Illinois PGA Magazine (Second Edition_2021)

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MAGAZINE Official Publication of the Illinois PGA Section | Septemeber 2021 | Second Edition

Pictures taken by Illinois PGA/Nick Novelli

Second Edition Highlights 2021 Illinois PGA Championship Results 72nd Illinois Open Illinois PGA Senior Masters 2021 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship Results Knollwood - Distinguished Company IPGA Jr. Tour Results Drive, Chip and Putt Regional Qualifier at Medinah CC


Introduction

Introduction Illinois PGA Members, Associates and Friends: Welcome to the second issue of the Illinois PGA Magazine! The Illinois PGA E-Magazine was created to report greater depth and further insight into the Illinois PGA Section, its Members and its programs. This E-Magazine is be distributed three times a year to encapsulate the entire year on the Illinois PGA circuit.

Illinois PGA Section Mastercard® Credit Cards

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Illinois PGA Magazine


Table of Contents Vol. 1 | Issue 1

PA G E

TOPIC/SECTION

8-11

Mickelson Wins Illinois PGA Professional Championship

12-13

Small Wins Fifth Straight Illinois PGA Senior Championship

14-15

Flack Wins Illinois PGA Assistants Championship

16-17

Billiter Captures Second Career Illinois PGA Match Play

20-23

Kelly Wins 72nd Illinois Open Championship

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Biancalana Wins Back-to-Back Super Senior Open Championships

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Pavelonis Wins XXIO Illinois Senior Open Championship

26-29

Illinois PGA Senior Masters Features

32-35

Illinois PGA Junior Tour Results

36-37

Knollwood - Distinguished Company

38-39

Illinois PGA Players Championship

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2021 Illinois PGA Tournament Schedule/Results

42-43

Drive, Chip and Putt Regional Final

44-45

Members’ Lounge

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Illinois PGA President

FR OM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Reader, Welcome to the second issue of the Illinois PGA e-Magazine. We hope you enjoy the content, which celebrates some of the highlights from 2021 season.

Governing Officers Nick Papadakes, PGA President Alex Mendez, PGA Vice President Michael Picciano, PGA Secretary Jim Miller, PGA Immediate Past President Board of Directors Nick Cuca, PGA Ian Grant, PGA Vince Juarez, PGA Tim Krouse, PGA Curtis Malm, PGA Andy Mickelson, PGA Danny Mulhearn, PGA Jamie Nieto, PGA Ryan Peavey, PGA Dan Watters, PGA Bob Napier Jay Reece Phil Wilmington 4

Illinois PGA Magazine

We are approaching the end of the 2021 Illinois PGA season. At this point the Section has already successfully run three of its four Major Championships and all three Illinois Open events. In addition, the Illinois PGA executed its inaugural season of the Illinois PGA Junior Tour and has named its 2021 Players of the Year. In this issue, you will be brought up-to-date on the highlights of the 2021 season and will also get a chance to look into what is next for the Illinois PGA. For my fellow Members and Associates, we know that the golf industry is booming right now, and all your time and efforts do not go unnoticed. Thank you for your dedication to the business and game of golf! If you are not a Section member, but fall somewhere on the continuum of novice to avid golfer, we hope you enjoy learning more about the 750+ PGA Members and Associates who make up the Illinois PGA and are the experts in the business and game of golf. If you were new to the game in 2020, we’d like to extend you a warm welcome, and let you know that we are committed to providing you exceptional golf experiences that will make you a fan and student of this lifelong sport for years to come. Please enjoy this celebration of the 2021 golf season, we hope you enjoy our reflections on the year. Sincerely,

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President Report

Illinois PGA C

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Iowa PGA Golf Magazine - Spring Issue


2019 Iowa PGA Schedule

Championships

www.iowapga.com

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Illinois PGA Professional Championship

August 23-25, 2021 | Ivanhoe Club, Mundelein, IL

Andy Mickelson (Mistwood Golf Club) won the 99th Illinois PGA Professional Championship at Ivanhoe Club with a winning score of 3-under-par 213. This marks his first career win at this event in just three appearances. “Going into the final round I felt like it was going to be more of an Illinois Open setup,” said Mickelson. “I truly did take it one shot at a time during the entire tournament. It’s been five years since I’ve won a big tournament and done something special.” Frank Hohenadel (Mistwood Golf Club) held a one-stroke lead in the 99th Illinois PGA Professional Championship after an opening-round 3-under-par 69. Hohenadel started his Illinois PGA Professional Championship on the back nine but didn’t make his push for the lead until later in the round. He quickly fell to 1-over-par with a bogey on the par-4 12th hole. He got to even-par with his first birdie of the day on the par-5 14th hole. With just five holes to play in round one, Hohenadel found himself a couple of shots off the lead, which had been fluctuating between one and two under par. A birdie on the fifth hole brought Hohenadel within one stroke of the lead. He took the lead with back-to-back birdies on holes eight and nine to finish the day in solo first place with a 3-under-par 69. Tim Streng (Wildcat Golf Academy) was in sole possession of second place following a 2-under-par 70 in round one of the Illinois PGA Professional Championship. Streng kept the card clean in round one, going bogey-free, with two birdies on holes 12 and nine. Streng was in a tie for second most of the 8

Illinois PGA Magazine

Frank Hoenadel (Mistwood GC) led after the first round of the Illinois PGA Professional Championship. Tim Streng (Wildcat Golf Academy) was in second place after rounds one and two.


Illinois PGA Professional Championship

at 1-under-par, but a birdie on his final hole of the day got him to 2-under-par, putting him in solo second. Four players were tied for third place following round one. Among this group was 13-time Illinois PGA Professional Champion Mike Small (University of Illinois Golf Club). Similar to Hohenadel, Small strung together a solid a back-nine to stay within striking distance of the lead. An opening hole birdie got small to 1-under-par, but he made double-bogey just two holes later on the par-4 12th hole. Small carded a bogey-free back nine with birdies on three and nine to finish the day at 1-under-par 71. Mickelson was also tied for third heading into the second round. Mickelson held the lead for a brief period during the first round. He started the day with five straight pars before making back-toback birdies on holes 15 and 16 to take the lead. He would fall back into a share of the lead at 1-under-par with a bogey on the par-4 first hole. Mickelson got back into a share of the lead with a birdie on the par-3 fourth hole and had sole possession of the lead on his final hole of the day. However, a bogey on the ninth hole dropped him back to 1-under-par 71. Chaussard (Skokie Country Club) also finished T2 and was also in a share for the lead at one point during round one. Chaussard began round one with four straight pars before making back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15 giving him an early share of the lead. A double-bogey on the par-4 16th hole dropped Chaussard back to even to par. Chaussard went on to make 10 pars in a row before birdieing the par-5 ninth, his last hole of the day, to get back to 1-under-par. Mickelson entered the second round in a tie for third place following a 1-under-par 71 in round one. Mickelson strung together a solid second round with a bogey-free front nine. He made birdie on the second hole, which gave him a share of the lead after Hohenadel bogeyed the first hole. Mickelson took sole possession of the lead momentarily with a birdie on the 13th hole. His second round was delayed due to weather. At the time of the delay, he had a share of the lead, however, he would bogey the 18th hole Tuesday night to finish the day T2 at 1-under-par 71 for a tournament total of 2-under-par 142. Chaussard was leading the 2021 Illinois PGA Professional Championship after 36-holes and begun the final round three at 3-under-par for the tournament, leading the field by one stroke. Chaussard entered the second round tied for third place. He started his round with a bogey on the first hole to drop back to even par for the tournament. He got that stroke back two holes later with a birdie on the third hole. Chaussard made another bogey on the eighth hole but responded with a birdie on the very next hole. After turning at even par for the day, Chaussard made five straight pars to start his back nine. A birdie on the par-5 15th hole pulled Chaussard within one stroke of the lead. Chaussard’s second round was delayed due to weather, but the two-hour delay did not slow him down as he came out and birdied the 16th hole, which put him in a tie for the lead at the time. He finished the round with back-to-back pars to card a 2-under-par 70 in round two for a tournament total of 3-under-par 141.

