For 38 years Dan Roan was a most-respected sports anchor and reporter at WGN-TV. He retired three years ago – but now he’s back on the airwaves.
Roan was coaxed back to the broadcast world by Dave Lockhart, producer of the Golf 360 TV show, which debuted for its 10th season this week on Marquee Sports Network – the home of the Cubs.
“It’s only four shows – not time-consuming at all,’’ said Roan, but it might seem like more than that. Each show will be broadcast several times each month during the golf season. The broadcast times will be posted on the Golf 360 website.
“For the first show my role was minimal. Dave did a lot of research for it,’’ said Roan.“But I’m always excited to talk about golf in Chicagoland and beyond. It’s going to be a lot of fun.’’
Roan will host the show and Patrick Mannelly, the former Bears’ center who has been a Golf 360 regular since 2017, will be co-host. Billy Fitzgerald director of instruction at Beverly Country Club, is also part of the program.
“Dan brings professionalism and passion for the game of golf that truly comes through on the screen,’’ said Lockhart. “ His fans from the WGN days will be happy lo see him back on the air.’’
Roan doesn’t just discuss golf on the airwaves. He also played the game quite well. He played on both the golf and basketball teams at Illinois State. While he “didn’t play much,’’ he was a college golf teammate of D.A. Weibring, a three-time winner of the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic and also the designer of the course it’s played on – TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis.
Now 72, the long-time Elmhurst resident remains a regular at Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course and now brings two of his four grandchildren out with him.
“When I retired I expected to play more,’’ said Roan. “My handicap is skyrocketing, so I’m trying to figure that out right now.’’
That handicap was 0.2 last summer and is now up to 3.7. That doesn’t detract from a memorable round Roan shot back in 2017 at Chicago Highlands with Mike Munro, who also has a broad background in local golf. Roan had a 63, which included a hole-in-one en route to a 30 on the back nine. “It was pretty crazy at the time,’’ admitted Roan.
Since retirement Roan has also stayed involved in the game in more than a playing capacity. He was named a director for the Chicago District Golf Association and was part of the crew at last summer’s Chicago Adaptive Open.
JOHN DEERE CLASSIC: John Deere, sponsor of Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, has signed a multi-year extension to continue as title sponsor through 2030. The JDC sponsorship started in 1998, and this year’s event will be played July 3-6.
The tournament, meanwhile, announced three sponsor exemptions to the tourney – NCAA champion Michael La Sasso of Mississippi, No. 2-ranked amateur Jackson Koivun of Auburn and No. 3-ranked Ben James of Virginia.
U.S. OPEN: Monday was the last qualifiers for this month’s U.S. Open, with 36-hole eliminations at 10 sites. Only University of Illinois golfer Jackson Buchanan, who tied for first in the qualifier in Atlanta, survived among the Illinois-connected players competing. He was 18-under-par at Piedmont Driving Club. PGA regular Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights might make the field at Oakmont, in Pennsylvania. He was the last man out in a seven-for-one playoff for the last of seven Open berths in Dallas on May 19 and could advance as the first alternate.
HERE AND THERE: Brad Kay, of Arlington Heights, qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, to be played at The Broadmoor, in Colorado Springs, June 26-29. Kay was also the defending champion in the 23rd Chicago District Senior Amateur, which concludes its four-day run on Thursday at Briar Ridge, in Schererville, Ind.
Illinois sophomore Max Herendeen has been named to Team USA for this week’s Palmer Cup matches in South Carolina and the Illini women’s team has landed transfer Tavia Burgess, who just completed her freshman year at Morehead State.
The Illinois PGA’s 36-hole Assistants Championship will be decided on Monday at Bryn Mawr, in Chicago.