Author: lenz

JOHN DEERE CLASSIC: Stricker within 4 of leader after Round 1

SILVIS, IL. –If Steve Stricker is to make golf history by winning the John Deere Classic for a fourth straight year he’ll have to pick up his game on the front nine of TPC Deere Run.

Stricker struggled badly on the front nine in Thursday’s opening round, the shot 6-under-par on the back side to post a 65. That put him in a tie for third place, four shots behind leader Troy Matteson.

“It was like the pro-am yesterday,’’ said Stricker. “I was 1-over on the front and lit it up (5-under) on the back. Today I didn’t feel too comfortable at the start. I hit it great on the range, but didn’t have the same rhythm when I was out there playing.’’

In today’s second round Stricker will start at No. 10 with a 7:30 a.m. tee time. He figures that should be a help, since the greens will be fresh and relatively free of ball and spike marks. Every little bit helps when you’re trying to put yourself into the select company awaiting Stricker.

Over the last 140 years of professional golf only four players have won a major tournament four straight years – Tom Morris Jr. (in the early days of the British Open in the late 1800s), Walter Hagen (PGA Championship), Gene Sarazen (Miami Open) and Tiger Woods, who did it twice (Bay Hill Invitational and Buick Invitational).

Woods was Stricker’s playing partner for the first two rounds of last week’s Greenbrier Classic. “He told me to get it done,’’ said Stricker, but that simple advice at least so far hasn’t been heeded.

A standing-room-only crowd greeted Stricker warmly when he arrived at the first tee and he was given a lengthy introduction.

“It reminded me of a time I played with Tom Watson at Phoenix many year ago,’’ said Stricker. “They ripped off all of his accomplishments, and then he hit it to a foot on the first hole and a foot at the second. This wasn’t anything like that.’’

Not by a long shot. Stricker’s first tee shot landed in a fairway bunker, he chunked a chip shot at No. 2, missed the green right at the par-3 third, hit a tree in the center of his fairway with his drive at No. 4 and then missed that green to the left. Then Stricker hit his drive at No. 5 into thick rough. Somehow he got through the front side at even par, then made birdies at Nos. 10 and 12 before holing out for eagle from 78 yards at the 14th.

“I couldn’t see the pin. I liked up with a divot in the bunker and hit it well, but you don’t expect to make those things,’’ he said. “It gave me a big momentum boost.’’

Stricker made birdies at the next hole as well as the par-5 17th coming in and saved par at the 18th after hitting his tee shot far left, close to where he uncorked his spectacular bunker shot that led to his win here last year..

The only players ahead of Stricker are Matteson, who made 10 birdies, and Ricky Barnes who shot 64. Barnes played early, Matteson late, like Stricker, and was aware of the low scoring likely at TPC Deere Run. He and his playing partners joked about that.

“We saw a guy (Barnes) with 7-under on the leaderboard and we said, why is it only 7-under?’’ said Matteson. “Then we saw Steve Stricker on the range and figured he was in the afternoon wave, so we figured the low one was still coming.’’

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: Choi ignites another Korean celebration

KOHLER, Wis. – There was a poignant moment midway through the final round of the 67th U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday.

Se Ri Pak, who won the tournament at Blackwolf Run in 1998, was finishing her round just as two other Korean golfers – Na Yeon Choi and Amy Yang – were making the turn for the back nine. Choi and Yang were first and second on the leaderboard while playing in the final twosome, and the greens at Nos. 9 and 18 were adjoining.

Pak wanted to give Choi an encouraging look, but through better of it.

“I knew she was focused, and I didn’t want her to lose her focus,’’ said Pak. “So I tried not to give her a look, but she had been there many times. She had already won five times (on the Ladies PGA Tour).’’

When their paths crossed Pak was finishing off a 71, which eventually got her into a tie for ninth place. Choi had maintained the six-stroke lead on Yang that she had at the start of the round. Their status at the top of the leaderboard never changed, though Choi’s lead dwindled.

