The Ryder Cup, which ended so dramatically in New York on Sunday, ended as a great day for Northwestern alum Luke Donald. He became the first European captain to lead back-to-back victories since Tony Jacklin in 1985 and 1987.
Donald’s immediate response was that he won’t be attempting a three-peat in 2027, but time will tell.
Meanwhile, there were some other noteworthy fall developments from an Illinois perspective.
Brandon Holtz, a reinstated amateur from Bloomington, won the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. The 38-year old former basketball player at Illinois State, playing in his first U.S. Golf Association national championship, defeated Jeg Coughlin, of Dublin, Ohio, 3 and 2 in the title match at Arizona’s Troon Country Club.
Tour Edge, the Batavia-based equipment manufacturer known for its contingent of star players on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, launched the first-ever golf ball in its 40-year history. The Exotics ball will be available at retailers nationwide beginning on Oct. 28.
Mike Troy captured the Illinois PGA Senior Players Championship with a four-stroke win at Flossmoor. It was his second senior IPGA major win, the first coming in the 2020 Senior Match Play Championship.
Taylorville’s Dave Ryan added to his dominance within the senior ranks with his fourth win in the Illinois State Senior Amateur at Bloomington Country Club. Since his first victory in that event when he was 55 years old Ryan – now 71 — added wins in the U.S. Senior Amateur and three in the Chicago District Senior Amateur.
HOLTZ, was a mini-tour player after his four years as a collegiate basketball player for the Redbirds. He got his amateur status back in 2024 and now works as a realtor. He’s the second ISU athlete to win a USGA title, the first being Todd Mitchell in the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Mitchell was also the U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up 17 years ago.
After focusing on golf Holtz contended in several Illinois Opens. With his win in Arizona he now has exemptions to the 2026 and 2027 U.S. Mid Amateurs at famous courses — Merion, in Pennsylvania, and Oak Hilll, in New York. He also can play in next year’s U.S. Open at Shinneock Hils, also in New York, and will likely get an invitation into next year’s Masters at Augusta National.
TOUR EDGE founder and chief executive officer David Glod called his company’s entrance into the ball market “a monumental step.’’
“After four decades of relentless innovation in golf clubs and bags we’re applying the same commitment to golf balls,’’ said Glod.
“People are going to ask, ‘Why Tour Edge, and why now?’’ said Tour Edge president Tim Clarke, who long headed the golf division at Wilson. “This creates an exciting first touchpoint for other golfers to experience our performance.’’
HERE AND THERE: Biggest event remaining on the Chicago calender is the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony at The Glen Club in Glenview on Oct. 17. The 21st induction class inductees are KemperSports chief executive officer Steve Skinner; Dan Dinelli, course superintendent at North Shore Country Club for 36 years; former PGA Tour players Bob Zender and David Ogrin; Joe Roseman, who designed and constructed courses throughout the Chicago area in the 1930s; and Horace Mc Dougal, a former Northwestern golfer in 1923 who pioneered racial integration in the sport.