Doug Bauman (Biltmore CC) and Brian Dalton (Stonewall Orchard GC) both aced the 17th at the Ivanhoe Club during the first round of the Illinois PGA Professional Championship. www.ipga.com 9


Illinois PGA Professional Championship

Mickelson found himself in a tie for second place and two back of Chaussard heading into the final round. He quickly jumped into the lead on day three. He made par on holes one and two and found himself in first place after a shaky start from Chaussard and Streng. He extended his lead with his first birdie of the day on the par-5 third hole. Mickelson hit his third shot into the green close on the third hole and made his short birdie putt to get to 3-under-par for the tournament “Garrett gets off to a bad start and Tim gets off to a bad start and I almost make it on my third shot on three. I come off that green and I’m like ‘why not me?’ ‘Why not win this thing?” said Mickelson. Mickelson continued his solid play on the fifth and sixth holes. He had birdie opportunities on both holes with chances to extend his lead but was unable to capitalize. He remained in the lead despite hitting his second shot into the water on the seventh hole. Mickelson missed the green to the left and his ball found the water from about 180 yards out. He was able to get up and down for bogey and only dropped one shot to remain in the lead by three strokes. After making par on the par-5 ninth hole, Mickelson turned with a four-shot lead. His great ball striking continued on the back nine as he hit every green. A birdie on the 10th hole got Mickelson back to 3-under-par and extended his lead to five strokes. The round could’ve been much lower for Mickelson as he had near misses on 13, 14, 15 and 16 for birdie. Nonetheless, Mickelson’s steady week carried on and he had a six-stroke lead after the 13th hole. “Rounds two and three were as good as I’ve played in a long time from tee to green,” said Mickelson. “I really had control of the golf ball and that’s the most important thing to me. When I have full control of my golf ball and know what it’s doing, left to right, high to low, I can compete with anybody.” Mickelson made a two-putt par on the 17th hole and stood on the 18th tee with a four-stroke lead. After intentionally hitting the ball left, Mickelson hit a solid punch shot from the left rough to the front of the green. He made a two-putt par to close out his round at 1-under-par 71 and secure his first career Illinois PGA Professional Championship.

CLICK HERE To watch the 2021 Illinois PGA Professional Championship highlight video!

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Illinois PGA Professional Championship

Chaussard started his final round with a double bogey on one and a bogey on two to fall back to even par and out of the lead. He made two more bogeys on the front nine to turn at 2-over-par for the Championship and found himself in fourth place. He battled back on the back side. After making bogey on the 10th hole, Chaussard made back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 to get back to 1-over-par for the tournament and solo second place. He closed out his round with two pars and finished the tournament tied for second at 1-overpar 217, qualifying for the National PGA Professional Championship. “I was disappointed with the final round, but I got off to a rough start,” said Chaussard. “I finally got a little feel for it towards the second half of the round so at least I played a decent back nine to make it more respectable. I am looking forward to the National Club Pro Championship at Barton Creek.” Kurt Rogers (Champaign Country Club) also finished T2 after a final round 1-under-par 71. Rogers, who held the lead for a moment in round one of the Championship, started the final round in sixth place. He made one bogey and one birdie on the front nine and made the turn tied for fourth place. After a bogey on the 13th hole, Rogers strung together two birdies on 15 and 17 to join Chaussard in second place. A par on the 18th hole punched Rogers’ ticket to the National PGA Professional Championship for the first time in his career. “It went well today. I just tried to stay patient and keep the ball in play,” said Rogers. “I knew the pins were going to be tough so I really can’t go firing at them from where I came in from except for a few holes. I never really thought about getting to go to the National Club Pro Championship. I did qualify for the Senior National Club Pro Championship at Bryn Mawr recently. But Brad Slocum (Illinois PGA Director of Operations) told me I’d have a shot here because I can drive it pretty straight and keep it in play. This is really cool for me. It’s probably my last go. I’m 60 years old, so it’s pretty neat for me to get to go to the national championship.” Mickelson, Chaussard and Rogers will be joined Streng, Hohenadel, Small, Chris French (Aldeen Golf Club), Matt Slowinski (Hinsdale Golf Club), Brian Carroll (The Hawk Country Club), David Paeglow (Kishwaukee Country Club), and Reece Bartelt (S.M.A.R.T. Golf and Fitness) at the 55th PGA Professional Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas in April 2022. The Illinois PGA would like to thank Nadler Golf Cars for their continued support in sponsoring this event! CLICK HERE FULL RESULTS

2021 Illinois PGA Professional Championship Scorecard for Andy Mickelson Hole

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Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship

ILLINOIS SENIOR PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMP Bryn Mawr Country Club, Lincolnwood, IL | August 9-10, 2021

SMALL CAPTURES FIFTH STRAIGHT ILLINOIS SENIOR PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE Mike Small (University of Illinois) won the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship at Bryn Mawr Country Club on August 10 in a three-hole playoff after the 36-hole Championship resulted in a tie. Small defeated John Varner (Beverly Country Club) on the final playoff hole to capture his fifth consecutive win at this event. He becomes just the second Illinois PGA Professional to win this event five times in a row (Gary Groh) and becomes the second-winningest player at this event (Gary Groh). He will lead eight Illinois Section PGA Professionals to compete on Oct. 21-24 in the 33rd Senior PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. “I’m proud of myself today,” said Small. “You also enjoy playing with your friends and we were battling today. I had kind of a bad stretch going on the back nine and I four-putted, but I got past it and was able to pull it out.” Small turned in a winning total of 12-under-par 132 to capture his fifth straight Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship. Small finished round one in a three-way tie with Varner and Roy Biancalana (Blackberry Oaks Golf Club). He started his five-peat bid with a bogey-free front nine in round one and added birdies on the fifth hole and ninth. He also eagled the par-4 seventh hole to turn at 4-under-par. He carded another birdie on the 11th hole and eagled the par-5 15th to jump into the lead, but he bogeyed the 16th hole to finish in the three-way tie at 6-under-par 66. Varner also entered the final round in the three-way tie for first place. Varner kept the card clean on day one with a bogey-free round that included four birdies and an eagle. He found himself in a familiar place heading into the final round considering he also led by one stroke entering the final round at the 2020 Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship. The second round featured a back-and-forth showdown between Small and Varner. Varner took an early lead birdieing three of his first four holes and getting out to a two-stroke lead. Small birdied the sixth hole to draw within one stroke, then Varner and Small both made birdie on the seventh hole and Small remained one back. Small drew even with a birdie the par-5 ninth hole and the Championship came down to Varner and Small with nine holes to play. After matching pars on the par-3 10th hole, Small drove the green on the short par-4 11th. Varner was just short of the green and chipped up close to make birdie. Small made his two-putt birdie and both moved to 11-under-par for the tournament. Matching pars on the 12th brought us to the par-5 13th hole. Small hit the green in two, leaving himself an eagle putt. Varner laid up and made about a six-footer for birdie to get to 12-under-par. Small four-putted for bogey to drop to 10-under-par for the Championship.

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Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship

PIONSHIP Small responded well after his four-putt, making birdie on the 15th hole to get back within one stroke. Varner went on to par the remaining five holes, nearly missing birdie attempts on 15 and 16. A great up-and-down from Varner on the 17th hole kept him in the lead by one heading to the par-5 18th. After hitting a tree with his tee shot on 18, Small hit his second shot into a greenside bunker. Varner, who hit the fairway with his tee shot, missed the green to the left with his second shot. He chipped on and two-putted for par, leaving the door open for Small. Small got up and down from the bunker to make birdie and force a playoff. The playoff for the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship is a threehole aggerate format. After matching pars on the first two playoff holes, Small was just off the green in two on the third hole and Varner hit the green in regulation. Varner three-putted for his first bogey of the week and Small got up and down for par to secure his victory. “John (Varner) played well today,” said Small. “It was a shame to see it end the way it did because I think that was his first bogey of the week. He played great all week and really put the pressure on. He’s a pro’s pro and I have nothing but respect for him.” Biancalana, who also entered the final round in a three-way tie, finished in solo third place. His first-round consisted of a bogey-free front nine and three birdies. A bogey on the 10th hole marked Biancalana’s only bogey of the day. He responded with a birdie on the 11th hole and made three more on his way in including back-to-back birdies on holes 15 and 16. Biancalana carded another bogey-free front nine in round two but found himself trailing Varner by three strokes. After a bogey on the 10th hole, Biancalana made a push to get himself back to the top of the leaderboard. He birdied the par-5 13th hole, then made back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17. He had an eagle look on the 18th hole to get into the playoff but missed it long and ended up making par to finish at 10-under-par 134. Small, Varner and Biancalana will be joined by Michael Troy (Zigfield Troy Golf Club), John Cleary (Exmoor Country Club), Don Morris (Diversey Golf Range), Kurt Rogers (Champaign Country Club) and Kevin Marion (Old Elm Club) at the 33rd Senior PGA Professional Championship in October.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS

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Illinois PGA Assistant Championship

FLACK CAPTURES NATIONAL CAR RENTAL ILLINOIS PGA ASSISTANT CHAMPIONSHIP July 12, 2021, Crystal Tree Golf and Country Club, Orland Park, IL Kevin Flack (Mauh-Nah-Tee-See CC) won the National Car Rental Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship on Monday, July 12 at Crystal Tree Golf and Country Club. Flack’s win marked his second career victory at this event and second win in three years. He will be joined by Paul Schlimm (Chicago Highlands Club) and Michael Schachner (DePaul University) at the 45th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club on Nov. 11-15.

His strong play continued in the second round despite the field making pushes to take the lead. Flack carded a bogey-free second round with three birdies. He made the turn at 8-under-par for the tournament and led by one stroke. A birdie at the 11th hole put him in a tie for the lead with seven holes to play. A strong short game down the stretch helped Flack clinch the victory as he parred each of the last seven holes, getting up and down on 16 to remain in the lead.

