SILVIS, IL:. — Steve Stricker had 10 previous wins on the PGA Tour, but none had quite the flair of Sunday’s three-peat at the John Deere Classic.

Stricker, now the 20th player to win a PGA Tour event three years in a row since World War II, had a five-stroke lead entering the back nine only to see Kyle Stanley, playing in the twosome in front of him, make five birdies in six holes. Coupled with two bogeys of his own, Stricker found himself two strokes down with two holes to play but still found a way to pull out a dramatic victory.

“An unbelievable week, and an unbelievably finish,” summed up Stricker. “I felt no momentum going my way most of the day. I just tried to hang in there, and I feel very fortunate to have won.”

A 12-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole pulled Stricker to within a shot. Stanley, who scrambled for par on the 17th after driving far right into deep rough, put his tee shot on the 18th in the right trees. When he lipped out a nine-foot par-saver it opened the door for Stricker to pull off his miracle.

His tee shot wasn’t much either, winding up in a bunker 184 yards from the green with trees and a pond affecting his next shot. He also had an awkward stance, with one foot in the bunker and one out. Making a last-minute club change, to a 6-iron, Stricker managed a great second to the back fringe 25 feet from the cup.

Two putts from there would have put him in a playoff but Stricker did better, rolling in the birdie putt and sending the standing-room-only gallery into a frenzy.

“I probably had a one- or two-out-of-10 chance of pulling off the shot from the bunker,” said Stricker, and then the putt — I don’t know what to say about that. I was trying to make it, but you don’t expected those to go in. I’m just glad that one did.”

His 69 in the final round gave him 22-under-par 262 total for the tournament and an $810,000 payday.

Stanley, a Clemson graduate who played on the Nationwide Tour last year, didn’t land his first pro victory but he did get a consolation prize — a berth in this week’s British Open as the highest-finishing non-qualifier among the JDC’s top five finishers. He heard the roar for Stricker’s final putt while sitting in the scorer’s trailer.

“That was a great birdie from where he was,” said Stanley. “I’m excited to go play (the British), but it’s difficult calming down from that round. I know I have the game to win out here. I just don’t know when it’ll be.”

GLENVIEW, IL. — Patrick Cantlay was the world’s top-ranked amateur golfer entering Saturday’s championship match of the 109th Western Amateur at North Shore Country Club in Glenview. The UCLA sophomore was low amateur at this year’s U.S. Open and a top -25 finisher in three PGA Tour events.

Not only that, but Cantlay had eliminated Chris Williams — the lowest-scoring medalist in Western Am history with a 16-under-par performance in the stroke play qualifying — and U.S. Amateur titlist Peter Uihlein in match play en route to reaching Saturday’s final. The best his opponent, Ethan Tracy, had done in a tournament this summer was an eighth-place finish in the Ohio Amateur.

Cantlay should have breezed to the title, right? Wrong!!!

Tracy, a senior at Arkansas, took the lead for good at the 13th hole and protected it the rest of the way for a 1-up victory. That put him in the company of Chick Evans, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Curtis Strange, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods as winners of the prestigious tournament.

Cantlay’s well-earned reputation didn’t scare off Tracy, a qualifier for the Western’s Sweet 16 match play participants in 2010 prior to his breakthrough win.

“He was just another player to me,” said Tracy. “I knew if I played my own game I’d be OK. I’d played well all week, and I played well in the final match.”

Tracy’s 15-foot birdie putt won the 13th hole. He never trailed again, but extra holes seemed likely after Tracy’s tee shot at the 18th sailed far left, leaving him a second shot with a tree five feet in front of him and in direct line to the pin.

“I wasn’t very happy, but I played the smart shot out to the fairway,” said Tracy. “I was lucky to have a chance to win.”

Tracy’s chip-out left him with a third shot short of Cantlay’s drive in the fairway. Tracy put his third 10 feet from the pin, then watched as Cantlay”s birdie putt from 15 feet lipped out. Tracy had a par-saver to win. Otherwise the nip-and-tuck match would go into sudden death. A gallery of about 400 walked with the players throughout the match and the gallery grew to watch the drama on the 18th green.