In the end the Korean domination of the biggest championship in women’s golf continued. Choi, 24, became the fifth Korean player to win the title in the last eight years and – for the second straight year – Korean players finished one-two. Paula Creamer, the top American, tied for seventh.

“Last year a couple of Koreans went to a playoff,’’ recalled Pak of the duel in which So Yeon Ryu defeated Hee Kyung Seo. “Again (two Koreans) played together in the last round. I’m really happy to see that. I’m very proud of both of them.’’

Choi and Yang, 22, continued the tradition that Pak started 14 years ago. They took charge of the competition in Saturday’s third round when Choi shot a tournament third-round record-tying 65 to open a six-stroke lead.

No golfer had ever come from six back to win the Women’s Open, and Yang couldn’t do it, either. Choi maintained the six-shot lead until passing Pak at the turn. Whether their brief, silent encounter affected her she wasn’t saying, but pressure did creep in.

“I wasn’t nervous at all. I was calm on the front nine,’’ said Choi. “I had one missed shot on 10 tee box and got a triple bogey.’’

That brought Yang within twi shots, but Choi recovered with a birdie at No. 11, saved par after a tee shot into high grass at No. 12 and got a big break at the 13th when her tee shot bounced off high rocks into a safe place.

From there it was easy. Choi finished with a 73 for 7-under-par 281. Yang carded 71 and 3-under 285. They were the class of the field on a course that was 400 yards longer than it was when Pak won her title in a 20-hole playoff. The scoring was much better than it was for Pak’s storied run to the title. Six-over-par golf was good enough when Pak won.

“I just can’t believe this,’’ said Choi, who added Sunday’s $585,000 first prize to the $6 million she earned since joining the LPGA in 2008. “Maybe tomorrow I will feel it – when I get to Korea.’’

After Pak the Korean winners of the U.S. Women’s Open included Birdie Kim (2005), Inbee Park (2008), Eun-Hee Ji (2009) and Ryu. Choi’s victory was more special, though, because it came on the same course on which Pak won.

“It was like 14 years ago when Se Ri won,’’ said Choi. “I watched it, and I call her legend. She inspired all the Korean players.’’

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: Another Korean golfer is poised to win

KOHLER, Wis. – There doesn’t seem to be a question about whether a South Korean golfer will contend for the U.S. Women’s Open title. After all, four players from that little country won the biggest tournament in women’s golf in the last seven years. Now the question is, which one will win it next?

Na Yeon Choi appears the best bet after her third-round 65 on Saturday at Blackwolf Run. Making seven birdies in her first 12 holes, Choi came from four strokes off the pace to open a six-stroke lead over Amy Yang, another South Korean, entering today’s final round.

Choi’s 7-under-par score tied the record for low third-round in the 67-year history of the U.S. Women’s Open. It was also the lowest at Blackwolf Run, one stroke better than American Michelle Wie shot on Friday. Choi hit 15 fairways on a windy day and needed only 26 strokes on the very undulating putting surfaces designed by architect Pete Dye.

Wedge shot approaches set up four of her eight birdies, the longest of which came from 20 feet at No. 7. That run of good play left Choi at 8-under 208 for 54 holes.

“I had a really good feeling about my swing,’’ said Choi. “The last two months I’ve been playing so-so, but this got me back on track. I wasn’t nervous. I played one shot at a time. It was windy when we started and it looked like a difficult day, but I made birdies on the first two holes and that gave me confidence.’’

Blackwolf Run is where this astonishing Korean success story began, when Se Ri Pak won the first U.S. Women’s Open held here in a dramatic 20-hole playoff in 1998. Pak — now an LPGA Hall of Famer –was the first champion among the Korean players, and she was Yang’s playing partner on Saturday.

Since Pak’s win Korean players have averaged seven LPGA titles a year and the U.S. Women’s Open has been their greatest stage. Yang started 10 groups in front of Choi and carded a 69.