“I played solid today,” said Flack. “This year was a little different than 2019 because I was playing with the lead the entire time. There was a little more back-and-forth in 2019. Roy Biancalana gave me good advice last week. He said that in order to play well you need to swing freely. I was feeling a lot of pressure from the first shot of the second round through the last putt. I took his advice and just tried to keep playing free and it paid off.”

“I made everything I looked at in the first round,” said Flack. “I didn’t quite make as many in the second round, but I left myself in good spots to get up and down and made the birdies putt when I had them. I had a big up and down on 16 to keep the lead and that sort of propelled me to the finish.”

Flack turned in a winning total of 9-under-par 135 to capture his second National Car Rental Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Flack led the field by two strokes following a first-round 6-under-par 66. His first-round featured eight birdies, including a bogey-free back nine. 14 Illinois PGA Magazine


Illinois PGA Assistant Championship

2021 National Car Rental Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship Scorecard for Kevin Flack Hole

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Schlimm made a strong push for the lead in the second round. He finished the first round in a tie for third after a 2-under-par 70. He started the second round four strokes behind Flack, but would close that gap quickly in the second round. He birdied his first two holes in the second to cut into the lead before going on a tear on the back nine. Schlimm birdied 11, eagled the par-5 13th hole, and made backto-back to birdies on 14 and 15 to tie Flack at 9-under-par for the tournament. A bogey on the par-4 17th and few missed opportunities down the stretch left Schlimm one stroke shy of Flack. He finished the tournament in solo second with an 8-under-par 136. Jeremy Nevius (Bloomington Country), Chris French (Aldeen Golf Club) and Jeff Kellen (Butler National Golf Club) are the three Illinois PGA alternates for the 45th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Begun in 1977, the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship is modeled after the PGA Professional Championship, with a field of PGA Professionals and PGA Associates who advanced through 41 Section Championships conducted from May through October this year. CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS

Kevin Flack, posing with Illinois PGA Executive Director, Carrie Williams, after winning the 2021 National Car Rental Illinois PGA Assistant Championship. www.ipga.com 15


Illinois PGA Match Play Championship

Jim Billiter (Ivanhoe Club) came back from 4-down in the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship Match to win his third Illinois PGA Mach Play title (2015, 2017, 2021). Billiter becomes just the eighth person in Illinois PGA history to win the Match Play Championship three times. Bull Valley Golf Club played host to the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship for the first time since 2005.

BILLITER WINS THIRD ILLINOIS PGA MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP Bull Valley Golf Club | May 10-13

“This is always a fun week,” said Billiter. “You play one-on-one, and you get to meet new guys and catch up with some of the guys you don’t always see. I played against some great guys earlier in the week and I was lucky to sneak by guys like Chris French and David Paeglow. This Section has a lot of great players. I’m just fortunate to have played well enough to get by these guys.”

Billiter faced Garrett Chaussard (Skokie Country Club) in the Championship Match. Chaussard, who made his fourth straight appearance in the Match Play Championship Match, won three of the first four holes to go 3-up. Chaussard made par on the seventh hole to take a 4-up lead. Billiter would go on to birdie six of the last 10 holes, winning six of the last nine holes. Both Chaussard and Billiter stuck shots within five feet on the par-3 eighth hole and tied with birdies. On the ninth hole, Billiter wedged his approach shot to eight feet and made his second straight birdie to win his first hole of the match and cut into Chaussard’s lead. Chaussard made the turn 3-up. Carrying over momentum from the previous holes, Billiter made a 30-foot putt on the par-4 10th hole to card his third straight birdie and trailed Chaussard by two with eight holes to play. Both players would par the 11th hole and Chaussard remained 2-up. The par-4 12th hole was playing about 290-yards on the final day of the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship. Billiter, who drove the green in the Semifinals earlier in the day, went for it again off the tee. His drive cleared the water but rolled back into the fescue. Meanwhile, Chaussard had hit his drive out of bounds on the left-hand side. Billiter was able to hack his ball out of the fescue to get up and down for birdie and trim Chaussard’s lead to one. After pars on the 13th hole, Billiter got up and down again for par on the 14th hole to tie the match. After driving his ball into the trees on the par-5 15th, Billiter stuck his third shot inside five feet and made birdie to take his first lead in the match with just three holes to play. Pars on the par-3 16th left Billiter 1-up with two holes to play. He hit the par-5 17th green in two and would two-putt for birdie to secure his third Jim Billiter hitting a chip shot in the Championship Match of the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship. Illinois PGA Match Play Championship title. 16 Illinois PGA Magazine


Illinois PGA Match Play Championship

“I want to congratulate Garrett Chaussard,” said Billiter. “Making four finals in a row is incredible. He’s a heck of an opponent and a great player. If you make bogey, he going to beat you. I started down four. I figured I needed to make some birdies to win some holes. I didn’t start great, and even if I made bogey on the ones I doubled I still would’ve lost. I birdied six of my last 10, which is not normal for me, but I was making some putts and hitting good shots. I made Garrett press a little bit, which is usually what he does in this event. So, it was good to make him work hard. He’s an amazing player and I was really lucky to get past him and all the guys I played against.” Billiter started his week finishing fourth in the qualifying round after carding a 1-over-par 73 on Monday. His performance earned him the fifth seed in the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship. In the Round of 64, Billiter defeated 60th seeded Nick Murn, 5 and 3. He would go on to defeat 28th seeded Mike Kinasiewicz, 5 and 3 in the Round of 32 later that afternoon. On Wednesday, Billiter defeated 16th seeded Andrew Adamsick, 5 and 4, in the Round of 16. He faced 29th seeded Chris French in the Quarterfinals in the afternoon and defeated him 1-up with a par on the 18th hole to secure the match. Billiter’s Quarterfinal match marked his first match of the week that made it past the 15th hole. Billiter took on David Paeglow in his Semi-Final Match. He got off to a great start winning two of the first three holes taking a 2-up lead and never relinquished his lead. Despite some back-and-forth, Billiter remained 1-up through holes 11-16 and closed out the match with a birdie on the par-5 17th hole to advance to the Finals. The 2021 Illinois PGA Match Play marked the first of four Majors on the Illinois PGA schedule. Billiter’s victory marked his fourth career Illinois PGA Major Championship.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS

Jim Billiter and Garrett Chaussard pose with Jim Gaugert and Steve Olken of Illinois PGA event Sponsor, Harris Golf Cars at the award ceremony of the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship. www.ipga.com 17


President Report

Illinois Open C

18 Iowa PGA Golf Magazine - Spring Issue


2019 Iowa PGA Schedule

Championships

www.iowapga.com 19


72nd Illinois Open

72nd ILLINOIS OPEN

August 2-4, 2021, Stonebridge Country Club, Aurora, IL Tee-k Kelly (Wheaton, Ill.) won the 72nd Illinois Open Championship on Wednesday at Stonebridge Country Club. Kelly, who led at the end of all three rounds, carded a final round 4-under-par 68 for a tournament total 17-under-par 199. Kelly tied the Illinois Open 54-hole score to par (Carlos Sainz, Jr. 2016), and recorded the second-lowest Illinois Open 54-hole score (David Cooke, 2015). “It feels amazing to win this tournament,” said Kelly. “I feel like I’ve put myself in contention a few times here and I was in contention the whole tournament last year. It’s fun to win one. Winning golf tournaments is never easy but it sure is a lot of fun when you pull one off.” Kelly carded a bogey-free round with six birdies on the first day of competition. Starting on the back nine, Kelly birdied the par-4 11th hole to get his round started. He added a second birdie on the par-5 15th before parring the next four holes and turning at 2-under-par.

Kelly extended his lead in the second round of the 72nd Illinois Open Championship after carding a 7-under-par 65 for a tournament total 13-under-par 131. He held a four-stroke lead entering the final round. After a first round 66, Kelly found himself trailing by three strokes on Tuesday afternoon due to a great second round in the morning wave by Gannon. Kelly got off to a hot start chipping in for eagle on the par-5 first hole and quickly closed the gap. He dropped back to two off the lead with a bogey on the second hole. He bounced back quickly though, making birdie on the par-3 third hole. Kelly added another birdie on the par-4 fifth hole to get to 9-under-par for the tournament and tie Gannon for the lead. He would hold onto his share of the lead through the front nine and turn at 3-under-par for the day.

His solid round continued on his back nine as he went on to birdie the par-4 second hole, par-4 fifth hole and finished the day with back-to-back birdies on numbers eight and nine. Kelly’s first-round 66 was good enough to give him a two-stroke lead heading into day two.

Kelly separated himself from the pack on the back nine. He took sole possession of the lead on the par-4 11th hole when he stuck his approach shot to six feet and made birdie. He extended his lead on the par-5 14th hole with his second eagle of the day. He finished the back nine-bogey free and sank a 10-footer for one last birdie on the par-5 18th to close out his second round.

There was a seven-way tie for second place between Adam Turner (a.r.) (Galesburg, Ill.), David Perkins (East Peoria, Ill.), Garrett Chaussard (Park Ridge, Ill.), Britt Pavelonis (Carbondale, Ill.), Blake Olson (Wheeling, Ill.), Luke Gannon (Mahomet, Ill.), and Zack Wax (Downers Grove, Ill.) All seven players recorded 4-under-par 68s.

