Sabrina Bonanno of Norridge and Jessica Yuen of Bolingbrook were dominant golfers in the Illinois high school ranks and have been solid college players. Starting Tuesday, however, they’ll be experiencing something new and different as far as competition goes.

Both are in the select 120-player field in the 118th Women’s Western Amateur at Mistwood in Romeoville. The field includes players from 25 states and seven foreign countries, and they range in age from 15 to 57 – the oldest being Ellen Port of St. Louis who has six U.S. Golf Association national titles to her credit.

Port will also be in the field at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton next month. That tournament concludes a hectic month featuring three big-time women’s events in the Chicago area. The first is the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which tees off on Thursday at Kemper Lakes in Kildeer.

Though both are in the Western Amateur for the first time, Bonanno and Yuen rank among the most promising young players in the field.

A recent graduate of Arkansas-Little Rock, Bonanno won an Illinois high school title and finished second three times while at Ridgewood. Yuen, a junior-to-be at the University of Missouri, won two Illinois high school titles and was second her other two years at Nequa Valley.

Bonanno is coming off a stunning win in the Illinois Women’s State Amateur at Aldeen in Rockford. No player in the 85-year history of state tourney has dominated the event the way Bonanno did. She was medalist in stroke play qualifying, shooting a 67, and none of her matches went beyond the 15th hole.

That performance, coupled with her collegiate status, suggests the 22-year old might be ready to turn professional after this week’s prestigious event ends on Saturday. While not ruling that out, Bonanno isn’t in a hurry to make that dramatic lifestyle change.

“I’m going back to college to get my Masters in Business Administration,’’ she said. “I want to get my game where I’m shooting in the 60s, and I’m up and down right now. I know I can play at that level, but right now I’m not sure if I’m ready.’’

Her plans after the Women’s Western Am suggest she’s not. Rather than play in her first Illinois Women’s Open, also held at Mistwood in July, she’s going to Europe for a vacation and the only golf it’ll include is time spent watching the British Open.

When she returns she’ll attempt to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, then return to Arkansas-Little Rock and work on her game in addition to studying for that Masters. Professional golf can wait.

“There’s so much more golf you can play as an amateur,’’ she said. “I’d like to play in some pro tournaments as an amateur and then make a decision.’’

Yuen, who will also play in the Illinois Women’s Open for the fifth straight year, still has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining. She has one big advantage on every other player in the Western Amateur field. None know Mistwood as well as she does. Her home is 20 minutes away and she’s worked with four members of Mistwood’s teaching staff over the years.

“ I grew up playing it my entire life,’’ she said. “I’m real comfortable here. That should help me out this week.’’

One of the biggest amateur events for women, the Women’s Western Amateur has a new format this year. The starters will play 36 holes on Tuesday and Wednesday to decide the 32 qualifiers for match play, which begins on Thursday. There’ll be no secondary flights in match play, as there have been in recent years.

Scott Cassin has been the tournament director of previous eight Web.com Tour events played at Chicago golf courses, and he never had to experience a sudden death playoff — until Sunday, that is.

Chase Wright, in what might be the last playing of the Rust-Oleum Championship at Ivanhoe Club, rolled in a five-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff with Alex Prugh to win the $108,000 first prize.

Not only that, but Wright’s 72-hole score of 17-under-par 271 was the lowest winning score posted in the three years the $600,000 tourney was played at Ivanhoe. Max Homa, in 2016, and Stephen Jaeger last year were 13-under in their victories.

Wright notched his first win in four seasons on the PGA Tour’s alternate circuit. It could be a life-changer, as Wright moved from No. 35 to fifth on the Web.com money list. He looms a good bet to finish the season in the circuit’s top 25, and those players advance to the PGA Tour in 2019.

“It’s a great feeling,’’ said Wright, who is from Muncie, Ind., and played college golf at Indiana. “I’m proud that I hung in there. I probably knew this was going to happen all day. I just didn’t want to beat myself.’’

He didn’t do that, and Wright claimed that a two-putt from 80 feet for par on the par-3 17th hole “won me the tournament.’’

Actually it didn’t. Both Wright and Prugh singed the cup with birdie putts on the last hole of regulation play. Both also made pars on the first playoff hole and hit great approaches into the same hole – Ivanhoe’s No. 18 – on the second. Prugh’s stopped 12 feet from the cup, and he missed his birdie putt. Wright then made his five-footer for the win.

