FRENCH LICK, Ind. – The Legends Championship, which made its debut on the Pete Dye Course here last year, is bigger and better for its second staging. It begins on Friday as the climax to a week of festivities designed to celebrate women’s golf. The two-day Alice Dye Invitational drew 112 amateur players from throughout…
Tournament Reports
PGA: McIlroy shines brightest — even with a finish in darkness
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – No major golf tournament ever ended quite like the 96th PGA Championship did on Sunday. The finish came in darkness with players from the last two twosomes clustered around the 18th green playing much like a foursome would. There could have been some controversy, but both Phil Mickelson nor Rickie Fowler steered…
PGA: Fowler looms as best bet to overtake McIlroy
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s certainly not a case of Rory McIlroy being unable to win his third straight tournament and second major championship in a row on Sunday. The world’s No. 1-ranked golfer owns a one-stroke lead going into the final round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla. The challenge of closing out another tournament,…
PGA: Missed cut probably means the end to Tiger’s season
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 96th PGA Championship is only at the midway point, but its two weekend rounds will be lacking something. Tiger Woods won’t be around when the pursuit of front-running Rory McElroy resumes on Saturday. Woods missed the cut after shooting his second straight 74 in Friday’s second round at Valhalla, and that…
PGA: McIlroy’s back nine comeback shows how good his game is now
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If you were expecting the big-name American golfers to jump into immediate contention at the 96th PGA Championship on Thursday you would have been disappointed big-time. Tiger Woods, after his dramatic late arrival at Valhalla on Thursday, shot 74. He admitted “that wasn’t very good,’’ but at least he had a better…
PGA: Late arrival, health report puts Tiger back in the spotlight
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The suspense is over. Tiger Woods showed up at Valhalla on Wednesday, just a few hours before Thursday’s start of the 96th PGA Championship. After a brief practice session promised he’d tee off in Thursday’s first round. Woods left the Bridgestone Invitational after nine holes on Sunday after injuring his back. He…
WESTERN AMATEUR: Champion Hossler proves spoiler for Illinois contenders
Rarely, if ever, have Illinois golfers made as big an impression at the Western Amateur as they did last week in the 112th staging of the prestigious tournament at Chicago’s Beverly Country Club. Doug Ghim, of Arlington Heights, tied the course record with a 63 in stroke play qualifying and was the tourney’s medalist –…
IWO: A record 9-shot win for U. of Oklahoma golfer
The 20th Illinois Women’s Open may have seemed like a ho-hum affair. Emily Collins started the final round with a five-stroke lead and won by nine. It wasn’t quite that easy for the University of Oklahoma graduate, however. Collins, in her second tournament as a professional, started double bogey-bogey and her playing partner, Michigan State…
IWO: Hot second round gives Oklahoma golfer a 5-shot cushion
Mistwood’s recently renovated course has proven a tough challenge for the players in the 20th Illinois Women’s Open – with the exception of Emily Collins, that is. Collins, a recent University of Oklahoma graduate preparing for the LPGA qualifying school, posted a 4-under-par 68 in Tuesday’s second round to open a five-stroke lead entering Wednesday’s…
ILLINOIS OPEN: Win puts Hopfinger among the Lucky 7
Only seven players have won titles in both the Illinois State Amateur, which has been played for 84 years, and the Illinois Open, which just completed its 65th staging. Brad Hopfinger, a Lake Forest resident who attended the University of Iowa before turning pro, was the latest and he joined a selected group – David…