Gannon posted the number to beat in the morning wave of the second round. He entered the round tied for second following a 4-under-par 68 in round one and trailed Kelly by two strokes. Starting on the back nine, Gannon carded three birdies in-a-row on holes, 12-14 to take sole

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72nd Illinois Open

Luke Gannon (Mahomet, IL) was in second place and trailed the led by four strokes after being the clubhouse leader in round two.

Tee-k Kelly (Wheaton, IL) tied the Illinois Open scoring record at the 72nd Illinois Open.

possession of the lead at 7-under-par. Two groups in front of him was Blake Olson (Wheeling, Ill.) who kept things close. Gannon dropped a stroke at the par-4 16th hole and fell into a three-way tie for first place with Kelly and Olson. Up ahead, Olson was putting together a nice round of his own. He also finished round one tied for second with a 4-under-par 68 in the opening round. He started on the back nine as well and opened his round with a birdie on the par-4 10th hole. After dropping back to even-par for the day on the 11th hole Olson made birdie on the par-5 14th hole and par-5 18th hole. He made the turn at 6-under-par for the tournament and trailed Gannon by one stroke. Olson took a share of the lead with another birdie on the par-5 first hole and then tied the lead again with a birdie on the fourth hole. However, trouble down the stretch saw Olson give his lead up. He made double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole and made another bogey on the seventh hole to drop to 5-under-par for the tournament and tied for third place. Meanwhile, Gannon was taking advantage of the window that Olson had left open for him. He made back-to-back birdies on holes 18 and one to get to 8-under-par. He made his final birdie of the day on the par-4 fourth hole to get to 9-under-par and took a three-shot lead into the clubhouse. Olson, Anthony Albano, Jr. (Park Ridge, Ill.), Mac McClear (a) (Hinsdale, Ill.) and Daniel Stringfellow were tied for third place entering the final round.

Mac McClear (a) (Hinsdale, IL) finished T5 and won the Low Amateur Award at the 72nd Illinois Open.

Kelly entered the final round with a four-stroke lead and never relinquished that lead. His final round started in a familiar fashion, birdieing the par-5 first hole. He would go on to card a bogey-free front nine with birdies on holes five, seven and nine and turn at 4-under-par for the day, 17-under-par the tournament. www.ipga.com 21


72nd Illinois Open

Kelly’s strong play continued on the back nine as he parred the first four holes and held a three-shot lead over Luke Gannon (Mahomet, Ill.). An errant tee shot lead to a double bogey on the par-5 14th hole, which was only the second hole of the week that Kelly played over par. Clinging to a twoshot lead, Kelly responded with back-to-back birdies on holes 15 and 16 to get back to 17-under-par. He closed out his round with pars on 17 and 18 to secure his first career Illinois Open victory. “In the past that shot on 14 is something that would’ve shaken me up a little bit but with what I’ve been working on and having my brother on the bag it didn’t really affect me that much,” said Kelly. “I made a free golf swing and made a bad shot and just teed up another one. If that was my one loose drive for the week, I wasn’t going to hit another one. Then I hit a good drive down there and unfortunately doubled the hole. Hitting that second drive gave me a lot of confidence for the last couple of holes because I wasn’t going to lay down and let that affect me. I was going to go out there and win it, so that felt good.” Prior to the 72nd Illinois Open Championship, Kelly had recorded three top 10 finishes in the Illinois Open over the last five years, including back-toback top finishes in 2020 and 2019. His previous best finish came last when he finished T3. The Illinois Open scoring records weren’t the only pieces of history that were changed during the final round of the 72nd Illinois Open. Daniel Hudson (Chicago, Ill.) tied the Stonebridge course record with a 10-under-par 62 and set the modern-day course record. Hudson joins Bob Jiminez, Annika Sorenstam and Rosie Jones as the club’s course record-holders. Hudson’s record-setting round featured 10 birdies, an eagle and two bogeys. 10-under-par 62 also ties the lowest 18-hole round at the Illinois Open. Hudson Daniel Hudson (Chicago, IL) tied the Stonebridge climbed 17 spots to finish the week in solo third place with a tournament Country Club course recond in the final round of the total of 10-under-par 206. 72nd Illinois Open.

Daniel Hudson’s official scorecard for round three of the Illinois Open Championship. Hudson’s 62 tied the Stonebridge Country Club course record.

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72nd Illinois Open

72nd Illinois Open Scorecard for Tee-K Kelly Hole

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“It felt good today,” said Hudson. “I had no idea about the course record so that’s obviously a nice bonus. A low round like that is super fun. I think the toughest thing when you get it to a certain point you want to keep it going but you don’t want to make any decisions that will alter the progress of the round so, I think mentally that’s the toughest thing when you get to six, seven or eight to keep things going. But it was a great day.” Mac McClear won the 72nd Illinois Open Low Amateur Award. McClear carded a 2-under-par 70, 3-under-par 69 and a final round 2-under-par 70 to win the Low Amateur Award. He finished his week tied for fifth place with a tournament total of 7-under-par 209.

Tee-k Kelly (left) and Mac McClear (right), pose with their awards on the 18th at Stonebridge Country Club

“It was just the start I wanted today. I knew I had a lot of ground to makeup and it was probably not likely that I could do that,” said McClear. “I hit it pretty well on the front but just couldn’t get the putts to fall. I kind of stopped hitting it well for a little stretch there and then brought it back at the end. Being Low Am is a good thing for me. Last year, there was another amateur that beat me, so it’s nice to get it this year and hopefully next year I can make a run at the title.”

Roy Biancalana (St. Charles, Ill.) was the low Illinois PGA finisher at the 72nd Illinois Open Championship. Biancalana started his tournament with a 1-under-par 71, then followed that up with a 3-under-par 69 in round two. He carded a 2-over-par 74 in the final round and finished the week tied for 14th place with a tournament total 2-under-par 214. CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS

Tee-k Kelly (Center) and his family on the 18th green of Stonebridge Country Club following Kelly’s victory at the 72nd Illinois Open Championship. www.ipga.com 23


Illinois Super Senior Open

ILLINOIS SUPER SENIOR OPEN

B I ANC ALANA WIN S BACK-TO - BAC K ILLINO IS S U P ER S ENIO R O P E N S August 30 - September 1, 2021 | Pine Meadow Golf Club

Roy Biancalana (St. Charles, Ill.) won the 2021 Illinois Super Senior Open at Pine Meadow Golf Club by three-strokes on Wednesday, September 1. This year’s victory marks back-to-back victories at the Illinois Super Senior Open Championship for Biancalana. Biancalana entered the final round of the Illinois Super Senior Open in second place. In round one, he recorded a 3-under-par 69 and trailed Jim Sobb (Barrington, Ill.) by one stroke. He began his first round with a bogey on the second hole, but made a birdie on the par-4 fifth hole to get back to even par. He closed out his front nine with back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth holes. He made another pair of birdies on 11 and 12 to get to 4-under-par and added another birdie on the par-4 14, but two bogeys on the way in dropped him out of the lead and into second place.

Biancalana stayed steady on the back nine, making par on four straight holes. He took the lead with a birdie on the 14th hole. After three straight pars, Biancalana stood on the last hole with a one-shot lead. Biancalana put an exclamation point on his week with a birdie on his 36th hole to shoot 8-under-par 136 and win his second straight Illinois Super Senior Open. Antoniou finished in second after carding an even-par back nine. Antoniou was a little up-and-down in his final nine, logging three birdies and three bogeys. He ended the Championship at 5-under-par 139 and three back off Biancalana.

Sobb finished in third place, carding rounds of 68-72 for a tournament total 4-under-par 140. Kevin Marion Biancalana went bogey-free in the final round with five birdies. logged back-to-back rounds of 1-under-par 71 for a He birdied the par-5 second hole to get his round started and car- tournament total of 2-under-par 142 and finished in ried that momentum with him through the front nine. Two holes fourth place. later he picked up another birdie on the fifth hole and closed his front nine out with a birdie on the par-4 ninth hole. Biancalana There was a three-way tie for fifth place between turned at 5-under-par and was tied for the lead with Vance Anto- Ted Pecora (Glencoe, Ill.) (a), Mike Harrigan (Western niou (North Barrington, Ill.) (a). Springs, Ill.) and Alan Schuermann Springfield, Ill.) (a) at 1-under-par 143. Pecora and Schuermann also tied for Antoniou started the final round in third place after a 2-under-par the Low Amateur Award. 70 in round one. He made a push for the lead on the front nine, carding birdies on holes two, four and five, before making his first CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS bogey of the day on the sixth hole. He would birdie the eighth hole to get to 5-under-par for the tournament and turned in a tie for first place.