Wright’s first win in 83 Web.com starts came in his second playoff of the week. He was also in one for a berth in next week’s U.S. Open in a sectional qualifier at Ridgewood, N.J., last Monday. Wright didn’t win that one and learned later that his status as an alternate won’t be good enough to get into the field when play begins at Shinnecock Hills in New York on Thursday.

No problem there. Wright was happier to get a win that will have a more lasting effect on his career than just one that would get him into one big tournament.

After two decent seasons on the Web.com circuit Wright struggled last season. He had to drop down to the Canada’s McKenzie Tour, but got a win there. That helped him regain his status as a Web.com regular.

Now, thanks to Sunday’s strong finishes, both Wright and Prugh are in great position to advance to the PGA Tour next season. Prugh moved up from 61st to 23rd on the money list.

Whether Wright can defend the title he won Sunday, however, is doubtful. Rust-Oleum’s three-year contract as a tournament sponsor concluded on Sunday and no agreement has been reached on an extension. Contributing to the unlikelihood of the tournament returning is the retirement of Tom Reed on April 30. An Ivanhoe member, Reed was the Rust-Oleum president when the tournament was created.

The Web.com Tour has had a sporadic tenure in Chicago. Kemper Lakes hosted the first event in 2002 and the tourney moved to The Glen Club, in Glenview, the following year. It was contested there through 2008 as either the LaSalle Bank Open or Bank of American Open.

Rust-Oleum’s run featured three days of good weather before Sunday’s conclusion produced a forecast of inclement weather. Play was started at 8 a.m. in threesomes off both the Nos. 1 and 10 tees and the lift, clean and place policy was invoked. It had only minimal impact on the local players who made the cut.

Lake Forest’s Brad Hopfinger dropped six places from the start of play and finished in a tie for 22nd place. That dropped him from 38th to 40th on the all-important money list.

Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, playing his first tournament as a professional, tied for 33rd with – among others – fellow University of Illinois alum Scott Langley.

Langley, maintaining his No. 2 ranking on the circuit money list, was sailing along with his best round of the week until his last hole. Then he put two balls in the water and took a triple bogey eight, but still finished ahead of money leader Sungjae Im of South Korea.

Hardy, happy with going all four rounds in his pro debut, will get another Web.com start in two weeks at the Lincoln Land Championship at Panther Creek in Springfield, Ill., thanks to another sponsor’s exemption. Then he’ll utilize two invites to PGA Tour events – the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Conn., and the John Deere Classic in downstate Silvis, Ill.

Nothing much went according to form in Saturday’s third round of the Web.com Tour’s Rust-Oleum Championship at Ivanhoe Club, and it’ll be much the same on Sunday – at least at the start of the final round.

The probability of inclement weather led tournament organizers to schedule play in threesomes off both the Nos. 1 and 10 tees. Rounds will start between 8 and 10 a.m. as opposed to the usual starts off No. 1 and the 54-hole leaders beginning their rounds at mid-day.

“It’ll be fine,’’ insisted Kyle Jones, who took over the tournament lead from playing partner Maverick McNealy. “It’ll be nice getting done at a good time.’’

The trophy presentation, as well as the awarding of the $108,000 first place check is planned for 3 p.m., and Jones isn’t the only one with a chance. Jones, at 15-under-par 201 after his 68 on Saturday, is one swing ahead of Christian Bland and two ahead of both Justin Lower and Chase Wright.

If any of those four win on Sunday it’ll be a surprise. Jones, who played collegiately at Baylor, is 67th on the Web.com Tour money list. Brand is 124th, Lower is 50th and Wright 35th. None are near the top 25, the dividing line to determine who secures spots on the PGA Tour in 2019, but a strong finish on Sunday could change that.

Jones was in the final pairing in Round 3 with 36-hole front-runner McNealy, the former collegiate hotshot for Stanford. After shooting 64 in the second round McNealy shot 73 in the third and enters the final round in a tie for ninth.

The names at the top of the leaderboard were also reflective of what happened to the four local hopefuls. None of them improved their position from the second to the third round. Lake Forest’s Brad Hopfinger dropped 12 places, into a tie for 16th. Nick Hardy fell 18 spots , into a tie for 40th. Scott Langley, the former NCAA champion from Illinois who is No. 2 on the Web.com money list, fell 14 places to a tie for 51st and Deerfield’s Vince India dropped 13 places into a tie for 65th.

