Golf schedules at the local level aren’t usually announced until late winter or early spring but the Illinois PGA revealed two major developments in its 2025 schedule.
The Illinois PGA Championship – officially the Illinois Professional Championship now – will be reduced from 54 to 36 holes next year. The tournament, scheduled for Aug. 25-26, has traditionally been contested as a three-day, 54-hole event.
“More (PGA) sections are doing that,’’ said Andy Mickelson, director of golf at Mistwood in Romeoville and tournament committee veteran. “It opens the opportunity to use more sites.’’
Mickelson was the tourney champion in 2021, tied for section in 2023 and tied for third this year when Brian Carroll took the title. Mike Small, the University of Illinois men’s coach, won the tournament a record 14 times.
The IPGA’s biggest event, the Illinois Open on Aug. 4-6, will also have a notable new site in 2025. It’ll be played at Kemper Lakes. The Kildeer site hosted two major championships on the pro tours – the 1989 PGA Championship and the KPMG’s PGA Championship in 2018 on the Ladies PGA circuit. Kemper also hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1992.
While Kemper was a long-tie site for the IPGA Match Play tournament it has never hosted an Illinois Open. Sites are still not determined for the IPGA’s other two major events, the Match Play and the the IPGA Players Championship.
PGA TOUR WRAPUP: Sunday’s wrapup to the RSM Classic in Sea Island, Ga., concluded the 2024 PGA Tour season – a campaign that suggests its Illinois-connected players may have trouble making as many tournament appearances when the 2025 campaign begins in January.
The top 125 in this year’s FedEx Cup standings earned PGA Tour cards for next season. Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim, at No. 71, survived but Northwestern alum Dylan Wu (132), University of Illinois alum Adrien Dumont de Chassart (139), Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman (142) and Northbrook’s Nick Hardy (147) didn’t. Streelman and Hardy are past champions and that may help them get into some events.
Players in the top 150 did earn conditional status for 2025, but the PGA Tour – citing slow play concerns –has announced a reduction in field size at some events.
HERE AND THERE: This IPGA named its new officers. Mike Picciano, of Bull Valley in Woodstrock, is the new president with Mickelson the vice president and Jamie Nieto of Royal Fox, in St. Charles, the secretary. Cog Hill’s Kevin Weeks and Mistwood’s Dan Bradley are newcomers to the board of directors.
Tyler Wolllberg, assistant at The Grove in Long Grove, has been named the director of golf at Pine Meadow, in Mundelein. He replaces the retired Dennis Johnsen.
Terry Hanley, general manager at Cantigny in Wheaton, has announced his retirement effective at the end of this year.