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Illinois Senior Open

PAVE LONIS GOE S W IR E-TO -W IR E TO W IN T HE 2021 IL LIN OIS SENIO R O P EN C HAM P IO NS HIP September 8-9, 2021 | Flossmoor Golf Club

Britt Pavelonis (Carbondale, Ill.) won the XXIO Illinois Senior Open Championship by three strokes with a tournament total of 6-under-par 138 at Flossmoor Golf Club on Thursday, September 9. This victory marks Pavelonis’ first career Illinois Senior Open Championship. “I just tried to make some putts today,” said Pavelonis. “I didn’t really make anything in the first round. I two-putted for birdie three times in round one. I made four birdies on four par fives. I just couldn’t sneak anything in the hole. Today, I played solid except for the eighth hole, which was just a little hiccup. I came right back with a birdie on the ninth hole. I just felt like I was hitting the ball well and giving myself a chance to make putts on almost every hole.” Pavelonis ended round one in a share for the lead with three other players. He kept the card clean in round one, carding a bogey-free round with four birdies for a 4-under-par 68. In the final round, Pavelonis found himself in a back-and-forth day with a couple of guys at the top of the leaderboard. “I wasn’t really looking at the scoreboard, I was keeping score, but I didn’t look at the leaderboard until the 12th hole,” said Pavelonis. “It was sort of my mind, so it was nice to always know where I was and keep track of the scores. Where you stand sort of dictates the way you play a little, so it helps to know where you stand.” He made a birdie on the first hole to jump-start his final round and he took a one shot lead. He made bogey on the fourth hole to drop back to 4-under-par but jumped back into the lead with a birdie on the fifth hole. Pavelonis made double bogey on the eighth hole to fall out of the lead but birdied the ninth hole to regain the lead and turn at 4-under-par for the tournament. Rich Dukelow (Evergreen, Ill.) also started the round tied for first place after a 4-under-par 68 in round one. He birdied the par-4 second hole to start his final round and tied Pavelonis for the lead. He fell out of the lead a few holes later with a bogey on the third hole and a double bogey on the fourth hole. However, Dukelow would battle back to make birdie on the ninth hole and turned at 3-under-par for the tournament, trailing Pavelonis by one stroke.

Pavelonis parred the first four holes on the back nine and found himself with a one-stroke lead after Dukelow bogeyed the par-3 13th hole. Pavelonis extended his lead on the fifteenth hole when carded his first birdie of the back nine to get to 5-under-par for the tournament. He held a two-stroke lead with three holes to play and ended his tournament with an exclamation point as birdied the 18th hole to secure his Illinois Senior Open victory. A birdie on the 10th hole got Dukelow back to 4-under-par and in a share of the lead, but he struggled down the stretch carding bogeys on the par-3 13th hole and the par-4 17th hole. He finished the tournament tied for third at 2-under-par 142. Mike Henry (Bloomington, Ill.) (a) had the low round of the day in round two. After a 1-over-par 73 in round one, Henry carded a 4-under-par 68 in the final round to climb 12 spots and finish the tournament in second place at 3-under-par 141 and won the Low Amateur Award. Roy Biancalana (St. Charles, Ill.) and John Wright (Aurora, Ill.) (a) also finished tied for third with 2-under-par 142s. Wright started the final round tied for first place after an opening-round 4-under-par 68. He carded a 2-over-par 74 in the final round to finish in third place. Biancalana recorded a 3-under-par 69 in round one and started the day one shot off the lead. His final round featured a 1-over-par 73 to finish T3. CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS www.ipga.com 25


2021 Illinois PGA Senior Masters

ILLINOIS PGA SENIOR MASTERS Carmen Molinaro - 2021 Senior Masters -

Although many believe that the hallmark of being a PGA Professional is being a competitive player, the reality is that PGA Professionals wear many hats. At the top of the list of responsibilities they juggle is growing the game of golf. The Illinois PGA honors two of its members as Senior Masters each year and has done so since 1993. Being honored as a Senior Master recognizes a career-long dedication to growing and promoting the game of golf. Senior Master honorees exemplify the role of the PGA Golf Professional within their community by displaying, through their actions, the values of honor and integrity that are so much a part of the game of golf. Carmen Molinaro is one of two 2021 Illinois PGA Senior Masters honorees. Molinaro was drawn to the game in an unconventional way compared to most. With life dreams of wanting to be a baseball player, Molinaro became hooked on the game of golf when he was in high school. What intrigued him the most about the game of golf was its degree of difficulty. Carmen Molinaro (left) and Walley Hynes (right) pose together with their Senior Masters Awards following the 2021 ceremony.

game and as I started to make headway and improve my game, I got hooked on it.”

“I had always wanted to be a baseball player,” said Molinaro. “It wasn’t until high school that I really got into the game of golf. I was fascinated by how hard it was to play the

Little did Molinaro know that this newfound fascination would lead to a lifelong career.

Molinaro went on to play high school golf at Addison Trail High School. Following his senior year, he attended College of DuPage where he was a member of the golf team. He finished out his college years at Northern Illinois University, where he was also a member of the golf team. After graduating in 1972, Molinaro took his first job as an Assistant at Indian Lakes Country Club.

“I got into the industry sort of by accident,” said Molinaro. “After I graduated college, I took an Assistant position at Indian Lakes Country Club. Working in the golf industry as a career never really crossed my mind until my first year at Indian Lakes. I just enjoyed all the different aspects of the business.” When Molinaro first started at Indian Lakes, the facility was owned by Braniger. In 1973, Braniger sold Indian Lakes, and Molinaro was transferred to Buffalo Grove Golf Course, a Braniger managed facility. While working under Al Griffith, who was a member of the PGA for over 50 years, Molinaro began to learn the ropes of the role of a PGA Professional. Throughout this time, he kept junior golfers at the front of his mind. “I’ve never been a great tournament player or someone that played in a lot of events,” said Molinaro. “As a PGA Professional, I pride myself on getting people involved in the game. If I’m getting people to enjoy the game, making sure the industry stays healthy and most of all getting juniors involved in the game, I’m doing my job.” 26 Illinois PGA Magazine


2021 Illinois PGA Senior Masters

Molinaro remained an Assistant at Buffalo Grove until Griffith took a job in Florida. In 1977, Molinaro earned his Class-A Membership and was promoted to the Director of Golf at Buffalo Grove. He remained there in that position for 39 years before he retired in 2012. There wasn’t one aspect of the industry that Molinaro didn’t love. He enjoyed the business aspect of the shop and buying and selling merchandise, he loved working with all of his co-workers and seeing all the different people that came to his facility, but he especially loved promoting and growing the game of golf. Molinaro grew the game of golf in many ways, but he prided himself on being at the facility that always had room for high school golf. In fact, there was not a year during his time at Buffalo Grove that he didn’t host some sort of high school tournament, whether it be a conference match, a Regional, or Sectional.

t

“I enjoyed working with junior golfers and high school players the most,” said Molinaro. “I just wanted to make sure that high schools always had a place to play. It promotes the growth of the game. We can’t be satisfied servicing the players that are already playing, we need to continue to grow the game especially in the junior and high school ages.”

coach or teacher.

Although Molinaro never coached a high school team, his work in the high school golf realm earned him a spot in the Illinois High School Golf Coaches Hall of Fame. At the time he was inducted in 1995, he was one of the few people inducted into the Hall of Fame that was not a

“I was mainly a facilitator when it came to high school golf to make sure that the kids had somewhere to play and practice,” said Molinaro. “High school golf isn’t a big money-maker so some courses may discourage opening up their facilities, but I was fortunate that I had administrators in the Village of Buffalo Grove that owns the golf course that understood the importance of growing the game of golf and getting children involved in the game. I worked mainly with the coaches and schools to make sure that on a daily basis they had somewhere to play. There wasn’t a year that went by I didn’t host at least one high school event.” In addition to high school golf, Molinaro worked with a lot of different juniors and was even apart of the transition of the Northern Illinois Men’s Golf Association (NIMGA) to the Illinois Junior Golf Association (IJGA). Similar to high school events, Molinaro did his best to host at least one IJGA event a year. The Village of Buffalo Grove also founded the Arboretum Club. Molinaro oversaw both facilities as the Director of Golf and oversaw the construction of new clubhouses and maintenance sheds for both facilities. To this day, both facilities continue the tradition that Molinaro started years ago of hosting at least one high school or IJGA event a year. The Senior Masters Award marks the third Illinois PGA Section award that Molinaro has received throughout his career. He was the Illinois PGA Professional of the Year in 2007 and the Illinois PGA Public Merchandiser of the Year in 2005.

“Anytime you get recognized by your peers it’s very satisfying and rewarding,” said Molinaro. “This award is certainly rewarding especially as I start to get a little older and a littler grayer. Just when you think no one is paying attention, you get selected to be a part of the Senior Masters. It’s rewarding that I’m doing something that I really enjoy doing and apparently, it’s appreciated by my peers. It doesn’t matter what profes- sion you are in, one of the best feelings is being recognized by your peers and fellow members in the industry.”