Today Choi hopes to follow Birdie Kim (2005), Inbee Park (2008), Eun-Hee Ji (2009) and So Yeon Ryu (2011) as recent Korean winners of the Open. Ryu won last year by beating another Korean, Hee Kyung Seo, in a playoff. They have built on the success that Pak started.

“I was only 9 years old when I was watching on TV when Se Ri inspired all the Korean players,’’ said Choi. “I remember that feeling. All of our golfers call her a legend. I want to continue that feeling, from what Se Ri did 14 years ago.’’

Choi, Pak, Yang and Ryu were among 26 players from South Korea – a country about the size of Indiana – in the starting field here. Choi , 24, has won five times on the LPGA Tour since coming on the circuit in 2008 and earned over $6 million.

In each season she ranked in the top 10 in birdies, scoring average, rounds under par, rounds in the 60s and top-10 finishes. In 2010 she had low scoring average and also won the LPGA money title. This year she’s fifth in the Rolex Rankings.

A win by Yang, 22, wouldn’t be a fluke, either. Ranked 13th, she hasn’t won since joining the LPGA in 2008 but tied for 10th in last year’s U.S. Women’s Open.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, the 36-hole leader, soared to a 78 in the third round. So did Wie, her playing partner. American Christie Kerr, one shot behind Pettersen at the start of the day, carded a 77.

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: This is what Wie has been waiting for

KOHLER, Wis. – Finally Michelle Wie is back – well, at least for a day.

Long touted as the next superstar of women’s golf, Wie fired a 6-under-par 66 in the second round of the 67th U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run on Friday, an indication that her lengthy run of mediocre play might be over.

“At least I know I made the cut,’’ quipped Wie after moving into a tie for second place with Cristie Kerr midway through the 72-hole championship. Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, playing in the threesome behind Wie, posted a 68 and holds the lead at 5-under-par 139 entering today’s third round. Wie, though, was the story of the day after posting the best round of the tournament so far.

“Playing behind her, I never saw her make as many putts as she did today,’’ said Pettersen. “She was fist-pumping on every putt. Michelle’s a great player with a lot of game.’’

But, until Friday, it hadn’t been so evident. Wie had six missed cuts in her previous 10 tournaments this year with her best finish a tie for 33rd.

“I played out of my butt to shoot 6-under. I’m pretty stoked to be back in contention,’’ said Wie. “I felt it coming the last couple weeks. It’s nice that it all came together today.’’

Wie, 22, contended for this biggest title in women’s golf in 2005 and 2006 when she was a young phenom. During that period of her life she became the youngest player (at age 10) to qualify for a U.S. amateur tournament, the youngest win one (the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links), the youngest to qualify for an LPGA event and the youngest to make a 36-hole cut on the pro circuit. She turned pro before her 15th birthday.

She was so promising then that she even tried to compete against the men in some PGA Tour events. That didn’t turn out so well, and Wie opted to go to college while playing a limited LPGA schedule. Though now a Stanford University graduate, she has but two LPGA wins, one in the limited field Lorena Ochoa Invitational in 2009 and the other in the full-field Canadian Open in 2010.

This year she’s been bugged by putting problems, and she even briefly tried the belly putter made popular on the men’s Champions Tour. Those putting woes disappeared on Friday, when Wie had 13 one-putt greens and made seven birdies en route to her best round – by three shots, mind you, in a U.S. Women’s Open. Maybe, just maybe, that magic will carry over for two more days and Wie will get the long-awaited first big win of her career.

“It’s nice that people have had those expectations for me,’’ she said. “It’s better than them having no expectations. I don’t know if anyone gave up on me or not. I’m sure some did and some didn’t. But I never gave up on myself, and today was a good reminder that I still have it.’’

She still has to overcome Pettersen, Kerr and the flock of Korean golfers who have dominated women’s golf in recent years.