“I tried for a good roll and started it right on line,” said Tracy, whose father acted as his caddie throughout the five-day tournament. “I made it a good read and a good stroke.”

The putt dropped, leaving Cantlay frustrated with his own play.

“The greens were slow, and I didn’t make any putts,” he said. “I played awful in stroke play and barely squeaked in to match play. I never had a stretch where I felt comfortable with my putter, but you can’t win all the time in golf. It was a good week, all in all.”

GLEN ELLYN, IL. — The Illinois State Amateur seems to be turning into the Iowa Invitational. At least over the last two year’s the big event for Illinois players ended up as a showcase for the University of Iowa’s golf program.

In 2010 Deerfield’s Vince India was a seven-shot winner of the State Am at Beverly Country Club. A year later two of his college teammates, Brad Hopfinger of Lake Forest and Chris Brant of Edwardsville, finished one-two in the 81st Illinois State Amateur at Glen Oak in Glen Ellyn.

“That says a lot about the team we had there,” said Hopfinger, who got around the 6,741-yard Glen Oak layout in 12-under-par 272. Brant was four strokes back and no one else was under par, in part because of the unfortunate disqualification of perennial contender Todd Mitchell of Bloomington.

Leading through 36 holes, Mitchell finished third but then signed an incorrect scorecard. Hopfinger, his playing partner in the final twosome of the last two rounds, put him down for a four on the fifth hole of the final round when Mitchell instead made a five. Mitchell, who left the premises without commenting, had won the State Am twice and never finished worse than eighth in his previous nine starts.

Mitchell’s misfortune didn’t detract from a great final day for Hopfinger, who took the lead with a blistering 64 in the third round and never trailed.He made eight birdies in the morning round of the 36-hole finale, three of them coming on the final three holes. He never trailed after that en route to claiming the Louis T. Emmerson Trophy.

Brant, playing one group in front of Hopfinger, got within one stroke after 10 holes of the final round but his chances at winning ended when his 3-iron tee shot at the 225-yard par-3 16th sailed far right into thick rough, leading to a double bogey.

“I had a shot until then,” said Brant. “I hit a really, really poor golf shot. You can’t miss right of that green, but realistically I would have had to make par there and birdie the last two holes. Brad played very well. It was good to see him win.”

India and Hopfinger both used their fathers as caddies in their runs to the title.

“In the past that hasn’t always worked out too well,” said Hopfinger, but (his father) did it in the Trans-Mississippi tournament in Kansas this summer and I shot 66-66, so I thought I should try it again.”

India couldn’t defend his crown. The Big Ten player-of-the-year for 2011 was named to the U.S. team for the World University Games, so he spent the week competing in China.

“I wish he’d been here,” said Brant, who will enter his senior year at Iowa this fall while India and Hopfinger are moving on. India, Hopfinger and Brant played in the 1-2-3 positions for an Iowa team that finished 10th in the NCAA finals.

For Hopfinger, 22, the State Am was a great ending to his amateur career. Having failed to qualify for the U.S. Amateur, he entered the pro ranks slightly ahead of schedule. Three days after his big win at Glen Oak he was off to Lawrence, Kansas, and a Monday qualifier for a Nationwide Tour event.

“It meant a lot to get a win,” said Hopfinger, who got around par-71 Glen Oak in 71-68-64-69.

A week earlier Hopfinger made a solid showing in the Western Amateur at North Shore Country Club. He got through all 72 holes of the rugged stroke play qualifying there but didn’t make it to match play.

He was better in the State Am despite a slow start in the opening round, when wet conditions required the lift, clean and place rule to be put into effect. The 7-under 64 in the third 18 was Hopfinger’s low career competitive round. It was one stroke off the course mark set by Danny Mulhearn, who is in his eighth year as the club’s head professional.

Next year’s State Am at Kokopelli in downstate Marion represents a chance for an Iowa three-peat. Brant would be a strong contender if he has a solid senior season for the Hawkeyes.