Still, all four could improve enough to claim a good paycheck on Sunday based on the wild leaderboard changes on Saturdays.

Jones, who doesn’t even have a top-20 on the PGA’s alternate circuit this year, is holding the 54-hole lead for the first time.

“I’m excited, but I’ll try not to think about it too much because it might get into my head,’’ said Jones. He’ll be paired with Brand and Lower in the final threesome off the No. 1 tee. Brand and Lower are frequent practice partners who travel from tournament to tournament together.

“We’re in separate hotels this week, but he’s one of my best friends out here,’’ said Brand. “The secret to finding a good road trip buddy is not wanting to strangle each other, and he’s easy to get along with. We’ll have fun, but he wants to beat me more than anybody else on tour. We have our money games on Tuesdays, and there’s a lot of good trash-talking going on.’’

Saturday’s play did produce some low scores. Ryan Yip, a Canadian who played collegiately at Kent State, was low man with an 8-under-par 64. Brand carded a 65 as did Bill Kennerly, who is tied for fifth with Yip.

“It was a great day,’’ said Brand. “Ivanhoe played great, and the sun came out for us. When I woke up I wasn’t sure that would happen, but the course is in phenomenal shape.’’

Brand had one semi-miraculous shot. He hooked his drive into the trees at No. 10 but hooked a 7-iron second shot from 200 yards to 10 feet of the cup and proceeded to roll in the birdie putt.

Yip had one, too – a holed out bunker shot for birdie at No. 14.

“I had one foot in the bunker and one out, and I was falling backwards,’’ said Yip. “I was just trying to get the ball on the green.’’

Former Masters champions don’t usually play in Web.com Tour events like this week’s Rust-Oleum Championship at Ivanhoe Club. Mike Weir, the Canadian left-handed golfer who won the 2003 Masters, made it a point of coming this year, however, and Friday he was glad he did.

“Other than the Canadian Open I probably won’t play in any more PGA Tour events,’’ said Weir. “I would have probably gotten into Memphis (the PGA Tour’s St. Jude Classic) this week, but I wanted to come here.’’

His first round on Thursday was nothing special, a 1-under-par 71, but Weir climbed the leaderboard in a hurry on Friday after posting a 5-under 67. Weir’s 6-under 138 total left him six strokes behind leader Maverick McNealy midway through the $600,000 championship.

McNealy shot the low round of the tournament so far – a 64 – on Friday. His leading challengers include Lake Forest’s Brad Hopfinger, who is tied for fourth and four shots back after his 66 in the second round. None of the finalists, though, are as intriguing as the veteran Weir, who has played only sparingly – and without much success – the last few years.

“I played a lot better today,’’ said Weir. “Yesterday I just didn’t hit enough fairways. Today I hit every fairway. That was the key to the round.’’

Weir, 47, got into the field at Ivanhoe on a special exemption saved for players nearing their eligibility for PGA Tour Champions – the 50-and-over circuit. The closer to 50 a former major champion is, the more opportunities he’ll have on the PGA’s alternative circuit.

“I’m still a couple years away. I haven’t played a lot of golf in the last couple of years, but I want to stay sharp and I still love to compete,’’ said Weir. “I turn 48 next May. Then I can play a more full schedule on theWeeb.com. That would be the goal if I don’t get my card.’’

Weir, who has won $27 million in PGA Tour events, played in only four tournaments on the premier circuit this year, missing the cut in three and finishing tied for 73rd in the Domincan Republic in March.

That’s a long way from his status in the game just a few years ago. Weir was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 110 weeks between 2001 and 2005. He won eight times during his years on the PGA Tour, the last coming at the 2007 Fry’s Electronics Open, but his play tailed off after he suffered a torn ligament in his right elbow in 2010.

“I had some tough years when I was battling through injuries from 2010 through 2015,’’ said Weir. “That was a difficult time for me, but the last couple of years it’s been pretty easy. I’m enjoying being around these young guys. I’m enjoying my golf a lot more than I ever have.’’

Especially on Friday, when his round included seven birdies.

“Today is progress,’’ said Weir. “That’s a good sign. My mindset is to get out here and compete. I can still find my way around a golf course, and when I’m out here I want to win, so it’s nice to be in the mix here.’’

Weir isn’t the only former major champion in the field at Ivanhoe. Shaun Micheel, who won the PGA Championship in 2003, is just two strokes behind Weir and was well under the cut line of 3-under-par 141 through the first two rounds.