Pettersen challenged for the Open title twice, tying for second in 2010 and tying for sixth in 2009. In 1998 Blackwolf Run proved the toughest-ever challenge for the tournament, as champion Se Ri Pak, first of the Korean stars, won with a 6-over-par performance. Pettersen doesn’t think the current Blackwolf – 400 yards longer than 14 years ago – is all that brutal.

“It’s pretty straight-forward, as wide open as U.S. Open course will ever get, and the greens are pretty big,’’ said Pettersen. “The course is very playable. You hit the fairways, you give yourself a lot of chances.’’

RYDER CUP: A look behind the scenes with three months to go

There’s still a few months to go before the 39th Ryder Cup matches take over Medinah Country Club and put Chicago in the forefront of world sports.

Big events like this one don’t just happen, though. Tons of work, by literally thousands of people, is required before that first ball is struck. Much – but by no means all – of it has already been done.

There’s been a ticket drawing, a promotional tour by captains Davis Love III of the United States and Jose Maria Olazabal of Europe, a sale of corporate hospitality options and a recruitment for volunteers.

Eventually 75 corporate chalets, accounting for about 2 million square feet of flooring, will be constructed on the Medinah premises. The grounds will also include 15 video boards and 650 televisions. That’ll all have to be in place before the food and beverages are brought in. Over 250 companies have committed to some form of the corporate hospitality offerings already.

Event director Michael Belot, no stranger to massive golf events, has been based at Medinah for more than a year to tend to the myriad of details required for such a project and he has five staffers under his supervision there. In his 10th year working for the PGA of America, Belot was tournament director for the 2006 PGA Championship, the last big event staged at Medinah. The Ryder Cup, though, is a different animal.

Medinah hosted three U.S. Opens before taking on the PGA Championships of both 1999 and 2006. Those were big deals, but Belot is confident this Ryder Cup “will stand out as Medinah’s crown jewel….It’ll be the biggest golf event ever in Illinois.’’

Don Larson, Medinah’s chairman for the event, is in charge of matters on the club’s end and Curtis Tyrrell, the course superintendent, has the delicate job of getting the famed No. 3 course in peak condition for the Sept. 25-30 extravaganza. And, long before he even began putting finishing touches on the course, Tyrrell was involved prominently in a $1.5 million greens renovation project to prepare the facility specifically for the big days ahead in September.

Michael Miller, executive director of the Illinois section of the PGA of America, is overseeing the efforts of his members who will perform a variety of duties before and during the competition. Miller said his staff is 50 percent busier this season just because of Ryder Cup demands. Over 300 IPGA members are volunteering their services in one way or another.

And then there’s the PGA of America staff that is really in charge of the whole thing. It operates under the direction of executive director Joe Steranka from headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

In addition to the kickoff events held over the last year, more promotional features have or will be coming. There’ll be a Bears vs. Packers golf match at Medinah, a Youth Skills Challenge, a Junior Ryder Cup competition, an international pep rally called Bagpipes & Blues at the Field Museum and an outdoor art exhibit dubbed Tartan Art on the Avenue. All are directly connected to this Ryder Cup.

In addition to the work of about 50 local artists the Tartan Art on the Avenue exhibit will include a classic piece of artwork by the famed LeRoy Nieman. – a five-foot golf ball that will be on display throughout the Chicago area from Sept. 13 to Oct. 10.

The art exhibit as well as Bagpipes & Blues are part of an official fund-raising campaign benefiting Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana as well as the Illinois PGA Foundation.

As you can see, the 24 players who will compete in the emotion-charged competition are but a small part of the overall event. Still, in the end, they will be the show and patriotism will abound.

The 75 corporate hospitality tents are more than organizers originally envisioned. They thought 53 would be enough, but then this is Chicago – a city that has long supported big-time sports events. The original ticket sale assured galleries of 40,000 per day at the Ryder Cup.