Molinaro retired from the industry in 2012 but was not out of the game long. A few months after he retired, he ran into Chris Bona, PGA, the Head Professional at Boulder Ridge Country Club. Molinaro ended up taking a position at Boulder Ridge as a Golf Ambassador. His main g responsibly is doing what he does best, promoting the game. “In April of 2013 I started my position as Golf Ambassador at Boulder Ridge Country Club,” said Molinaro. “My main responsibilities are taking care of the members and making sure that everyone is enjoying themselves out on the course. It fits my personality perfectly, and the Boulder Ridge membership has been fantastic. The main thing I love about the industry is dealing with people and that continues today. I always enjoyed getting people away from whatever it is that is troubling them and getting them on the golf course. It’s just part of my nature to try and make people a little bit happier and I think the greatest place to do that is the golf course. It’s just heartwarming that if you give a little to people they will give back, and I’ve found throughout my career that being nice to people goes a long way in promoting golf and the integrity of the PGA and what we stand for.” www.ipga.com 27


2021 Illinois PGA Senior Masters

Wally Hynes: 2021 Senior Masters As the son of a career Army Specialist, Wally Hynes moved around a lot as a youngster but one thing always remained constant – playing golf at the military base golf course. Introduced to the game by his father at age four while living in Arizona, golfing at the military base provided him great recreation in his youth as well as an adult when he was in the Marine Corps. “My Dad did two tours in Viet Nam and I remember when he returned after the first one we moved to West Point, New York and lived on the base there. I was about 8 years old and he bought a season pass to the West Point Academy Golf Course for the family,” recalled Hynes. “I spent a lot of hours there playing golf with friends and other servicemen.” Hynes played well enough to capture a few junior club championships while living in West Point and also played in several Tournament of Champions competitions in the area that pitted the various junior club champions against each other. Hynes would later look back on his career and note the influence John Buczek, the Head Professional at West Point, would have on him. “I appreciated his warm and friendly personality and how he treated everyone. He played with all levels of players at the club and even did all the handicapping by hand! He was a great guy and really made a positive impression on me as a teenager.” Hynes’ father retired from the Army in 1972 and the family moved north to Cornwall, NY where Wally attended Cornwall Central High School and played on the golf team all four years and was captain his senior year. Following high school graduation, Hynes enrolled in the Marine Corps and after basic training was stationed a Kaneohe Air Station on the Hawaiian island of Oahu just south of Waikiki Beach. He was trained as a heavy equipment mechanic and while in Hawaii played golf during all of his free time. “There were five holes that ran right along the ocean and I got to play there every day and joined the Marine Corps golf team,” says Hynes. “The top four players from each branch – Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines – played in inter-service tournaments on the island. I played in many of them.” Hynes placed well enough in the Hawaii tournaments to earn a coveted spot on the All-Marine team twice which earned him a trip to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina to compete as one of the top Marine golfers in the nation against the top golfers from other branches. “We worked all day and played golf in the evening just about every day on the island,” recalled Hynes. “It was a lot of fun and I got a lot of playing time to hone my game.” He left Hawaii and returned to New York and enrolled in college for a time but the military life called him back and he re-enlisted for another four years this time stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego for three years and one year in Okinawa, Japan. “I loved to play the game and it had become a serious hobby of mine. I played every day I could while in San Diego and Okinawa,” said Hynes. After leaving the service for the second time, he moved to Arizona and began working at Foothills Golf Club which was newly-opened in 1988. It was there where he met fellow Illinois PGA Professional, Dan Kochevar, who upon return from his wedding in Illinois told the guys there were lots of golf jobs back in Illinois. Several of the them pulled their resumes together and started applying. Hynes was hired by Mike Harrigan and began working at Medinah Country Club in the 1989 season. “I had never been to Chicago before but thought it would be a good career move for me and it was,” says Hynes. 28 Illinois PGA Magazine


2021 Illinois PGA Senior Masters

After around two years at Medinah, Hynes moved on to Rolling Green to work with John Schickling for three years, and in 1993, one year after he was elected to PGA Membership, he got the head job at Cress Creek Country Club following the retirement of Frank Witt who had been at the club since its opening in 1963. Cress Creek membership had purchased the club in 1988 from the original owner and Hynes came in five years after that with orders to take the club to the “next level.” In 2003, a new clubhouse was built and in 2008 the golf course was renovated. “Cress Creek proved to be a great place for me and my family,” said Hynes. “It’s an amazing place, has a great membership and is a great course. We had our challenges over the years but finally defined ourselves as a family club and grew from there building up the swim, tennis and golf programs through junior and family programming. I also served as a volunteer coach for the Naperville North boys and girls golf teams for over 10 years.” In 2012, the club named Hynes General Manager to go along with his Head Professional duties and he kept things moving forward. “I wanted to make sure we were growing for the future and the Board backed me all the time,” Hynes says. “I introduced a junior membership program that attracted top local players, ran a strong caddie program and always hosted high school golf tournaments.” Golf is a family sport and business as Hynes’ wife, Pam, is a volunteer walking scorer for several tournaments with the USGA where her brother is Director of Scoring. And, the Hynes’ son works for Sports Media Technology based in Jacksonville which specializes in innovative real-time and wireless data and display systems in every major international sport including football, soccer, tennis and golf. “The golf business is a demanding job and to spend as much time as we do at the club you really need the understanding and support from your family, spouse and kids. The sacrifices my wife and son made for me allowed me to do what I love and have the long career at one club that I did,” says Hynes. “Plus, the membership was incredible to me and my family. They allowed me to live my dream.” Following retirement from Cress Creek earlier this year, Hynes and his wife decided to postpone moving out west and headed up north to Minnesota to live near his in-laws in Brainerd and he quickly got back in the business. He’s serving in an assistant professional capacity at Cragun’s Legacy Golf Club which is undergoing major renovations to both the resort and golf course. When finished in 2023, it will include a Tom Lehman championship 18-hole course plus 27 existing holes. The club hosts 400 rounds a day and will do even more once the Lehman course opens in two years. “I do a little bit of everything here now from teaching, running the shop, outside services and mentoring,” says Hynes. “And, I try to do as much fishing as possible.”

www.ipga.com 29


Illinois PGA Junior Tour

Illinois PGA

30 Illinois PGA Magazine


Illinois PGA Junior Tour

Junior Tour

www.ipga.com 31


Illinois PGA Junior Tour

ILLINOIS PGA JUNIO Illinois PGA Junior Tour Event #1 Ruth Lake CC | June 14

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Illinois PGA Junior Tour Event #2 Merit Club | June 21

Illinois PGA Junior Tour Event #3 Westmoreland CC | June 28

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Click here to view full results 32 Illinois PGA Magazine


Illinois PGA Junior Tour

OR TOUR RESULTS Illinois PGA Junior Tour Event #4 Naperville CC | July 6

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Illinois PGA Junior Tour Event #5 Briarwood CC | July 12

Illinois PGA Junior Tour Event #6 Flossmoor CG | July 26

Click here to view full results

Click here to view full results www.ipga.com 33


Illinois PGA Junior Tour

ILLINOIS PGA JUNIO Illinois PGA Junior Masters Championship

Onwentsia Club | July 26

Billy Gneiser | -5 (66)

1. Billy Gneiser (Darien, IL) -5 66 2. Dru Devata (Clarendon Hills, IL) E 71 3. JannZuzzyse Arlan Atendido (Bensenville, IL) E 71

Maggie Carlson | +2 (73)

1. Maggie Carlson (Inverness, IL) +2 73 2. Kaylee Dwyer (Mokena, IL) +4 75 3. Leah Gaidos (Barrington, IL) +9 80

Click here to view full results 34 Illinois PGA Magazine


Illinois PGA Junior Tour

OR TOUR RESULTS Illinois PGA Junior Tour Players of the Years

Billy Gneiser (Darien, Ill.) won the 2021 Illinois PGA Jr. Tour Boys Player of the Year Award. Gneiser recorded three victories on the Illinois PGA Junior Tour circuit, inclduing the Junior Masters Championship.

Madison Coffey (Naperville, Ill.) won the 2021 Illinois PGA Jr. Tour Girls Player of the Year Award. Coffey played in every Illinois PGA Junior Tour event during the 2021 season and had three third place finishes and one second place finish.

www.ipga.com 35


Knollwood - Distinguished Company

KNOLLWOOD - DISTINGUISHED COMPANY Written by: Tim Cronin Coming along as it did some 30 years after the first clubs in the neighborhood – and the Chicago area – were formed, the Knollwood Club might have immediately been saddled with second-class status. Nothing could be further from reality. Formed in 1924, it arrived fully grown into the community, instantly considered a peer with the Onwentsias and Exmoors of the North Shore. Part of that was the pedigree of its founders. Part of it was the quality of the golf course. Part of it was the concept for the latter devised by the former. Knollwood would be different from other clubs. Golf would be the eminent sport, but not the only one. Situated on two farms well back from the lakefront, there was also room for country living. The club was financed by the sale of large lots for country estates, and the course was complemented by a series of trails for the horse-lovers in the club to exercise their steeds, connected to a larger series of trails that went on for miles. The founders were led by Samuel Insull, the utilities tycoon who rose to prominence as Thomas Edison’s right-hand man and came to dominate the Midwest through the company he formed: Commonwealth Edison. Insull saw Knollwood as a getaway on both a grand scale – golf’s version of the Civic Opera House he commissioned downtown to further his love of opera – and as something less than ostentatious. The first clubhouse was created by joining the two original farmhouses together with a central lobby and porch. It served Knollwood members for 75 years. Adjacent to the clubhouse was the men’s locker room building, designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw. Nearly a century later, it remains virtually unchanged. For many members, this is the center of club life. Another founder, and the club’s first president, was Thomas E. Wilson. Like Insull, he was an empire builder, taking his family’s stock yards company and expanding it into sporting goods beginning with catgut to string tennis racquets. Western-Wilson Sporting Goods, as it was first known, became a world leader in golf equipment. Knollwood also had a connection to the start of golf in Chicago in that one of the farms was owned by the Farwell family, on whose estate Charles Blair Macdonald had crafted a short seven-hole layout in 1892, the first formal course in the Midwest. John Farwell was among the founders. The group went abroad for their course architect, commissioning Charles Hugh Alison to create a 27-hole complex. Alison instead designed a single 18-hole course, arguing that while 27 holes was possible, it would be crowded, and that one fine course would outweigh the benefit of an additional nine. So it would be.