More than anything, though, the Rust-Oleum Championship is a place to help young stars work their way onto the PGA Tour, and Hopfinger improved his case for cracking the top 25 on the Web.com money list. The top 25 at season’s end get PGA Tour cards. Hopfinger was No. 38 at the start of the week but will move up significantly if he continues his second-round play in the weekend rounds.

Hopfinger will have company from three other Chicago players in the final 36 holes. Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, making his professional debut, climbed 57 places into a tie for 22nd after shooting a 67 on Friday.

Scott Langley, another former University of Illinois golfer who is No. 2 on the Web.com Tour’s season money list, and Deerfield’s Vince India, who got into the field as a sponsor’s exemption, also made the cut.

The 156 starters in Thursday’s $600,000 Rust-Oleum Championship at Ivanhoe Club included six Chicago area players and two more who played collegiately at Illinois. None were a threat to first-round leaders Andrew Novak, of Raleigh, N.C., He claimed the 18-hole lead with a 7-under par 65.

However, four of the locals got off to solid starts. Elgin’s Carlos Sainz Jr. posted a 3-under-par 69 and Lake Forest’s Brad Hopfinger, Deerfield’s Vince India and Libertyville’s Michael Schachner shot 2-under 70s.

Schachner, an Ivanhoe member, and India got into the field on sponsor exemptions and were late starters.

Sainz, who is tied for 17th place after Round 1, made birdies on four of the first six holes. He and Hopfinger are former Illinois Open champions in contention to earn PGA Tour cards for 2019.

Schachner, an Ivanhoe member and mini-tour player, was the surprise of the day while playing in the last group to tee off. India,, a college teammate of Hopfinger’s at Iowa, is a former Web.com Tour regular who has had trouble getting into tournaments this season. That trio is tied for 39th place.

Hopfinger, standing No. 38 on the Web.com Tour money list, has the best chance to advance to the main circuit at the moment. The top 25 at the end of the season advance. Sainz is down at No. 91, but coming into the portion of the season where he historically has played his best.

“I’m looking forward to the summer,’’ said Sainz. “We’re in the middle of our season now and have next week off. Then we have 11 tournaments in a row. I don’t know if I’ll play all 11, but you never know. I played 14 in a row in 2014.’’

Hopfinger was just one stroke ahead of Sainz in the fall qualifying school. Hopfinger earned full Web.com Tour privileges. Sainz had to play well in the early season chances he got. He was first alternate in the season opener before getting a chance to play.

“I was one shot out of full,’’ said Sainz, “but I got into two of the first four events based on how I finished at Q-School. Some players who tied me (in Q=School) didn’t get into anything. Then I had a top 10 (actually a tie for eighth in Colombia) and that pretty much gave me (playing) status for the rest of the year.’’

Sainz spent one unsuccessful season on the PGA Tour but could be on his way back now that he will get starts on the top alternative circuit.

“I’m happy to be on this tour again,’’ he said. “I’ve started to play some good golf. Though my scores aren’t always reflecting it, we’re on the right track.’’

Hopfinger is playing his fifth tournament in a row and had his second top-10 of the year two weeks ago at Nashville. He’s not sure how much more money he’ll need to win to make it to the PGA Tour for the first time.

“The goal is to finish in the top 25,’’ he said. “You just try to play good golf every day. That’s all you can do. You can’t think about how much you have to make.’’

As for the other locals, things didn’t go so well. Northbrook’s Nick Hardy posted a so-so 72 in his first professional round after completing his outstanding collegiate career at Illinois. A five-foot birdie putt on the final hole lifted Hardy’s spirits for Friday’s second round, when he is in the last group off the tee at 2:15 p.m.

“I didn’t have my best stuff,’’ Hardy said of Round 1. “I’m just happy to get the first round out of the way.’’

The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, coming to Kemper Lakes in Kildeer from June 26 to July 1, is the biggest golf tournament coming to the Chicago area this season and it figures to be the biggest for many years to come.

Formerly called the LPGA Championship, this tournament is – with the U.S. Women’s Open – the top event on the premier women’s tour. It’s big, no doubt about it.

The men have a PGA Tour Champions major, the Constellation Senior Players Championship, coming to Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park in July at the same time the U.S. Golf Association brings its first U.S. Senior Women’s Open to Chicago Golf Club. Neither carries the historical significance that the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship does.

