It may seem weird, but golf’s second major championship of the year ended Sunday with Brooks Koepka’s victory in the PGA Championship after the third of the four majors was already – at least technically – well underway. The 123rd U.S. Open proper doesn’t begin its 72-hole run until June 15-18 but that tournament…
Author: lenz
French has momentum going into PGA Championship
Club professionals rarely have an impact in the PGA Championship, but this week one might. Chris French, the head professional at Aldeen — a public course operated by the Rockford Park District — is certainly playing well enough going into the event that tees off on Thursday at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y. Only…
French is Illinois’ hope in the PGA Championship
Having an Illinois club professional in the PGA Championship is a rarity, but there will be one this year. Chris French of Rockford made it into the field for the year’s second major championship at Oak Hill, in Rochester, N.Y. from May 15-21. Though he works part of the year in California and spent…
No state has benefitted more from the golf boom than Mississippi
It’s no secret that the horrible pandemic gave a boost to the golf industry nation-wide, and that is most evident in Mississippi. The sport has really taken off there in the last few years. That was evident when a small group of golf media members from all parts of the country spent a week getting…
Is an NCAA title next for the Illini men golfers?
Could this be the year that the University of Illinois men’s team finally wins the NCAA title? Illini coach Mike Small has had some powerhouse teams but this year’s version could be his best. The nation’s No. 3 ranked team captured the school’s eighth straight Big Ten championship (and 13th in 14 years) on…
GOLF TRAVEL NOTEBOOK: New courses will soon be the norm
It’s time to hit the road again. Our visits to golf travel destinations will take us to Mississippi, Alabama and Pennsylvania over the next few weeks, but there’s plenty going on at other places that golf travelers should know about. For instance: REYNOLDS LAKE OCONEE – Famed architect Tom Fazio is returning to this beautiful…
Hensby, Illini teams joined Hardy in big Illinois golf weekend
Last weekend was like no other as far as Illinois golf is concerned, and Nick Hardy’s first PGA Tour win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was just one of the extraordinary developments. Here are the others: PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS – Mark Hensby, whose best golf came on Illinois courses years ago, notched his…
Nick Hardy is now a winner on the PGA Tour
Northbrook’s Nick Hardy is now a winner on the PGA Tour. He teamed up with a long-time friend, Davis Riley, to capture the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday in Avondale, La. It was the first win on golf’s premier circuit for both of them. The Zurich Classic is the only team event on…
Flavin is taking the Korn Ferry route to the PGA Tour now
Last year Highwood’s Patrick Flavin tried to make it to the PGA Tour the hard way – through the Monday qualifiers. He wasn’t successful, but he came close. Flavin finished No. 153 on the FedEx Cup standings. The top 125 earned full PGA Tour membership in the current 2022-23 season and the top 150…
Illini golfers await new tourney, assistant coach’s departure
The Masters, as always, hogged the golf spotlight as spring kicked in, but now that’s changing – especially at the University of Illinois. Mike Small’s Illini men’s team is ranked No. 5 in the nation with two regular-season tournaments remaining – this week’s Tiger Collegiate Invitational in Columbia, Mo., and then the Fighting Illini Collegiate…