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…
Tournament Reports
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…
ILLINOIS OPEN: Another Hawkeye is in position to win
University of Iowa golfers have won three of the last five Illinois State Amateur golf titles. Now another Hawkeye is poised to claim the Illinois Open crown. Brian Bullington, a Frankfort resident who will be a senior at Iowa in the fall, coped with windy conditions at The Glen Club in Glenview on Tuesday to…
ILLINOIS OPEN: Davan shakes off tough finish in 2013 tourney
Monday’s first round of the 65th Illinois Open was full of surprises, the most notable of which was provided by Michael Davan. Davan, from downstate Hoopeston turned pro after playing collegiately at Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis. Starting late in the day he shot a 6-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead into Tuesday’s second round at The…
ILLINOIS AMATEUR: Knoll makes most of 257-hole odyssey
The reign of college players continued in the 84th Illinois State Amateur on Wednesday, but this time it took a four-hole playoff to decide the champion. Deer Park’s Chadd Slutzky, a 36-year old financial trader, took a two-shot lead into the 36-hole finale of the tournament at Cantigny, in Wheaton. He wilted, finishing solo fourth…