This week’s Illinois Open will be hard-pressed to duplicate the drama provided in the Western Amateur, which concluded on Saturday with one of the most dramatic championship matches in the event’s 116-year history. Cole Hammer, an incoming freshman at the University of Texas, was 4-up on Alabama senior-to-be Davis Riley with eight holes to play…
Tournament Reports
Sunset Ridge is back in the tournament spotlight for first time since 1972
It’s been quite a while since Sunset Ridge had had a moment in the sun tournament-wise. The private club in Northfield hosted the Western Open in 1972. While Sunset Ridge hosted Illinois PGA stroke play events, U.S. Golf Association qualifiers and high school tournaments in subsequent years, it has been without such a high-profile event…
McCarron makes his first major title defense at Exmoor
Scott McCarron may be a battled-hardened mainstay on PGA Tour Champions, but he anticipates a unique feeling when he opens play in the Constellation Senior Players Championship at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park. “It’ll be the first time I’ve defended a title in a major,’’ said McCarron, looking ahead to the July 12-15 tournament…
Flavin reaches Western Am Sweet 16 in his farewell to amateur golf
Patrick Flavin’s amateur career is going to end with a bang after all. He earned a coveted place in the Sweet 16 of the 116th Western Amateur on Thursday at Sunset Ridge Country Club in Northfield and his professional debut at next week’s Illinois Open looks much more promising than it did a week ago….
Ex-NU star Hannah Kim makes IWO her first professional victory
Two years ago Hannah Kim tied for third in the Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open. Last year she was the runner-up. So, guess what the former Northwestern standout did to climax the 24th playing of the IWO on Wednesday at Mistwood, in Romeoville? Kim, the stalwart of coach Emily Fletcher’s powerhouse Wildcat teams of the…
Singh gets his first Champions major title in a playoff
PGA Tour Champions had become a showcase for Bernhard Langer the last few years, especially at its Constellation Senior Players Championship. That’s no longer the case. At 60 Langer isn’t the dominant player he once was, and Sunday he wasn’t up to the task with another chance to win one of the circuit’s most prestigious…
Small fades, but still picks up his biggest tourney paycheck
Illinois men’s coach Mike Small, who started the day tied for fifth, was no threat for the title in Sunday’s final round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship at Exmoor, but there was a bright side. Small picked up his biggest check on either the PGA Tour or PGA Tour champions. He earned $67,200 for…
Trio shares Senior Players lead, but Small is in contention, too
Anybody who follows golf in Illinois shouldn’t be surprised when Mike Small gets into contention in a tournament, but when he puts himself in position to win a major title on PGA Tour Champions, well, that’s another matter. The Illinois men’s coach did just that on Saturday, shooting a third-round 66 at Exmoor Country Club…
Pavel leads latest of Champions’ bunched up major tourneys
The Constellation Senior Players Championship, in progress at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, could be the last major golf championship in the Chicago area for quite awhile. None of the pro tours have such a tournament scheduled here after the last putt drops at Exmoor on Sunday. On PGA Tour Champions, however, majors are…
Illini coach Small shares first-round lead at Senior Players tourney
Illinois coach Mike Small started Friday’s second round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship in a tie for the lead and then made birdies on his first two holes. The good times didn’t last for long, however. Small dropped back after that and finished with a 71. That didn’t knock him out of contention going…