ERIN, Wis. – Rickie Fowler is sure that he’ll win one of golf’s major titles some day. So is most everyone else, and this week could be his time. In 2014 he finished in the top five at all four of them – the Masters, U.S. and British Opens and PGA Championship – and was…
Author: lenz
Could this U.S. Open produce seventh straight first time major champion?
ERIN, Wis. – It would seem that the more established players would have the most success in a tournament as difficult to win as the U.S. Open. That hasn’t been the case lately, however. The last six U.S. Opens have had champions who won their first major title, and another could be in the offing…
It’s on to the U.S. Open for Rust-Oleum champion Jaeger
Stephan Jaeger took care of business on Sunday, nursing a four-stroke lead at the start of the day to nab a two-stroke win in the $600,000 Rust-Oleum Championship. Now it’s on to the U.S. Open. The Germany-born Jaeger survived a 36-hole U.S. Open sectional qualifier on Monday before claiming the $108,000 first prize in the…
Women’s Western Amateur reaches milestone at River Forest — and it’s all good
The Women’s Western Amateur has been put on by largely Chicago area volunteers for 116 years and this week’s tournament at River Forest Country Club, in Elmhurst, will mark the end of an era. The tournament, which tees off today and concludes on Saturday, isn’t folding. It’s just that the Women’s Western Golf Association will…
Jaeger, Rocha prove the best wind players at Ivanhoe
With winds blowing steadily at 25 miles per hour and gusting to 35 at times Saturday didn’t figure to be a good day for scoring at the Rust-Oleum Championship. A couple players apparently didn’t get that memo, however. Alexandre Rocha, who started the day in a tie for 52nd place, shot an 8-under-par 64 and…
CDGA’s amateurs beat IPGA pros, regain Radix Cup
The Illinois PGA pros used to dominate their amateur counterparts in the annual Radix Cup matches at Oak Park County Club, but no more. Though the IPGA owns a 35-19-2 overall edge the amateurs won for the 10th time in the last 18 meetings on Wednesday. The CDGA’s best took a 10-8 victory. Neither team,…
Stricker, Pope head U.S. Open qualifiers on golf’s `longest day’
If any player should have received a special invitation to the first U.S. Open ever played in Wisconsin it would be Steve Stricker. He won 12 PGA Tour events including the 1997 Western Open and three straight John Deere Classics from 2009-11. He’s also the current U.S. Presidents Cup captain. U.S. Golf Association leaders, however,…
A third straight Final Four finish for Illini golfers
Illinois reached the Final Four of the NCAA men’s golf tournament Wednesday. Unfortunately, for the third straight year, that’s where the season ended for coach Mike Smalll’s perennial powerhouse. The Illini qualified for the match play climax to the tourney for the sixth time in the past seven years and got through the quarterfinals for…
Meyer falters, but Illini advance to match play at Rich Harvest
Illinois didn’t play its best golf on Monday in the final round of stroke play at the NCAA Championships. Coach Mike Small even had to talk tough to his players late in the round at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. “But that was exactly what we needed. We needed someone in our face,’’ said…
Gritty Meyer could become Illini’s third NCAA medalist
The individual champion will be crowned Monday in the NCAA men’s golf championship at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, and that player could well be Illinois junior Dylan Meyer. Meyer starts the fourth round in a tie for third among the individuals, three strokes behind Scottie Scheffler of Texas. Scheffler, after three straight rounds…