Helping those 40,000 get around the premises will be 4,000 volunteers, who will perform a variety of duties when the matches are in progress. Lake Park High School, located across the street from Medinah, will shut down during the competition. The parking and concessions operations will be run from the school, and it will benefit big-time from the closing.

In exchange for use of its facilities, Lake Park High School will receive enough financial compensation to complete the installation of a turf field on its West campus – a benefit for the football program, marching band and other athletic events.

The global significance of the Ryder Cup might also surprise you, and it requires the involvement of many, many more people. Television feeds from the Ryder Cup will go to 200 countries, or more than half a billion households. Some are in such remote places as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Mauritania, Rwanda, Tongo and Yemen.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN STILL GET TICKETS

Individual tickets to the Ryder Cup at Medinah were gobbled up fast, making the event one of the toughest tickets in all of sports.

There is still a way to get some, though. The catch is, they won’t come cheap. Tickets to the Ryder Cup are available to supporters of Bagpipes & Blues, one of the attractions of the Magnificent Moments fundraising campaign.

Bagpipes & Blues will be held Sept. 27 at the Field Museum. Those who buy tickets to that international pep rally can get Ryder Cup tickets as part of the deal. A variety of packages are available. To find out more check out the website www.magnificentmoments.org. and then click on Ryder Cup tickets.

Dr. Jim Suttie answers all our questions

Dr. Jim Suttie is, at least arguably, Chicago’s best-known golf teaching professional.

Noted as a pioneer in applying biomechanical principles to the golf swing, Suttie was the PGA of America’s national teacher-of-the-year in 2000 and won that award three times from the PGA’s Illinois section. He’s also been among GOLF magazine’s top 100 instructors and among the top 20 in America on Golf Digest’s 50 Greatest Teachers list.

In a recent, far-ranging interview, Suttie offered these insights on the game he has taught to so many over the years:

QUESTION: While you’ve been based in recent years at Cog Hill in the summer, you’ve also been teaching in Naples, FL. What’s it like teaching down south?

SUTTIE: I’ve been at Cog Hill for 14 years and also at a club called TwinEagles in Naples. It is a two-course development that’s been doing quite well and has a nice practice facility, but in the summer it’s too hot and it rains a lot.

Q: Lots of tour players have come to you for help. Who would be the main ones?

SUTTIE: Well, I don’t own any of them, but I’ve sure worked with a lot of them. After they’ve done it all and tried all the tricks they want to find out what they’re doing (chuckle).

I worked with Chip Beck, Bobby Clampett, Loren Roberts and Brad Faxon from when they were on the regular tour to now, when they’re on the senior tour. I haven’t worked with too many on the LPGA, but did work with a few of them.

Q: You’ve also worked with two of our Chicago PGA Tour players, Mark Wilson and Kevin Streelman. Kevin is Chicago’s only home-bred PGA Tour player and you correctly he’d make the cut at the U.S. Open for the third time in the three times he qualified for that tournament. What made you feel he’d do well at Olympic Club?

SUTTIE: I was quite impressed with his scoring in (U.S. Open sectional) qualifying (Streelman finished third in the nation’s toughest sectional after shooting a 30 on the first nine of Ohio State University’s Scarlett course). He’s very streaky, but that course really suits him well. He likes to hit a little fade and work the ball.

Q: You’re not just dealing with high-profile players, though. What about some of the others you have worked with – the devoted amateur-types?

SUTTIE: Last week a kid from Nashville came by (at Cog Hill), then went out on the course and made five birdies. Those kinds of things tend to be fun.

But I also had an ex-surgeon, 71 years old, and his wife come in from San Diego just because they wanted to get better. I try to give each person what they can physically do to enjoy the game. I don’t try to put them in spots they have to do something.

Q: What about your young pupils?

SUTTIE: Well, I worked with Michael Schachner (promising young touring pro from the North suburbs) since he was 3 years old. He’s become a very good player, but at that high a level it becomes strictly mental.

