Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League climaxed their seasons last weekend, but –at least arguably – the biggest event of the year is coming up next month. The Ryder Cup matches are Sept. 26-28 at Bethpage Black, in New York, and that puts Northwestern alum Luke Donald in the spotlight again.
Donald captained the European team to victory in Italy in 2023 and he’ll announce his six captain’s picks for this staging on Sept. 2, well after U.S. captain Keegan Bradley fills out his team. Roster choices traditionally trigger an intense buildup of interest before each Ryder Cup.
Bradley’s automatically qualified selections were Scottie Scheffler, J.C. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Harris English and Bryson DeChambeau. Bradley announces his six captain’s choices today (WEDNESDAY), and the suspense is building. It’s even possible that Bradley could pick himself, which would make him the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
“I wish he was alive and I could call him,’’ Bradley said after Sunday’s Tour Championship concluded at Atlanta’s East Lake – the Ryder Cup site in 1963. “I think he’d have some great advice for me.’’
Well, golf was different when Palmer was a playing captain. The Ryder Cup wasn’t as popular then, and there were no captain’s picks. The entire teams were chosen on a point system.
Donald learned his automatically qualified six players after last weekend’s British Masters. They were Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, and Rasmus Hojgaard. Hojgaard’s twin brother, Nicolai, helped the Euros win two years ago but is a longshot to be among Donald’s picks.
HAIL THE CHAMPS: Just as the pro tours were wrapping up their seasons, so were local tournament organizers.
Brian Carroll, the head professional at The Hawk in St. Charles, became a three-time winner of the Illinois PGA Championship on Tuesday at Chicago’s Beverly Country Club.
Carroll, who won titles in 2022 and 2024, fired a final round 66 to earn a one-stroke victory over first-round leader Jeff Kellen, of North Shore in Glenview. Carroll was at 4-under-par 138 in the event that was shifted from 54 to 36 holes this year.
Kellen, who shot 71 on Tuesday, finished one stroke back in second place and Mike Troy, of Troy’s par-3 Course, was at 2-under 140 to finish solo third.
Earlier Roy Biancalana won the IPGA’s Super Senior Open at Pine Meadow, in Mundelein, and Lake Forest’s Max Scodro captured the Illinois State Mid-Amateur at Inverness.
Biancalana, who teaches at The Hawk in St. Charles, opened with a 64, then went on to a four-stroke win over Lakewood’s Doug Bauman. It was Biancalana’s fourth victory in the Super Senior event, which was first held in 2011. Biancalana’s other titles came in 2020, 2021 and 2023. St. Charles’ Dave Esler, the defending champion, tied for third and shared low amateur honors with Crystal Lake’s Mike Karney.
“I’m getting older, so how much longer can I keep on winning this thing?’’ wondered Biancalana, who was at 9-under-par 135 for the 36-holes. “I put a lot of pressure on myself with my 64 – my lowest competitive round in recent years. It was hard to battle the thought of ‘If you lose this tournament after a 64 you’re a choker.’ You have to win after shooting a score like that, but it’s not easy.’’
Scodro, who won the Illinois Open in 2012, bounced back from a one-shot loss to Will Hickey, of Burr Ridge, in the Mid-Am two years ago. This time Scodro carded a 3-under-par 69 in the final round to win by one over Jack Watson, of Lincolnshire , and Dan Stringfellow, of Roselle. Scodro was at 5-under-par 211 for his 54 holes.
COMING UP NEXT: The Chicago tournament calendar focuses on the collegiate and high school seasons now with three big events on tap on the collegiate side in September. Northwestern will have both its men’s and women’s teams in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup Sept. 15-17 at Shoreacres, in Lake Bluff. The Illinois men will host the Fighting Illini Invitational Sept. 19-21 at Olympia Fields and Northwestern’s men will stage the Windon Memorial at Knollwood, in Lake Forest, Sept. 29-30.
CHARITABLE SIDE: The Illinois PGA will hold its annual Birdies for Charity event Sept. 2 at River Forest Country Club. The 90-hole event put on by the area’s club professionals has raised over $4.3 million for various charities in the past.
SENIOR WOMEN: Three Chicago area players were in last week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open in California. Lake Forest’s Jamie Fischer did the best, tying for 41st . Becky Morgan, of Wales, was the champion with a 7-under-par 285 score for 72 holes. Juli Inkster was six strokes back in second place and Annika Sorenstam tied for eighth.