Woods, will appear on the Daily Herald Main Stage on the last two days (MARCH 1-2) of the show. This year’s show will have a notable new feature – free club fitting courtesy of Aurora-based Matt Pekarek. He’s among the Top 100 Club Fitters selected by Golf Digest and is Nippon Shaft’s Aftermath Director for North and South America.
The show, presented by the Chicago District Golf Association, will also feature a 10,000 square foot Town Square that includes a long-putt competition and a model train display. The Illinois PGA/First Tee-Greater Chicago Village will offer an array of activities for young golfers.
Show hours are noon to 6 p.m. on Friday (FEB 28), 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday (MARCH 1) and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday (MARCH 2). Adult admission is $8 on Friday and $13 on the weekend days. Youth 12-15 will be admitted for $4 and youngsters 11 and under are free.
FAST STARTER: Mike Small, the University of Illinois men’s coach, has four of his former players on the PGA Tour this season and one has been making lots of noise. Thomas Detry won the Waste Management Phoenix Open, his first PGA Tour win.
Detry has been on the circuit since 2017 and this could be his breakthrough year. He’s made the cut in all six of his starts and also had a top-10 finish with a tie for fifth in The Sentry – the first full-field event of the season.
Detry became the first player from Belgium to win on the PGA Tour with his victory at Phoenix. He also played for Belgium in two Olympics. Another Illini alum from Belgium, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, spent most of last season as a rookie on the PGA circuit after winning his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour. He hasn’t played in an event this year, but remains a PGA Tour member.
Two other ex-Illini have struggled. Brian Campbell made one cut in three starts and Northbrook’s Nick Hardy is 0-for-4 going into this week’s Mexico Open.
IN THE HUNT: Two other Chicago area players have been consistent in their early season starts. Wheaton veteran Kevin Streelman made three of four cuts with his best finish a tie for 15th in the Farmer’s Insurance Open.
Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim made four of five cuts with a best finish a tie for 21st in the American Express Championship. Neither is competing in Mexico.
HERE AND THERE: The Grammy-winning Zac Brown band will be the Concert on the Course act to conclude the John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event. It runs July 3-6 at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis. Another concert will be announced to follow the tourney’s third round on July 5. Tickets go on sale April 1.
Elizabeth Szokol, Illinois’ only LPGA Tour player (Winnetka), now lives in Florida and cashed in the circuit’s first two events this year. Both were in the Sunshine State. Szokol tied for 14th in the season-opening Tournament of Champions and tied for 45th in the Founders Cup.
Mark Hensby, a champion in both the Illinois State Amateur and Illinois Open three decades ago, is the only Illinois-connected player competing on PGA Tour Champions. He’s played in all three events on the 50-and-over circuit with his best finish coming in the first one – a tie for 19th in Hawaii.
The Chicago District Golf Show opens its fourth season on ESPN 1000 on Saturday (FEB 22). The shows run from 9-11 a.m. with Mike Gilligan and Tyler Aki the co-hosts.