There’s an 8-year-old who I’ve been working with for over a year. You have to have different approaches for every person. Everybody has their own learning style. You’ve got to make it fun for young kids.

Q: In general, do you prefer working with men or women?

SUTTIE: It doesn’t matter. They say I’m good with the ladies, but I might scare them. Maybe it’s my doctorate. They might perceive me as very technical.

Q: Tell me about all that schooling you’ve had. I’m assuming that led to you’re getting the nickname “Doc,’’ – because you’re one of the few golf teaching pros to have a doctorate degree.

SUTTIE: I’ve been teaching about 40 years, but I went back to school in 1978 at Middle Tennessee State and did research at the University of Kentucky to get my doctorate. I had gotten my Masters at Northern Illinois. I was an assistant coach at Northern Illinois and also coached at Eastern Kentucky and Florida Gulfcoast.

Q: Golf has changed a lot over your years of teaching, due at least in part to developments in equipment technology. Any thoughts on that?

SUTTIE: We have had changes in technology. They’ve been very helpful, but we’ve overdone it a little. We’ve been looking too much at body mechanics. I like to spend a little time on analysis and more on fixing.

Q: What working hours do you keep as a teacher these days?

SUTTIE: I’m pretty flexible. I just have people call my 800 number. I don’t do a lot of marketing.

Q: Any new projects on the horizon?

SUTTIE: I’m working on a book for ladies, and I’ll get some LPGA players to model for it. Ladies can’t swing like men, but they’re being taught like me. Men are stronger in the upper body. Women are stronger in the lower body. Men are diggers, women are pickers. They’re afraid they’ll hurt their fingers and wrists.

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: Pak’s win in ’98 triggered big changes for LPGA

KOHLER, Wis. – Blackwolf Run was where women’s golf took a dramatic turn back in 1998. That’s where Se Ri Pak, a South Korean player, captured one of the most dramatic U.S. Women’s Opens ever. Her win in the biggest tournament in women’s golf triggered a huge influx of players from her country onto the Ladies PGA Tour.

Only nine players from the 1998 field at Blackwolf are back for this 67th U.S. Women’s Open, which tees off today, and Pak is one of them.

Pak defeated 20-year-old amateur Jenny Chuasiriporn in a 20-hole playoff for the title in ’98. Chuasiriporn took a brief fling as a touring pro but didn’t like it. She’s now a nurse in Richmond, Va., and hasn’t played golf in five years. Pak’s impact on the sport, though, has gotten bigger and bigger over the years.

Because of what Pak did, as the first successful Korean player on the women’s circuit, more Korean parents encouraged their daughters to take up golf. Now about 40 compete on the LPGA circuit and many are quite successful. So Yeon Ryu, another Korean, is this week’s defending champion and 28 Koreans are in the field.

“I guess I opened the door for them, as nobody even had tried before,’’ said Pak after a practice round here. “I gave them more confidence about their move forward. I decided to move to the U.S. and play the LPGA Tour. I wanted to be No. 1. My dream was here, on the LPGA Tour. Now they are trying to make their dreams comes true.’’

When Pak won the first of her 27 LPGA tournaments en route to a Hall of Fame career Ryu was 8 years old and wanted to be a violinist.

“At that moment golf was just my hobby and violin was my dream,’’ said Ryu. “Now violin is my hobby and golf is my dream job.’’

Ryu, who calls Pak “my hero,’’ won her title last year in a playoff with Hee Kyung Seo, another Korean, and Pak walked with both.

Pak gave Ryu some advice after both arrived here.

“She said don’t take too much practice at the golf course, because sometimes too much information makes you crazy,’’ said Ryu. “She said to keep low expectations and just trust yourself. I totally understand that.’’

Pak won’t likely contend this week on a course that is 500 yards longer than when she won. She dislocated her left shoulder in May. While her return to competition was sooner than expected, she hasn’t regained top form yet and last week she dropped out of an LPGA tourney in Arkansas, apparently because of dehydration.

