The biggest tournament for Illinois residents, the 71st Illinois Open, concludes today at White Eagle in Naperville. A day later the PGA Tour’s major championships for 2020, the PGA Championship, tees off at Harding Park in San Francisco. Before August is over the PGA Tour will have completed its FedEx Cup Playoffs, which conclude…
Daily Herald Columns
Defending champ Cooke has a dilemma going into the Illinois Open
David Cooke won the Illinois Open as an amateur in 2015 and last year as a professional. He may well have problems just making his first-round tee time to open his title defense when the 71st playing of the tourney tees off on Monday at White Eagle Club in Naperville. Cooke’s win last year was…
It’s not just PGA Tour; spectators will also be scarce at Western amateur events
The Western Golf Association’s three most prestigious championships certainly will look different this year thanks to ongoing pandemic concerns. An announcement from the PGA Tour this week declared that there will be no spectators at its tournaments through the FedEx Cup Playoffs. That means the second of those three postseason events – the BMW Championship…
Illini golf teams get a boost from course donation
Northwestern, Iowa and Indiana just upgraded their golf facilities. Now Illinois is doing the same. The school announced that the Atkins family has donated about 300 acres in Urbana, which includes the Stone Creek Golf Course, to the University. Stone Creek opened in 2000 and was closed in January. It’s expected to re-open for public…
Illinois PGA has added a team event in its revised tournament schedule
How’s this for a refreshing change of pace? In a year where pandemic concerns forced the cancelations of tons of golf tournaments and the postponements of many others the Illinois PGA is actually adding an event to its greatly revised schedule. The IPGA tournament season was to start in April, but the first event won’t…
A good time to reflect on career highlights for Irwin, Streelman
Last week gave us a glimpse of what golfers might be missing thanks to the PGA Tour’s revamped schedule. It would have marked the 30th anniversary of — at least arguably – of the greatest U.S. Open among the 13 played on Chicago courses. Hale Irwin, who got into the 1990 U.S. Open at Medinah…
India misfires in his shot at first win on the Korn Ferry Tour
Vince India’s breakthrough win on a professional tour will have to wait. The former University of Iowa golfer from Deerfield, took a four-stroke lead into the final round of the King & Bear Classic on the PGA’s Korn Ferry Tour on Saturday and couldn’t protect it. India soared to 4-over-par 76 in the final round,…
New schedule salvages Illinois PGA’s four major tournaments
The Illinois PGA had planned to open its tournament season in March, but it still has yet to hold a competitive event. Twelve have been canceled and another nine postponed, and the state’s club professionals won’t have a competitive event until July 6. Give the IPGA credit, though. The Section has – barring sudden changes…
PGA, Korn Ferry tours re-open; WGA names Chicago Highlands for ESI tourney
The men’s pro golf tours resume tournament play on Thursday (JUNE 11), ending three months of inactivity because of Covid-19 pandemic concerns. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and the next four players in the world rankings will be in the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Texas. The strong 148-player field…
Illinois Open is downsized after major restructuring
Though some restrictions were lifted for Illinois golfers on Friday, the season remains a trying one for the state’s golf organizers. Tournament scheduling remains a fluid thing due to concerns over the COVID-19 Pandemic. First it was the Chicago District Golf Association canceling the Illinois State Amateur and the CDGA Amateur – its two oldest…