And, sad to say, neither the PGA of America, the U.S. Golf Association, the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions or the LPGA have any of their major tournaments scheduled in Chicago in future years. Such big events are generally scheduled many years in advance so it’s appropriate to savor this one coming to Kemper Lakes this month.

There’s some interesting symmetry involved in the connection of this tournament with this club. In 1989, when Kemper Lakes was just 10 years old, the club landed the men’s PGA Championship – the most prestigious event Kemper has ever held. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will come close.

Kemper was a young, public venue in 1989. Now, 29 years later, Kemper has landed another long-prestigious championship in similar circumstances. Kemper doesn’t have much of a track record in women’s golf. The club, now private, has never hosted a women’s professional tournament. The only thing remotely close on the women’s front was the 1992 U.S. Women’s Amateur.

So, a primer is in order. Here’s what you need to know to fully appreciate this upcoming KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

For starters, the KPMG event is the second-longest running tournament in women’s golf, having been founded in 1955. The U.S. Women’s Open is the only older one, having been first played in 1946. To put both in perspective, the LPGA Tour itself played its first season in 1950.

Three tournaments in the LPGA’s inaugural season were played in the Chicago area. The Chicago Weathervane Open, a 36-hole tournament, was played in May at Skycrest Country Club (now Twin Orchard in Long Grove). Louise Suggs won the $750 first prize. In July of that year there were two events at Tam O’Shanter in Niles. Babe Zaharias won both the All-American Open and World Championship, events staged by innovative golf promoter George S. May.

The U.S. Women’s Open made its debut in 1946, with Chicago-based Patty Berg the champion. The LPGA Championship was first played nine years later, when Beverly Hanson took home a $1,200 first prize from a $6,000 purse at Orchard Ridge in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Neither the U.S. Women’s Open nor LPGA Championship have stopped much in Chicago, making this month’s tournament a rare treat. The Open came to LaGrange Country Club in 1974 and 1981, with Sandra Haynie and Pat Bradley the champions. It didn’t return until 2000 when Australian Karrie Webb was the winner at the Merit Club, in Libertyville.

The LPGA Championship wasn’t played in these parts until last year, when Olympia Fields was the site of Danielle Kang’s first professional victory. In an unusual bit of scheduling the tourney was scheduled in the Chicago area two years in a row, Kemper landing this year’s event. The tourney goes to Hazeltine, in Minnesota, in 2019 and Aronomink, in Pennsylvania, in 2020.

Under LPGA management the tourney bounced around the country with only one major controversy. That came in 2005 when the organization’s professionals-only policy was altered so that 15-year old Michelle Wie could compete, a move designed to spur attendance and media attention. Many of the professionals objected, though Wie proved she could compete by finishing the runner-up to Annika Sorenstam.

Wie turned pro in October of that year and the professionals-only policy was restored for the 2006 LPGA Championship. Wie will also be in the field at Kemper Lakes and – unlike most every other player in the field – has tournament experience on the course. When she was just 11 Wie competed in the 2001 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Kemper.

A longer-lasting change impacted the tourney in 2015, when management was shifted from the LPGA Tour to the PGA of America and KPMG was included in the title. The sponsorship and management change has bolstered the tournament, and a record purse of $3,650,000 will be on the line at Kemper Lakes. The champion will receive $547,000, up from the $525,000 that Kang picked up for winning at Olympia.

It’s been a long time between Kemper Lakes’ hosting of the men’s and women’s PGA Championships but one tournament official was involved with both.

Kerry Haigh, chief championships officer for the PGA of America,
worked on the tournament for Northbrook-based KemperSports in 1988 and 1989 after spending four years with the LPGA. His role in golf got much bigger after that, when he joined the PGA of America.

“I know how wonderful the women PGA players are. They’re incredible,’’ said Haigh following a two-day planning session at Kemper Lakes seven weeks before the tournament proper. “Their overall fitness and dedication are comparable to the men’s tour.’’

He feels Kemper will be comparable to the much older Olympia Fields as a venue for the tournament.

“Olympia Fields was outstanding,’’ said Haigh “There are more trees there, and it was a wonderful test of golf. Kemper Lakes has a lot more water. It comes into play on six or seven holes. It’s a more modern course and, in its own way, could be more difficult and challenging than Olympia Fields.’’

Haigh remembers Kemper Lakes from 29 years ago, when the top men battled for the PGA Championship there and the late Payne Stewart emerged the champion.

“It’s matured beautifully,’’ he said. “The bunkers are significantly more in play now, and they’re more penal. It’s a really good test and the greens can make it really difficult.’’

