The Chicago District Golf Association won’t announce its 2024 tournament schedule until Dec. 6 but it will include two major additions.
For 90 years the Illinois Women’s Golf Association, a group based downstate, conducted the Illinois Women’s State Amateur as well as its state championship for senior players. With IWGA membership dwindling, those events would likely have been discontinued had the CDGA not stepped in.
The Women’s State Amateur will be switched from a match play format to a 54-hole stroke play event. It’ll be held June 10-12 at The Grove, in Long Grove. In addition, changes in the U.S. Golf Association’s exemption process means that the champion of both the Illinois women’s and men’s state amateur championships will receive exemptions into the U.S. Amateurs.
While The Grove also hosted last year’s Illinois Women’s State Amateur, the men’s version will make a rare departure from the Chicago area in 2024. It’ll be held July 16-18 at the Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
LIV IN LIMBO: Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove, hosted well-received tournaments on the LIV Tour the last two years, but a return in 2024, is uncertain. LIV owner Jerry Rich invited the circuit back, but the latest LIV schedule didn’t include a Chicago stop.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be one, though. The circuit plans another 14-tournament international schedule and three dates are still open. An April 5-7 event is planned at a U.S. facility and the season-ending individual and team championships, like held in late August or early September, don’t have announced sites yet either.
BROZEK’S BACK: Casey Brozek, a former Illinois PGA president, has landed the director of golf position at Medinah Country Club. He replaces Marty DeAngelo,, who took a position in Naples, FL.
Brozek was head professional at Crystal Lake Country Club for 16 years before moving to a director’s position at Quail West in Florida. Brozek arrives at Medinah as the club prepares to re-open its No. 3 course, which has undergone a year-long renovation, and is scheduled to host the President’s Cup matches in 2026.
INDIA APOLOGIZES: Deerfield’s Vince India, the reigning Illinois Open champion, regrets having violated the PGA Tour’s Integrity Program and plans to continue competing after his six-month suspension expires on March 17, 2024.
A regular on the Korn Ferry Tour, India admitted gambling on golf tournaments in which he did not compete. He issued his apology on social media outlets.
“I’m confident I’ll grow from this….and ultimately come out a better person and player and continue my goal to play golf at the highest level,’’ said India.
JDC PAYOFF: The John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, announced that its Birdies for Charity program produced a record $14.1 million payoff for its 478 participating charities from its July staging at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.