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Knollwood Distinguished Company

Knollwood was off and running, immediately gaining acclaim for the quality of its golf and atmosphere. In 1956, the nation’s golf fans took notice when the U.S. Amateur was held there. E. Harvie Ward, a Californian who went to North Carolina and was a career amateur standout, became the first player to repeat as champion in 20 years, knocking off Chuck Kocsis 5 and 4 in the 36-hole final to retain the Havemeyer Trophy. Also notable was the first appearance in the U.S. Amateur by a big-hitting Ohio lad, Jack Nicklaus of Columbus, who lost to Ronald Wenzler in the third round. Another competitor whose star would shine in later years was a pal of Ward’s from San Francisco, Ken Venturi. Thirty-six years later, the USGA returned to Knollwood for the second playing of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Elgin’s Bill Hoffer won the title, scoring a 3 and 2 victory over Jeff Ellis of Oak Harbor, Wash., and the club won raves for the condition of the course and the generosity of its welcome to players from across the country. That welcome became international when Knollwood hosted the PGA Cup, the club pro version of the Ryder Cup, in 1986. The PGA of America side, led by Kevin Morris and Wheeler Stewart, scored a 16-9 victory over the Great Britain and Ireland team. Denis Durnian’s scoring four points in five matches accounted for nearly half the GB&I total. The original Alison design, having been retooled slightly by Larry Packard in the 1970s, was updated by Keith Foster within the last decade in the Alison style, with bunkers repositioned and a tree-removal program effected. The result was a dramatic and testing course for the 2016 Western Amateur, won by Illinois standout Dylan Meyer over medalist Sam Horsfield of England by a 3 and 1 margin. Knollwood’s head professionals have a history of long tenures. Tom Currie arrived in the late 1920s and was in charge until World War II. Jules Platte and Gary Rehfelt had 17-year runs, followed by Sherm Finger, who enjoyed a 27-year tenure. Wade Gurysh took over in 2005 and seems destined to challenge Finger’s record.

www.ipga.com 37


Illinois PGA Players Championship

MALM DEFENDS TITLE AT ILLINOIS PGA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Curtis Malm (White Eagle Golf Club) carded the low round of the day during the final round of the Illinois PGA Players Championship to defend his title and win back-to-back Players Championships. Malm’s 4-under-par 68 was only one of four rounds under-par on the second and final day of competition. “Today kind of shaped up the same as last year,” said Malm. “I haven’t played much this year. I’ve only played in four events this year including this one. We were fortunate to be able to play such an amazing golf course here at Knollwood. I was lucky to sneak in to the event from my finish at the Section Championship and a few guys couldn’t make it, so when I got the call and Knollwood came up, there was no way I wasn’t going to make it up here to play and defend the title.” The Illinois PGA Players Championship features the top 36 players from the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year points race and is the final major on the Illinois PGA’s schedule. To no surprise, the final major of the year came down to the wire. Davis Jensen (Five Iron Golf) and Roy Biancalana (Blackberry Oaks Golf Club) were tied for first place entering the final round. Both players carded 4-under-par 68s in round one and were one-stroke clear of the rest of the field. Both players got off to rough starts in the final round. Jensen lost a ball on the first hole and made a double-bogey to drop two strokes and Biancalana bogeyed four of his first six holes to fall out of the lead. With leaders off to a rocky start, the door was open for the rest of the field. Chris French (Aldeen Golf Club) entered the final round in second place after a 3-under-par 69 in round one. He quickly found himself in first place after four straight pars top begin his round. He bogeyed the fifth hole but got back into a share of the lead with a birdie on the sixth hole. French dropped back again with a bogey on the par-3 seventh hole and was unable to recover as he went on to card a 7-over-par 79 in the final round. Jeff Kellen (Butler National), who started the day four shots off the lead, was in a share for the lead at 3-under-par thanks to a great stretch between holes two through 10 that he played at 4-under-par. A double-bogey on the par-4 11th hole dropped Kellen out of the lead and he finished the day tied for sixth place. Early in the final round, the focus was on Jensen and Brian Carroll (The Hawk Country Club). Carroll started the final round three strokes off the lead following a 1-under-par 71 in round one. Birdies on holes six and nine got Carroll into a share for the lead with Davis at 3-under-par. He took sole possession of the lead with a birdie on the 10th hole, but Davis quickly answered with a birdie of his own, and the two remained tied at 4-under-par. Both players bogeyed the par-3 12th hole and remained tied for the lead as they stepped up to the drivable par-4 13th. 38 Illinois PGA Magazine


Illinois PGA Players Championship

Carroll, who was in the group ahead of Jensen, made birdie on 13 to get back to 4-under-par. Jensen hit his tee shot to the right of the green and was unable to get up and down and made bogey to drop back to 3-under-par. Jensen would go on to make three more bogeys on the back nine and finish the tournament in fifth place. Meanwhile, the 2020 defending champion was quietly climbing the leaderboard. Malm, who was the first alternate for this event until Shaun McElroy (North Shore Country Club) withdrew, carded a 1-over-par 73 in round one. He started the final round with a bogey-free front nine with one birdie to get to even par. Trailing by four strokes, Malm kicked it into high gear on the back nine. He birdied the par-4 10th hole to get under-par for the first time in the tournament. He gave that shot back with a bogey on the 11th hole and trailed by four again. Malm hit a great tee shot on the 13th hole, driving the green and leaving him with a tap in eagle putt. With his game trending in the right direction, Malm made pars on holes 14-17 before hitting a spectacular approach shot on 18, making birdie on his 36th hole. Malm found himself at 3-under-par for the tournament and was the clubhouse leader. “I hit it really well today,” said Malm. “I made the turn at 1-under-par, and I was playing great, I just couldn’t make any putts. These greens are so subtle that if you are just a little off nothing goes in. I throttled my tee shot on 10. The hole is about 600 yards and I had about 225 to the front. I hit a terrible 4-iron but got away with it and rolled up near the front to get to 2-under. Then I made two of the worst swings of the week on 11 and gave one back there. 13 was playing 302 today with a little wind off the right so I knew I could hit my big high cut that bounced up there about 18 inches for a two, so I made eagle there. I played well the rest of the way in; I just couldn’t get anything to fall until the last hole. I hit a wedge to about three feet and birdied 18. That was the two-shot swing right there.” Carroll was teeing off on the 14th hole when Malm finished becoming the leader in the clubhouse at 3-under-par. He bogeyed the par-4 15th hole to drop back into a share for the lead with Malm. After a near missed birdie on 16, Carroll made an impressive up-and-down from behind the green on 17 to remain in a tie for the lead. Needing a birdie on the 18th hole to win the tournament, Carroll put his approach into the greenside bunker and just missed the par putt to force a playoff with Malm. He finished at 2-under-par for the tournament and took solo second place, allowing Malm to defend his title as the Illinois PGA Players Champion. Andy Mickelson (Mistwood Golf Club) and Garrett Chaussard (Skokie Country Club) rounded out the top five at the Illinois PGA Players Championship with T3 finishes. Mickelson carded an even-par 72 in round one and needed a birdie on his 36th hole to force a playoff with Malm. He ended with a bogey and finished at 1-under-par 143. Chaussard recorded an even-par 72 in round one. He bogeyed two of the first three holes in the final round but got back to even par with an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole. Chaussard picked up one stroke on the way in to finish at 1-under-par 143. The Illinois PGA Players Championship also marked the final Main Division event of the year. Chaussard’s T3 finish at the Players was good enough to push him into first place of the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year points race and secured his second Player of the Year honor in three seasons (2019). “It was an odd year because I didn’t win anything, but I was close in a lot,” said Chaussard. “I finished second at the Section Championship, second at the Match Play, third here at the Players and I played well at the Illinois Open. So, I played well in all the Majors but it’s kind of weird I don’t feel like I played great at any point this year. It just kind of worked out that way.” The Illinois PGA Players Championship had a little more on the line as Chaussard entered the week in second place in the points race, trailing French by 36 points. “It was interesting going into this event, knowing where I stood, only 36 points behind Chris (French). I knew that I had to try and finish better than him and dodge a few other guys winning. I tried to put it out of my mind and just see what happened when it was all said and done. There was definitely a little extra on the line today, but I just tried to go out and play golf.” CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS

www.ipga.com 39


2021 Illinois PGA Tournament Schedule

2021 ILLINOIS PGA TOURNAMENT CALENDAR DATE OCTOBER October 11-12 October 14 October 18-19 NOVEMBER November 2-4

Remaining events as of 10/8/2021.