Still chances are good a Korean, rather than an American, will win the title on Sunday, however. Only five Americans are ranked in the world’s top 20, and in the last 50 women’s majors American golfers won just nine times. Koreans, meanwhile, won 11 majors including five Women’s Opens since Pak’s victory.

Our `Big Three’ is primed for two weeks of big-time golf

From left, Tim Cronin, Len Ziehm, Rory Spears

The “Big Three’’ was born on Jan. 2, 2012, when three Chicago-based golf websites joined forces to provide different perspectives on the game we love.

While we have worked together on an informal basis the past six months, the impact of that joint affiliation will become more clearly evident in the next two weeks as Rory Spears (www.golfersongolf.com), Tim Cronin (www.illinoisgolfer.net) and myself (www.lenziehmongolf.com) all hit the road to provide extensive coverage of the two biggest tournaments of the Chicago season.

All three of us will be at the U.S. Women’s Open, which begins on Thursday, July 5, at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wis., and the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic, which takes over TPC Deere run in Silvis, IL., on the outskirts of the Quad Cities on July 9. The tournament rounds of the JDC are July 12-15.

Blackwolf Run, just two hours from Chicago, will host the biggest tournament in women’s golf. TPC Deere Run, also a two-hour drive, will be the site of Steve Stricker’s historic run at a fourth straight championship, a factor that makes the event much more than a final tuneup for the British Open, which begins the following week.

Together we have over 100 years of experience as golf journalists. Our websites are different, each providing unique spins on issues affecting golf today. By checking out all three you will a more complete flavor on these two big events than you’ll get anywhere else – and it’ll all come with a Chicago spin.

After the Women’s Open and JDC are over we’ll turn out attention to annual local favorites – the Illinois Open, Illinois Women’s Open, Western Amateur, Illinois State Amateur and Illinois PGA Championship. The fun is just beginning.

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: Neff, Armstrong get into starting field

The 67th U.S. Women’s Open, which tees of Thursday at Blackwolf Run, in Kohler, Wis., has two late qualifiers with Chicago connections.

Aimee Neff, winner of the Illinois Women’s Open in 2008 and 2009, and amateur Ashley Armstrong, a Notre Dame sophomore-to-be who won the 2011 Western Junior title, were promoted to the starting field in the last few days after earning first-alternate status in their sectional qualifiers.

Neff is from Carmel, Ind., but some of her best golfing moments came in Chicago. In addition to her two IWO wins at Mistwood, in Romeoville, Neff last college tournament for Michigan State came at Lakeshore Country Club, in Lake Forest, when her Spartans upset NCAA champion Purdue for the title in 2011.

A days later Neff turned pro and is playing on the LPGA’s satellite Symetra (formerly Futures) Tour. She is coming off a tie for fifth on Sunday in the Island Resort Championship in Michigan, a showing that boosted her from 36th to 22nd on the circuit’s season money list with $9,486 won in seven starts.

Armstrong, who lives in Flossmoor, will have Cog Hill assistant pro Garrett Chaussard as her caddie.

The Women’s Open will have its 72-hole run on the same course that hosted a memorable 1998 staging, when Korean Se Ri Pak won in a playoff. Pak is one of nine players from the ’98 championship in this week’s field. Another Korean, So Yeon Ryu, is the defending champion.

Last year’s tourney purse of $3.25 million was the largest in women’s golf . This week’s purse will be announced later this week.

JDC caddie change for Johnson

Zach Johnson is both a tournament board member and frequent contender at the John Deere Classic but Illinois’ lone PGA Tour stop of 2012 will be unusual for the former Masters champion. Damon Green, who was on Johnson’s bag for his last 173 tournaments, won’t be there when the JDC tees off on July 12 at TPC Deere Run.