PALM HARBOR, Florida – The Valspar Championship, the PGA Tour stop that tees off here on Thursday (TODAY) has its best field ever. Tiger Woods and Rory McElroy are here for the first time and Jordan Spieth is also on hand.

Oh, yes. Dylan Meyer is here, too. While his Illini teammates were competing in a collegiate event in Las Vegas Meyer was preparing to challenge the PGA Tour stars. He was invited off his win in a collegiate tournament that Valspar also sponsors.

“I’m ready to feel what it’s going to be like on the first tee box on Thursday,’’ said Meyer, who missed the cut in last year’s John Deere Classic – first PGA Tour start. “With Tiger and these guys it’s a bigger event, but I’ve got to keep it in perspective. This is just a good gauge for me to see where I’m. I don’t have to prove anything now.’’

But he will as soon as his last collegiate season is over.

“I’m hopefully going to be out here the next couple months after graduation,’’ he said. “I’m building up for that but feeling great about the season for the school. I’m going to keep working with Coach (Mike) Small after I’ve graduated. That’s going to be a big thing for me.’’

A change of scene for Tiger

Woods last played the famed Copperhead course when Innisbrook Resort hosted a mixed team event called the JC Penney Classic. Copperhead has been renovated since then and golf in general has changed, according to Woods.

“That was 22 years ago,’’ said Woods. “It was a different game. I had a long driver, maybe 44 inches. Half the guys were using persimmon woods and balata balls were the No. 1 ball out here.’’

Woods was 20 years old then. He’s 42 now and confident he can play two weeks in a row in his latest comeback event. He finished in a promising tie for 12th at the Honda Classic two weeks ago in his last start.

He’s played only 10 tournament rounds this season and another Florida tournament, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is on tap for next week at Bay Hill in Orlando. That could be his final competitive tuneup event for next month’s Masters — the year’s first major championship. Woods missed that tournament three of the last four years because of injuries.

McIlroy eyes career Slam

McIlroy is also here to get ready for the Masters – the only one of golf’s four majors that he hasn’t won. He spent two days playing the Augusta National course before coming here.

“I’m totally ready,’’ he said. “I’d be happy to go to Augusta tomorrow and play and feel like I have a good chance.’’

McIlroy is the first of three players who have a shot at a career Grand Slam this year. Phil Mickelson, who won the Mexico Championship on Sunday, still needs to win the U.S. Open and Spieth’s resume is without a PGA Championship. Mickelson isn’t in the Valspar field.

“Golf is really helped with the three of us looking for the Slam, Tiger coming back, Justin Thomas playing so well and DJ (Dustin Johnson) being the No. 1 player in the world. I’m glad to be in the conversation.’’

Shades of 2015?

Spieth won the Valspar title in 2015, and that triggered a huge year for him. He followed with victories in the Masters and U.S. Open, then captured the John Deere Classic for the second time and concluded the year by taking The Tour Championship.

“This tournament brings really good vibes that can do a lot of good for me going forward,’’ said Spieth. “We’re in a very similar position to 2015 at this very moment. I really consider the Masters the start of the season with anything leading into it a preparation for the Masters.’’

Local flavor

Chicago’s two best PGA Tour players, Luke Donald and Kevin Streetman, are in the Valspar field. Donald won the Valspar in 2012 during a stretch in which he had top-six finishes in four consecutive years. Streelman won in 2013.

Streelman is coming off a two-week break and is 10-for-10 in surviving the 36-hole cut in the 2017-18 season. Though both are past Valspar champions neither played in Wednesday’s pro-am.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida – Tiger Woods made a last-minute decision to enter this week’s Honda Classic, the PGA Tour stop closest to his home in nearby Jupiter, FL. He didn’t have much of a choice, though.

The Masters is only six weeks away, and being ready for it has been Woods’ main goal in this latest of his comeback attempts, and he certainly isn’t ready now.

“I need tournament reps,’’ he declared after playing in Wednesday’s pro-am at PGA National. That’s why he filed his entry into the Honda Classic last Friday — the same day he shot 76 and missed the cut at the Genesis Open at Riviera, in California.

Justin Thomas, the world’s No. 4-ranked player, was paired with Woods for the first two rounds at Riviera and saw up close what it means to the PGA Tour when Woods plays – even if he isn’t playing well.