“I don’t know my schedule, but I’d like to come back,” he said. “I would plan to play (the State Am) and the U.S. Amateur.”

Though it’s a year away, the next step after that seemed obvious — following Hopfinger into the pro ranks.

HAWTHORN WOODS, IL. — Wilmette’s Philip Arouca hadn’t done much in professional golf — until he teed off in the 62nd Illinois Open at Hawthorn Woods Country Club. Then he couldn’t do much of anything wrong.

Arouca, 26, opened 65-67 in the 54-hole tournament, then held off a challenge by Libertyville’s Michael Schachner to take a three-stroke win and claim the $15,500 first prize. Arouca posted an 11-under-par 202 and became the second New Trier High School graduate in a row to win the championship. Eric Mierdierks missed the cut in his title defense..

Though he blew a six-stroke lead in the final round, Arouca never trailed in his fourth appearance in the tourney. He had missed the cut in his previous two tries at Hawthorn Woods and appeared to be folding when his tee shot at the 12th hole sailed out of bounds.

“That could have been a blessing in disguise,” said Arouca. “Something clicked in my swing after that.’

The OB shot created a three-shot swing and lifted Schachner into a tie for the lead, but Arouca reclaimed the top spot with a four-foot birdie on the next hole and led by himself the rest of the way.

Doug Ghim, 15, of Arlington Heights became the youngest player to ever compete in the championship. He finished at 7-over-par 220 and tied for 37th.

John Seehausen, 67, of Inverness was the oldest player among the 156 starters. He was medalist in a qualifying tournament at Inverness after shooting a 69 on his home course. He showed that was no fluke by also posting 69 in the first round at Hawthorn Woods before finishing 78-80.

Mike Small, the University of Illinois coach, was hoping to win the tournament for the fifth time and tie Gary Pinns for most Illinois Open titles. Small, who last won the Illinois Open in 2007, finished in a tie for 13th at 1-over 214.

ROMEOVILLE, IL. — Wheaton’s Jenna Pearson became the first golfer to win the Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open as both an amateur and a professional when she captured the 17th staging of the event at Mistwood in Romeoville.

Pearson, in her fourth year as a touring pro after a solid collegiate career at South Carolina, posted the low score of the final round, a 68, to finish at 1-under-par 215 for the 54 holes — two strokes better than Sterling amateur Ember Schuldt, a University of Illinois golfer.

Since turning pro Pearson has played on both the Duramed Futures and Canadian tours. She has also finished in the IWO’s top 10 each of the last five years. She won the tournament for the first time as an amateur in 2006 and was low pro the following year, when her title defense was spoiled by a loss to Libertyville amateur Nicole Schachner in a 10-hole playoff.

As was the case in her previous IWO appearances, Pearson had her mother Laura as her caddie. Leaderboards being scarce at the IWO, they were surprised to find Jenna in a tie for the lead after the 15th hole of the final round.

“At the turn I was still three-four shots back,” said Pearson. “I figured a couple girls behind me might make some birdies coming in, and I had better focus.”

Pearson did just that. She hit a 6-iron at the 152-yard 17th hole to four feet from the cup. Then, after a long talk with her mother, she rolled in the birdie putt to take sole possession of the lead.

There was more mother-daughter debate on the par-5 18th after Pearson put her drive in the right rough. She was tempted to go for the green from 190 yards out, but her mother thought better of it. In this case mother knew best.

“I had a really bad angle. I would have had to hit a big cut around the trees,” said Pearson. “She would let me go for it.”

So, Pearson played her second short of a creek fronting the green, then chipped to within a foot of the cup.

“Definitely the kind of birdie putt I wanted,” she said. It dropped, giving Pearson the biggest first-place check in IWO history — $5,000 from a $17,000 purse.

MEDINAH, IL. — The 92nd Chicago District Amateur took an unusual twist. The championship match was played on a different course than all of the preliminary competition, but no one was complaining.

