Brian Campbell is a month away from defending his title in the John Deere Classic, but a lot has happened to the University of Illinois alum since his playoff win over Emiliano Grillo last year at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis. The win there was his first on the PGA Tour, at the 2025…
Author: lenz
Illinois State Women’s Amateur moves to Elgin CC
Very few of the big Illinois golf tournaments have undergone as many recent changes as the Illinois State Women’s Amateur. The downstate-based Illinois Women’s Golf Association conducted the tournament for 90 years, then passed it on to the Chicago District Golf Association in 2024. The tourney was played in a match play format through…
BOOK REPORT: An All-Star contribution to baseball history
Randall Sullivan’s “The First All-Star Game’’ (Atlantic Monthly Press) is aptly named. It is the story of the first baseball game between the stars of the National and American leagues that was played in 1933 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. (As you might guess we’re venturing away from golf again to spotlight some outstanding writing…
NCAA hopes are on the line for Illini, NU golfers
The national championships in Division I college golf are on the line the next two weeks, and — in these parts, at least – it’s all about Illinois and Northwestern. Coach Emily Fletcher’s NU women are the defending champion on the women’s side. They won their first title last year at Omni LaCosta Resort…
Svoboda gets his first big IPGA victory
The 108th PGA Championship – second of the year’s four major tournaments – tees off Thursday at Aronimink, in Pennsylvania, but the Illinois Section of the PGA crowned the first winner of its four majors last week and it was significant. Andy Svoboda was an immediate contender since joining the IPGA in 2024 after being…
BOOK(S) REPORT: Both Tiger, Rory get special attention this time
Two books on prominent golfers — “Tiger Project’’ by Gavin Newsham and “RORY’’ by Alan Shipnuck – came out very close together earlier this year. Both were somewhat updated when they were released, as Tiger Woods had since been involved in another auto-related catastrophe and Rory McIlroy was about to repeat as a Masters…
Two-tourney week brings Illinois PGA players together
This week’s two PGA Tour stops are the final warmups for the year’s second major tournament – the PGA Championship. The top stars will be at the Truist Championship at Quail Valley, in Charlotte, N.C., which tees off on Thursday. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the runner-up in his last three tournaments, won’t be there…
TRAVEL: South Dakota’s Terry Redlin Art Center is a special place
WATERTOWN, South Dakota – This is our latest proof that we can enjoy destinations that don’t involve golf. We hadn’t been to South Dakota since 2015 , the last time highlighted by a stop to see the iconic Mount Rushmore. This time we made a side trip from a family gathering in Marshall, Minnesota,…
Illinois prep champion tops U.S. Open local qualifier
Last week’s first of three Illinois local qualifiers for the U.S. Open hardly went according to form. Evanston amateur Lester Low, the reigning Illinois high school champion, posted the best score – a 7-under-par 65 at Stonewall Orchard, in Gurnee, and that was two strokes better than veteran tour player Andy Svoboda, the head…
Stonewall Orchard is an early host for U.S. Open local qualifiers
This month’s Masters was the first of the year’s four major championships and – with just a 91-player field – was the smallest of those events. The biggest of the majors is the U.S. Open which officially started on Monday (APRIL 20) with the first of 109 local qualifiers. Illinois will again have three…