“It was just bizarre because those first two days there was so many people and then, on Saturday, there was nobody,’’ said Thomas. “Rory (McIlroy) and I were walking up to the tee and we’re like, `Where is everybody?’ Does he really bring that many people?’’

Apparently Woods does. Rickie Fowler, who begins his Honda title defense on Thursday, called Woods “the biggest draw we have….It doesn’t matter if it’s pro-am day, or Thursday, Friday, whatever. He’s got the biggest crowd no matter what.’’

Woods, 42, hasn’t played much since his fourth back surgery. He tied for ninth in an 18-man field at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December, tied for 23rd in the Farmers Insurance Open at California’s Torrey Pines in January and missed the cut at Genesis Open, an event that benefits Woods’ foundation.

He stayed around through its Sunday finish, then returned to Florida in time to be named a vice captain for the U.S. Ryder Cup team this week. Wednesday’s pro-am round was his first at PGA National – one of the most penal courses on the PGA Tour – in four years.

Though his home is only about 13 miles away Woods has played in the Honda Classic only four times and didn’t finish in his last start in 2014 when back problems forced him to withdraw. His best showing here was a tie for second in 2012.

“It’s good to have him here this week,’’ said Fowler, also a Jupiter resident. “I’m hoping he plays well. He’s sleeping in his own bed, so he should be all right.’’

“I’m starting to get that feeling again of playing tournament golf, where each and every shot counts,’’ said Woods. “I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m in catchup mode. I’m just learning how to play tournament golf again.’’

Here and there

Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman, who is skipping the Honda Classic, ran his streak of cuts made to 10 since the start of the PGA Tour season at the Genesis Open. He finished tied for 41st after winning the pro-am title with partner Larry Fitzgerald the week before at Pebble Beach. Meanwhile Luke Donald, the former Northwestern star and another Jupiter resident, made his first PGA Tour cut of 2018 in the Genesis Open. He finished tied for 37th and is also playing at PGA National.

The Chicago Golf Show, a fixture since 1984, returns to the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on Friday for a three-day run. Hours are noon-7 p.m. on Friday, 9:30-6 on Saturday and 9:30-4 on Sunday. Three former Bears – Emery Moorhead, Jim Morrissey and Otis Wilson — will get lessons from Illinois PGA members and trick shot artist Peter Longo will also entertain visitors. In addition to the 350 golf-related exhibits each visitor will get a ticket for a free round of golf at one of the 15 area courses managed by GolfVisions.

The rise in senior women’s golf apparently won’t involve legendary Annika Sorenstam. She revealed last week that her family will move to Lake Tahoe for a year while their Florida home is being renovated. Sorenstam bypassed last year’s first Senior LPGA Championship in French Lick, Ind., and she isn’t old enough to play in this July’s inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club. Sorenstam isn’t sure if she’ll attend the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June at Kemper Lakes, in Kildeer, either. “Maybe for TV,’’ she said, “but with my family I’ve got my hands full and am very content with my life. I don’t see a void (from lack of competitive play).’’ Sorenstam’s last tournament was in 2008.

PGA Tour Champions, which ended its Florida swing last Sunday, had Chicago storylines in both its tournaments here. Chicago’s Lance Ten Broeck led the qualifying round at the Boca Raton Championship and last week former Barrington star Gary Hallberg, in the Chubb Classic field in Naples on a sponsor’s exemption, opened with a bogey and then carded nine birdies on his way to a 65 that left him a shot off the first-round lead. He finished 70-72 to get a tie for 15th.

BOCA RATON, Florida – Ten Broeck was once a prominent name in Chicago golf, with three brothers winning titles in either the Illinois Open or Illinois State Amateur. Lance, youngest of the three, proved to be the best and – at 62 years old – he can still compete with the best on PGA Tour Champions.

Ten Broeck hasn’t played in many tournaments in the last 10 years. During that period he was a devoted caddie to Sweden’s Jesper Parnivik.

Both, however, are competing in the Boca Raton Championship at Broken Sound – the first full-field event of the season for the PGA Champions circuit. Ten Broeck got in by leading Monday’s qualifying round with a 69 on a nearby course.

In Friday’s first round he made seven birdies but settled for a 2-under-par 70. In Saturday’s second round he overcame an ugly shank off the tee at the par-3 sixteenth hole to match par. The bad swing wound up as a water ball, but he salvaged bogey with a 30-foot putt and then made a 20-foot par-saver on the next hole to keep his score in red numbers.

