The selection process is over for the next induction class into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame and two of the six to made it were PGA Tour regulars after being early survivors of the qualifying school format. Bob Zender came first. After winning the Illinois State Amateur three times and earning All-American status at…
Daily Herald Columns
Donald can still be a great player — occasionally
Last week’s PGA Championship at North Carolina’s Quail Hollow had its surprises. None of the 20 club professionals survived the 36-hole cut. Neither did established stars Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry. One who did play all 72 holes was also surprising. Luke Donald, the long ago Northwestern…
Billiter is Illinois PGA’s match play champion again
The PGA Championship, second major event of the PGA Tour season, claims the national golf spotlight on Thursday at Quail Hollow, in Charlotte, N.C., but the Illinois Section of the PGA staged its first of four majors last week and it produced a result for the local record books. Jim Billiter, of Ivanhoe Club,…
Euros might have a rare advantage in the ’26 Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup, played every two years between the top PGA Tour players from the U.S. and a select team of International stars from all parts of the world except Europe, hasn’t created much excitement since its debut in 1994. The U.S. holds a 13-1-1 edge in the series. Medinah hosts the next staging, in…
Illinois PGA’s new Open Series will be something unique
Last year the Illinois PGA’s newest big thing was the addition of a season-long team competition that was well received by section members. This year’s newest big thing is more far-reaching. The Illinois PGA Open Series tees off on Monday at White Eagle, in Naperville. That’ll be the first of six one-day tournaments that…
Eagle Ridge bolsters its golf instruction program
Galena’s Eagle Ridge, long been Illinois’ premier golf resort, has brought in a new instructor who knows the area well. Scott Szbowicz went to Eagle Ridge on his honeymoon 41 years ago. Szybowicz and his wife, Jane, have been squeezing in regular visits to Eagle Ridge during his 37 years as a PGA member….
Golf has moved into the McIlroy Era now
The 89th Masters golf tournament was followed by people world-wide, golfers or not. It’s not unusual for publishers to use that big event to introduce their newest books, and – since I dabble with book reviews periodically – it’s not unusual for those publishers to send me their books for review purposes. The week…
An ideal year for McIlroy to complete the career Grand Slam
The Masters tees off on Thursday at Georgia’s Augusta National, and – judging by the pre-tourney hype – it’s going to be a strange one. Over the last four years issues involving the PGA Tour and LIV Golf were prominent. Not so this year. Merger talks seem non-existent. LIV has remained a viable threat to…
Rory Spears worked in radio but had a passion for golf
Rory Spears, a fixture in Chicago sports radio with deep roots in the local golf scene, died this week at his home in Arlington Heights. He was 65. Rory had a love for radio and was one of the initial members for WSCR all-sports radio show. After five seasons there he moved on to ESPN…
Former John Deere Classic star earns his way back to the Masters
Michael Kim’s road back to the Masters has been a long one. In 2018 Kim notched his only win on the PGA Tour. It came at the John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour stop, in 2018. The JDC is famous for its extraordinary number of first-time PGA Tour winners. Kim was…