SILVIS, IL. – The Las Vegas odds-makers didn’t believe experience mattered much when they sized up the John Deere Classic field earlier this week. The top five betting favorites – Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Joaquin Niemann, Sunglae Im and Matthew Wolff — are all between the ages of 20 and 22. But what do those…
Tournament Reports
Donald makes the cut at JDC, joins those chasing Vegas
SILVIS, IL. – Luke Donald is seven years removed from being the world’s No. 1 golfer, but he’s showing signs of regaining the form that made him that good, and that’s saying a lot. Donald was sidelined for nearly a year with back problems. During the time off he lost his PGA Tour membership but…
Diaz’ 62 tops an unusual first round at the John Deere Classic
SILVIS, IL. – The 49th John Deere Classic meant the return of the PGA Tour to Illinois for the first time in 2019, but Thursday’s opening round had a different feel to it. There was the usual abundance of low scoring, with the best saved for last. Mexico’s Roberto Diaz, in the last threesome to…
Cantigny will produce another memorable State Amateur
The Illinois State Amateur doesn’t have a home course. It moves around the state annually, but in the last two decades one location has become a favorite. Cantigny, in Wheaton, has hosted four times in the last 22 years and will be the site for the tourney’s 89th staging from July 16-18. “For us amateur…
Jennifer Kupcho wasn’t the only winner at the inaugural ANWA
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Jennifer Kupcho was a convincing winner in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Saturday, but women’s golf may have been the biggest benefactor. For the third straight year the top women players had a new high profile event to build on. In 2017 it was the Senior LPGA Championship at Indiana’s…
Four legends will get the ANWA’s climax off to a rousing start
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta National Golf Club has been a trend-setter since legendary player Bobby Jones led its creation in the 1930s. Jones also organized the Masters — at least arguably the world’s most popular golf tournament — in 1934. Today women finally get their chance to play the iconic course in a tournament setting….
Local players won’t be among first 30 women to compete at Augusta National
EVANS, Ga. — The 30 women who will be the first to compete on Augusta National’s famed course were decided on Thursday. NCAA champion Jennifer Kopcho, the Wake Forest senior and No. 1 in the Official World Amateur Rankings, headed the list after playing two rounds at Champions Retreat in 5-under-par 139. Champions Retreat, a…
Illini golfer tops the locals in the debut of the ANWA
EVANS, Ga. – The weather couldn’t have been better for the first round of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat Golf Club. Augusta National president Fred Ridley and Diana Murphy, a former U.S. Golf Association president who became the fourth woman member of Augusta National, were on hand when Jennifer Kupcho smacked…
England’s Casey becomes Valspar’s first repeat champion
PALM HARBOR, Florida — It took 19 years, but the Valspar Championship now has a repeat champion. England’s Paul Casey backed up his victory in 2018 with another triumph on Sunday at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course. Valspar hasn’t been the title sponsor throughout the PGA Tour’s run at Innisbrook, but no player could win twice…
Return to Innisbrook has put some spark back in Luke Donald’s game
PALM HARBOR, Florida – Luke Donald has played well at the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship before. He even won the title here in 2012 when the tournament was known as the Transitions Championship. This week’s been different, though. Donald, the former Northwestern star, was ranked 919th in the world before the tournament teed off on…