Medinah Country Club played host to the tournament, and the 36-hole stroke play qualifying competition was to be played on its Nos. 1 and 2 courses. The match play portion, to determine the champion, was scheduled for just the No. 1 layout, with the club planning to keep the famed No. 3 course rested for the 2012 staging of the Ryder Cup matches.

After the stroke play qualifying for the 47 finalists, however, Medinah officials offered No. 3 for the final match. That layout had undergone another major renovation since hosting the 2006 PGA Championship in preparation for the Ryder Cup.

“It’s in the best shape it’s ever been in during my eight years here,” said director of golf Mike Scully. “Curtis (Tyrrell, Medinah’s director of grounds) has done a terrific job.”

Scully thought the chance to play No. 3 would be “an incentive” for the 16 players left in the tournament, and he was right. Though neither of the finalists had ever played the No. 3 course, both welcomed the change in venue for their 36-hole showdown in the oldest amateur tournament in the Midwest.

“I didn’t care if I’d seen the course or not,” said Bloomington’s Kyle English, who emerged the champion. “Playing Medinah No. 3 was very special. It was in perfect shape and had perfect greens. We got a little preview of the Ryder Cup. It was a lot of fun out there.”

Runner-up Andy Mickelson, from Lockport, agreed.

“I was excited when the chance (to play No. 3) came up,” he said. “It was awesome. I loved playing that golf course. I don’t get a chance to do something like that very often. It was a thrill, an absolute treat.”

English, 20 and a junior at Florida Gulf Coast University, and Mickelson, 29 and the merchandise manager for a Lisle packaging company, waged one of the most competitive finals in the tourney’s rich history. English, 2-down with four holes to play, fought back to force extra holes and then won it with a par when the players played the course’s No. 1 hole for the third time.

That hole wasn’t friendly for Mickelson. He put all three of his approaches in the same front bunker, making bogey on the first and third attempts at the 383-yard par-4. The second was telltale.

“It’s a tough golf course,” said Mickelson. “You had to be so exact, so precise. In the playoff, if I’d hit my (approach) just a yard further it’s two feet from the pin instead of going down into the bunker.”

Instead, Mickelson ran his bunker shot five feet past the cup and missed the par-saver. English two-putted for par from 15 feet and the 8 hours 42 minutes of competition were over.

A month earlier Mickelson and English were in a duel for the Joliet Amateur title.

“We played in the last group and were in a playoff there, too, but I was able to beat him,” said Mickelson. “He’s a tough player. He’s younger than I am and hits it further than I do, so I’ve just got to find a way to get it into the hole.”

Mickelson did that until the very end. English was 2-up after three holes, but Mickelson won three times between holes 4-7 to take the lead. He was 2-up after another good stretch in the afternoon round before English mounted his comeback. He was 1-down after making birdie at No. 16 and a par on 18 was good enough to win that hole after Mickelson slipped on a 6-iron approach, leaving him a 90-yard third shot on the par-4. English was left 70 yard for his third after his drive found a bunker, but he saved par from five feet after Mickelson missed from six.

The switch in courses worked against Mickelson, who made 11 birdies in winning his quarterfinal and semifinal matches the day before on the No. 1 course.

“I felt really comfortable on No. 1. It had the same look as Joliet Country Club, where I’m a member,” said Mickelson. “It was a solid test of golf and neutralized the bombers, being 6,800 instead of 7,200 like No. 3. But I would never have given up the opportunity to play No. 3.”

Mickelson, who qualified fifth, eliminated medalist John Watson IV of Conway Farms 3 and 2 in the semifinals. Watson paced the 16 match play qualifiers with a 5-under-par 138 over the Nos. 1 and 2 courses. English, who plays out of Crestwicke Country Club and and tied for 11th in stroke play qualifying, eliminated No. 2 seed Casey Pine of Prairie Vista 2 and 1 in the semis. English’s three matches prior to the final all ended on the 17th hole.

The four semifinalists qualified for the 81st Illinois Amateur, to be played at Glen Oak in Glen Ellyn from Aug. 9-11.

