Last week the Illinois State Women’s Amateur celebrated its 90th anniversary with one of its most interesting tournaments. Two past champions decided the title in sudden death and an up-and-coming star emerged, too. That’s the good news. Geneva’s Sarah Arnold couldn’t protect a 2-up lead in regulation play at The Grove, in Long Grove, but…
Author: lenz
Daytona Beach is a good town for golfers, but….
DAYTONA BEACH, FL. – The Daytona Beach area is good place for golfers, no question about it. The greater Daytona area has 20 courses. Two are part of LPGA International, the area’s premier golf destination. Since 1994 it has been the home of the Ladies PGA Tour, and it hosts the final stage of the…
Illini alums come up big in Korn Ferry tourney
Michael Feagles, one of the University of Illinois’ stars of the recent past, shot the ninth sub-60 score in the history of the Korn Ferry Tour at last week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am but he wasn’t the Illini alum to win the tournament. Adrien Dumont de Chassart was – and it came in his first…
Poconos is a good place to get a taste of mountain golf
Playing golf in the mountains isn’t our norm, but when the opportunity arose we jumped at it – and we’re glad we did. The International Network of Golf Spring Forum was held in Valley Forge, Pa., and the mountainous area known as The Poconos was barely an hour away. As soon as the Forum was…
Golf `merger’ might bring peace, but it’ll take awhile
I had just begun a 10-hour drive back home to Sarasota when I got the word, via a phone call, of the “merger’’ between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the LIV Tour. I was shocked by the bombshell announcement, but just because of the timing. I expected some sort of a resolution…
Hardy, Streelman deliver with U.S. Open berths on the line
The “Longest Day in Golf’’ always produces plenty of drama, but this year’s – held on Monday – was particularly interesting. The ten 36-hole sectional qualifying tournaments held across the country sent four Chicago players to the 123rd U.S. Open, to be played June 15-18 at the Los Angeles Country Club. Those who made…
Switching to the claw has improved Luke Donald’s putting
Luke Donald, a golfing legend from his days at Northwestern, was the No. 1 player in the world for 56 weeks back in 2011 and 2012. Then, after battling back problems, his game suffered and he even had trouble getting into some tournaments. Now, though, Donald is Europe’s Ryder Cup captain. That’s made him…
PGA caddie switch; Illini advance in the NCAAs
The high drama at Sunday’s Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour centered on the eventual winner, Emiliano Grillo, and Adam Schenk, the loser in a two-hole playoff to Grillo in extra holes. David Cooke, a two-time Illinois Open champion from Bolingbrook, was part of the drama, too. He has been Schenk’s caddie –…
Alabama’s RTJ Trail offers lots of golf — and much more
ALL OVER, Alabama – There’s a handful of golf trails across the country – and then there’s the Robert Trent Jones Trail that stretches over about 400 miles in Alabama, from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to the Gulf Coast. This collection of courses is like no other. It includes 26 courses —…
Alabama’s FarmLinks fulfills a Pursell dream
SYLACAUGA, Alabama – Alabama is a golf-rich state, with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail dominating the lists of top courses there. There’s only one thing missing from the Trail’s 26 courses spread around 11 destination sites. All of those layouts don’t include the best one – at least according to GolfWeek, one of the…