The U.S. team in the Palmer Cup certainly didn’t want a repeat of the epic collapse the country’s professionals had in the 2012 Ryder Cup matches at Medinah. In that Ryder Cup the U.S. took a 10-6 lead into the final day’s singles matches and blew it. In the Palmer Cup, a similar team event…
Author: lenz
Memories of Medinah? U.S. takes big lead into last day of Palmer Cup
Beau Hossler vowed even before the Palmer Cup matches began that he wouldn’t be looking ahead to his title defense in August’s Western Amateur. Both competitions are being played at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. The Palmer Cup is a 19-year old team event pitting the college stars of the U.S. against their counterparts…
U.S. gets off to a fast start in Palmer Cup
Just two weeks ago Thomas Detry was on the popular side, a key player in the University of Illinois’ drive to the semifinals of the NCAA golf tournament in Florida. Now, as a member of the European team in the Palmer Cup matches at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, he’s trying to do in…
HERE AND THERE: Players keep coming to Grand Geneva
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – For the life of me I can’t understand why Grand Geneva Resort hasn’t hosted a big PGA or U.S. Golf Assn. championship. The playing facilities are certainly there to do it. So is the lodging (355 guest rooms and suites), restaurant options (three fine-dining spots on property plus more in this…
Hossler is in Palmer Cup spotlight at Rich Harvest
Jerry Rich has become the most ambitious golf tournament promoter in Chicago, there’s no doubt about that. The owner of Rich Harvest Farms, Rich has provided a steady diet of top-level competition at his sparkling Sugar Grove layout ever since the LPGA’s Solheim Cup was contested there in 2009. This year, though, Rich has outdone…
Kemper Lakes is ready to `Restore the Roar’
A three-year project to renovate its bunkers is over, and Kemper Lakes is ready to “Restore the Roar.’’ The club, based in Chicago’s northwest suburb of Kildeer, wants big tournaments again, and the new looks that Libertyville architect Rick Jacobson created with the bunkers should help. “The renovations are now complete, and it’s been a…
Sainz `excited’ midway through his rookie PGA Tour season
You might think that Carlos Sainz Jr. would be down in the dumps after enduring eight missed cuts, seven of them in a row, to start his rookie season on the PGA Tour. That was certainly not the case, though, as the Elgin golfer approached the midway point of the season. “I’m excited,’’ said Sainz…
Illini season is over, Open sectionals are next
A great season came to an end for the University of Illinois men’s team on Tuesday as the Illini were eliminated by Southern California in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament at Concession Club in Bradenton, Fla. The Illini were Big Ten champions, won their NCAA regional tournament and were the top team in the…
Greenbrier, Homestead, Bay Hill, Pinehurst — What a winter it was!
What have you done golf-wise since dropping your last putt in the Chicago area in 2014? Not as much as me, I’ll bet. This has been an extraordinary “offseason.’’ It began in November when we made a series of golf/travel-writing stops – a few days here, a few days there — at some very choice…
More changing of the guard for the Illinois PGA
Call it a changing of the guard, or just a transition. I’ve always thought that change was generally a good thing, and there’s certainly been plenty of that going on within the Chicago golf community in the last few months. It started with the departure of Michael Miller, long-time executive director of the Illinois PGA…