OLYMPIA FIELDS, IL. — Ariya Jutanugarn was the easily the medalist at the 63rd U.S. Junior Girls Championship at Olympia Fields, but she was leery about getting into a match play situation with the title on the line.

“I don’t like match play, because you don’t know when you’re going to lose,” the 15-year old from Bangkok, Thailand, said.

This wasn’t her first time as a medalist, either. She also led stroke play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, but wasn’t as good in a match play situation there.

As it turned out, during a week dominated by sweltering temperatures, Jutanugarn had little to worry about. She emerged as only the 16th medalist in the tourney’s 63 stagings to claim a victory, and it was her first U.S. Golf Assn. title.

The heat — temperatures in the 90s — was an ongoing concern, but Jutanugarn was a cool customer throughout. She dominated the stroke play on Olympia’s par-72 South course, which was set up at 6,403 yards. Opening with a 68, she posted a 4-under 140 for her 36 holes — four strokes better than closest challenger Casie Cathrea of Livermore, Calif.

Then it was on to match play for the 64 survivors. Marissa Chow, of Honolulu, was Jutanugarn’s first match play opponent and won the first hole. That was just a wakeup call. Making six birdies in a nine-hole stretch, Jutanugarn eliminated Chow 6 and 4.

En route to a battle with Dottie Ardina of the Philippines in the final Jutanugarn eliminated Sarah Schmelzel of Phoenix 4 and 3 in the second round, Gabriella Then of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 1-up in the quarterfinals and — in the most onesided match of the week — 14-year old Amy Lee of Brea, Calif., 8 and 6 in the semifinals. Ardina, 17, had a much tougher semifinal before ousting China’s Yu Liu 2-up.

The 36-hole battle for the title was a nailbiter throughout. Neither player was better than 1-up until Jutanugarn rolled in a two-foot birdie putt on the 31st hole to go 2-up. Though she lost the 33rd hole to go back to 1-up, the end wasn’t far off. On the 35th hole Ardina three-putted, missing a three-footer for par, and Jutanugarn closed out the match with a four-footer for par and a 2 and 1 victory.

“I’m disappointed because my putting dropped me down,” Ardina said. She hit 34 of 35 fairways and missed only three greens in the title match.

When the week started the logical favorite was Katelyn Dambaugh, runner-up to Doris Chen in 2010. A high school junior from Goose Creek, S.C., who has already picked her college — the University of South Carolina, Dambaugh wasn’t fazed by the weather — “it’s a little hotter at home than this — and was much more comfortable with match play than Jutanugarn. Plus, Dambaugh had the experience of the previous year’s run to the title match.

“It gave me a lot more confidence in myself. I had never been in a situation like that, and it was awesome,” Dambaugh said. She didn’t get beyond second round this time, losing 3 and 1 to Keel. Another former U.S. Junior Girls runner-up, Karen Chung (2008), made it to the quarterfinals before falling 6 and 5 to Liu.

Neither Jutanugarn nor Dambaugh expected the heat to be a factor early in the week. Jutanugarn felt it was hotter in her native Thailand. Jutanugarn couldn’t get distracted anyway. Her sister Moriya, who served as her caddie only because a wrist injury forced her withdrawal from the tournament, kept her focused.

The sisters didn’t always get along, either. After accepting the winner’s trophy Ariya thanked her parents Somboon and Narumon as well as her sister.

“She’s so nice. She tells me, if she played in this tournament, she was going to beat me,” Ariya said.

The Jutanugarns are no strangers to the U.S. They started spending summers in the U.S. in 2004 when the parents brought both girls came to a tournament in San Diego. This summer the girls were entered in 12 tournaments before returning to Thailand. The week before the Junior Girls both were in the U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Ariya, who had won the American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Girls Junior earlier in the summer, was one of five members of the Junior Girls’ field who competed at The Broadmoor.

The Junior Girls, the 58th USGA championship staged in the Chicago area, had been held in the area only once previously — in 1951 at Onwentsia. That year the event had only 32 entries. This year’s drew 1,084 that included players from 35 states and nine countries.