Green qualified as a player for the U.S. Senior Open, which will be played on concurrent dates in Michigan so Mike Bender, a former PGA Tour player who is Johnson’s swing coach, will be his caddie at the JDC.

PGA regulars Nick Watney, K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang are the latest entries to the JDC, which will have 11 of the top 16 finishers at last week’s PGA Tour stop, the AT&T National.

PGA-bound again

University of Illinois coach Mike Small couldn’t claim his fourth title in the PGA Professionals National Championship in California last week but he did finished fourth, which qualified him for next month’s PGA Championship at Kiahwah in South Carolina.

The Illinois PGA had 14 members among the 312 qualifiers for the PGA Professionals tourney, with Small and David Paeglow the only ones to survive the 36-hole cut. Paeglow, head professional at Kishwaukee in DeKalb, finished in a tie for 60th.

Here and there

Northwestern women’s coach Emily Fletcher got a big boost when Canadian Nicole Zhang transferred to NU from Notre Dame. Zhang was the top-ranked freshman in the country last season for the Irish when she had six top-10 finishes and one tournament victory….Nicole Jeray, the long-time LPGA player from Berwyn, tied for second at the Island Resort Championship, a showing that boosted her from 25th to 12th on the Symetral Tour money list….Defending Illinois Open champion Philip Arouca tied for 34th in last week’s Windy City Open at Bolingbrook. Californian Chris Kilkenny won the Golfweek National Professional Tour event. Arouca had his best finish since suffering a wrist injury last fall….The Chicago District Golf Assn. hosts a U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier on Monday at Blackberry Oaks, in Bristol, as well as the first Illinois Amateur eliminations – Monday at Franklin County in downstate West Frankfort and Tuesday at both Sanctuary, in New Lenox, and Panther Creek, in Springfield…..Illinois PGA members get their last tuneup for the Illinois Open at the Ravisloe Classic, in Homewood, on Monday….Midtown Athletic Club, in Palatine, has scheduled a July 23 charity fundraiser at Kemper Lakes, in Long Grove, to benefit the Clearbook facility that provides treatment for people with developmental disabilities.

CDGA AMATEUR: Rain delay was a boost for Davan

Friday’s 36-hole championship match of the 93rd Chicago District Amateur was interrupted by a 2-hour 40-minute rain delay, and the break had a big impact on the outcome.

Michael Davan and David Lawrence, two players who just completed their collegiate eligibility with plans to turn pro in the fall, were locked in a tight battle when the rain pelted Cantigny’s Woodside and Lakeside nines in Wheaton.

Davan was 1-up with a drive in the fairway at the 12th hole when play resumed. He was ready for the match’s restart, Lawrence wasn’t. Davan put his first swing after the delay on the green with a 9-iron from 125 yards while Lawrence hit his 8-iron from 162 far left, into a tree stump. Davan won that hole and took the next two with birdies.

“During the delay I took a nap, and it seemed like it took me an hour and a half to wake up,’’ said Lawrence, a Moline resident and Ohio Valley Conference first-team selection for Eastern Illinois. “I went from 1-down to 4-down quickly.’’

Davan, from downstate Hoopeston and the Horizon League player-of-the-year for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, never trailed. He went on to a 4 and 3 victory in the first of the Chicago District Golf Association’s two major tourneys. The Illinois State Amateur is in August.

“Rain delays can make for a difficult situation,’’ said Davan. “I knew the shot I had to hit, and doing it gave me momentum. I got on a little run, and that made me comfortable.’’

Lawrence, 6-down at one point, fought back to 3-down with four holes left. He had a 14-foot birdie putt that might have cut the deficit further, but his putt lipped out. Davan then rolled in a 12-footer for birdie to clinch the match.

Four state-wide qualifying round advanced 60 players to the four-day competition at Cantigny. Though he’s had wins in college and junior events, Davan made the CDGA Am – oldest amateur tourney in the Midwest – his first major win. It came after a runner-up finish in the Southwest Amateur last week.