His 2-under 142 put him ahead of three former Masters champions – Larry Mize, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal – heading into Sunday’s final round and such notables as Jay Haas, Tom Lehman and Hale Irwin were also behind Ten Broeck after 36 holes.

A veteran of 355 tournaments on the PGA Tour, Ten Broeck had found a comfort zone as Parnevik’s bag-toter while squeezing in some tournaments on the 50-and-over circuit when the schedule permitted. The Boca Raton Championship is his 62nd start on PGA Tour Champions.

“I’ve averaged about five tournaments a year for the last 10 years,’’ said Ten Broeck, and that total may increase this year because he’s no longer Parnevik’s caddie.

“I’ll be working for Ernie Els, but I’ll be splitting time with another guy,’’ said Ten Broeck, who lives in Singer Island, Fla., which is a short drive from Boca Raton. “I’m off until Tampa (the PGA Tour’s Valspar Classic in early March).’’

So, Ten Broeck figures to compete in Monday’s qualifying round for the second PGA Champions event, the Chubb’s Classic in Naples, before beginning his work with Els on the PGA Tour. He said the breakup with Parnevik was amicable and the opportunity to carry for Els – a two-time champion in both the U.S. and British Opens – was a better opportunity.

“That’s why I took it,’’ he said.

Ten Broeck was part of a well-known golf family that carried the banner of Beverly Country Club, the Chicago South Side club that has been a frequent site of big tournaments. Lance used his training there to qualify for the 1975 U.S. Open at Medinah – and survive the 36-hole cut – when he was just 18. His pro playing career was highlighted by a win in the 1984 Magnolia State Classic, but that tournament wasn’t considered an official event when Ten Broeck won it.

He also won the Illinois Open in 1984, following in the footsteps of brother Rick who won it twice – in 1973 and 1981. An older brother, Jim, was an Illinois State Amateur champion.

PALM HARBOR, Florida – The spotlight was on defending champion Adam Hadwin at the media kickoff for next month’s Valspar Championship, but tournament director Tracy West made the most news.

One of only two women to hold tournament director’s position on the PGA Tour, West announced the participation of some top international players for the March 8-11 tournament on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort.

The commitment list 27 days before the start of the tournament included Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who last played in the tournament in 2013. It also included first-time Valspar entrants in four-time major championship winner Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood who is No. 12 in the Official World Golf Rankings. They represent a significant upgrade to the field.

Another up-and-coming European, England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick, was given a sponsor’s exemption as was Illinois’s Dylan Meyer, who will interrupt his senior season with the Illini to test himself against PGA Tour stars. Meyer’s invitation was a reward for winning a collegiate event that is also sponsored by Valspar.

Innisbrook has hosted a pro tour event since 1977. Those events have raised $38 million for charity, and last year’s tournament brought in $2.4 million for 115 local beneficiaries. The tourney has continued to grow, as well. Four years ago the tourney had 60 sponsors; this year there are 216, including eight from China.

Last year’s Valspar Championship drew 112,000 spectators and had 60 hours of television coverage in 230 countries. Armed with that background information, West dispelled reports that the tourney might be pushed into fall dates when the PGA Tour revamps its schedule next year.

“We’ll continue to be a showcase event on the Florida swing,’’ said West, who said the tourney has been formally assured those enviable dates for at least 2019 and 2020.

Hadwin, an affable Canadian, relived his tense victory of a year ago, when he blew a two-stroke lead on Copperhead’s famed Snake Pit three-hole stretch. His drive at No. 16 found water, leading to a double bogey that dropped him into a tie with Patrick Cantlay.

“To be honest, that didn’t bother me a bit,’’ said Hadwin. “I wasn’t frustrated. I wasn’t upset.’’ Instead, Hadwin kept his poise through the finish of the round and got the win when Cantlay made a late bogey.

The win was Hadwin’s first on the PGA Tour and got him into the Masters for the first time, but it wasn’t the only highlight of his banner season. He shot a 59 in the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in California, but wound up tied for second when Hudson Swafford rallied in the final round to claim the victory.

Hadwin was also named to the International team for the President’s Cup matches.

“I was way more nervous at the first tee in the President’s Cup than I was at the Masters,’’ said Hadwin. “Especially after my partner Hideki (Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama) put his first shot in the bushes.’’

Hadwin’s success in 2017 came with a price. He had to postpone his scheduled honeymoon, planned the week of the Masters, but that had a happy ending, too. The rescheduled honeymoon went off without a hitch in December.