40 Illinois PGA Magazine

EVENT

FACILITY

Illinois PGA Senior Players Championship Pro-Superintendent Illinois PGA Fall Scramble

BEVERLY CC WHITE EAGLE GC WEAVER RIDGE GC

Meyer-Brown-Miller Inviational

PINEHURST NO.2, FOREST CREEK GC, MID PINES INN


2021 Illinois PGA Tournament Schedule

2021 ILLINOIS PGA TOURNAMENT RESULTS DATE March 21-25 APRIL April 19 April 26 MAY May 03 May 10 May 10-13 May 17 May 24 JUNE June 01 June 03 June 07 June 14 June 17 June 21 June 23 June 30 JULY July 05 July 06 July 6-7 July 08 July 12 July 14 July 19 July 21 July 26 July 28 AUGUST August 2-4 August 9-10 August 18 August 23-25 August 30 August 31-September 1 SEPTEMBER September 07 September 07 September 08-09 September 13 September 20 September 27-28 OCTOBER October 01 October 3-4 October 4-6

EVENT Illinois PGA Las Vegas Pro-Am

FACILITY SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, CASCATA, REFLECTION BAY

RESULTS

Pro-Pro-Pro Scramble Championship Pro-Assistant Championship

MISTWOOD GC WHITE EAGLE GC

LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD

Illinois PGA Spring Pro-Pro Stroke Play Event Illinois PGA Match Play Championship Stroke Play Event Korn Ferry Monday Qualifying

FLOSSMOOR GC BULL VALLEY GC BULL VALLEY GC SUNSET RIDGE CC STONEWALL ORCHARD, WHITE DEER RUN

LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD

Stroke Play Event Thompson Cup Matches Illinois PGA Pro-Am Illinois PGA Pro-Scratch Radix Cup Matches Stroke Play Event Illinois Open Qualifier Illinois Open Qualifier

RIVER FOREST CC RIDGE CC FLOSSMOOR GC TWIN ORCHARD - RED OAK PARK CC THE HAWK CC DEERFIELD GC MAPLE MEADOWS GC

LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD

Stroke Play Event Illinois Open Qualifier Illinois Women's Open Illinois Open Qualifier Illinois PGA Assistants Championship/PPC Illinois Open Qualifier Stroke Play Event Illinois Open Qualifier Senior Masters Illinois Open Qualifier - Last Chance

THUNDERHAWK GC FLOSSMOOR CG MISTWOOD GC IRONWOOD GC CRYSTAL TREE CC SUNSET VALLEY GC OAK PARK CC THE HAWK CC ONWENTSIA CLUB COUNTRYSIDE GC (PRAIRIE)

LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD

The Illinois Open Illinois PGA Senior Championship Illinois PGA Pro-Official Illinois PGA Section Championship/PPC Illinois PGA Pro-Pro Social Illinois Super Senior Open

STONEBRIDGE CC BRYN MAWR CC WESTMORELAND CC IVANHOE CLUB THE PRESERVE AT OAK MEADOWS PINE MEADOW GC

LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD

Birdies for Charity CIPGA Birdies for Charity XXIO Illinois Senior Open Championship Ryne Sandberg Foundation Pro-Am Stroke Play Event Illinois PGA Players Championship

RIVER FOREST CC CC OF DECATUR FLOSSMOOR GC MERIT CLUB METAMORA FIELDS GC KNOLLWOOD CLUB

LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD

Royal Cup Matches Fall Travel Pro-Am Illinois PGA Senior Match Play

THE CLUB AT STRAWBERRY CREEK SAND VALLEY SHOREACRES

LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD LEADERBOARD

LEADERBOARD

www.ipga.com 41


Drive, Chip and Putt Regional Final

Fun and Friendly Competition Mix Easily at Medinah Regional Written By: Tim Cronin There were 112 smiling youngsters and about twice as many nervous but hopeful parents on the grounds of Medinah Country Club on Saturday, all of them hoping this wasn’t their last stop on the Drive, Chip and Putt trail. For eight talented boys and girls, it was one more step. They were the winners of the age-group categories who move on to the 2022 National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club next April 3. Both the winners and those who tried but came close – or not so close – the goal was to compete hard and have fun. That goal, at least, was met. The winners had a lot of fun. Take Michael Jorski of Clarendon Hills, Ill., the winner in the Boys 12-13 bracket. He’ll be making his second trip to Augusta, having finished sixth in 2018, and advanced this time by outdriving and outcropping his competition. “You’ve got to make this game fun,” Jorski said. “If it’s not fun, if you’re not doing well and you’re not liking it, it’s a totally different game. And you do it alone. It’s not like baseball or basketball. You get to blame yourself and do it for yourself. It’s more mental than physical. You’re mentally exhausted but not pouring sweat.” Jorski’s chip-in on his third attempt proved the winning margin. It earned him 25 points and he won by two. Absolutely fun. Martha Kuwahara’s day was high on the fun meter as well. Her victory in the Girls 14-15 division came only three years after she began to play. Now, it’s about all the 13-year-old from Northbrook, Ill., does in the summer, having taken up the game on the advice of her brother.

42 Illinois PGA Magazine

I ( s


Drive, Chip and Putt Regional Final

“I practice two or three hours, then I play with my friends, then I practice another two or three hours,” Kuwahara said after outputting her rivals. “I’m probably at The Glen Club eight or 10 hours a day. A lot of my friends say I have an addiction to golf.” It isn’t quite all golf and no play, she explained. “I sometimes feel I’m hanging out on ‘childhood,’ ” Kuwahara said using air quotes. “A lot of my friends are hanging out without me, but they still encourage me to play. I try my best, once a month, to take time off and spend as much time as possible with my friends – that one day.” Inspired by her late grandfather, Yasuo Kuwahara, who also played golf, Martha took the title by outputting her competitors.

“He was a big role model for me, encouraged me to do a lot of things,” Martha said. “He still comes to mind when I win tournaments. He never got to see me golf. Sometimes I have Isaac Rumler (second place – left), Michael Jorski (first place – center) and Owen Wagie lip-ins, and I say, ‘Maybe my grandfather helped me.’ ” (third place – right) pose together at the awards ceremony of the Boys 12-13 Age DiviLisa Copeland, a 13-year-old from Naperville, Ill., is also a sion. second-time National finalist, and like Jorski and Kuwahara, trying to balance fun and competition without detracting from either. “I look at Drive, Chip and Putt as, it’s only nine shots,” Copeland said. “It’s not a big deal if you don’t go. Just make it if you can. It’s mostly just exciting. My dad would say you can hit a bad shot and it’s OK. It’s the bad decision-making or emotions. You want to be able to squash ’em down.” Copeland squashed the Girls 12-13 field by 21 points, three more than she won the 2016 Regional, also played at Medinah. There was fun, joy and heartbreak in the Boys 14-15 division, where Cody Guetzke of Hartland, Wis., needed a playoff to subdue Bennett Dolter of Peosta, Iowa. They had tied with 148 points. Dolter, the group’s best driver, pulled his playoff tee shot wide left. Guetzke, tied for fourth in putting, failed to keep his ball in the circle. That meant Guetzke’s slightly-better chip was the margin to send him to Augusta. “I was a little nervous,” Guetzke said. “I think it helped that I went first. It was very nerve-wracking, but it was a fun experience.” Even at 7, players understand what’s on the line. Eloise Fetzer of La Grange, Ill., just turned 7, but when her dad Kevin told her, “Own the moment,” she stepped up. The first-timer in Drive, Chip and Putt play was fourth in driving and second in the other disciplines in the Girls 7-9 category, to score a 14-point victory over Chloe Lee of nearby Plainfield, Ill. Eloise, a proud left-hander, also knows her game. Asked if she had thought of playing right-handed, she shook her head firmly and said, “No, thank you.” Said proud pop Kevin, “She thinks we play from the wrong side of the ball.” Hayden Klein, an 8-year-old from Coon Rapids, Iowa, was the quietest winner, but spoke loudly with his putter. He sank his first putt and nearly holed the next two to stave off the bid of Luke Patel of North Aurora, Ill in the Boys 7-9 division. That made the six-hour trip home all the quicker. Boys 10-11 winner Ledius Felipe of Poplar Grove, Ill., advanced to Augusta on his fourth appearance, winning the drive and chip categories. He was dead serious when he said, “If I just depended on my putting it would really mess up my score.” Liliana Graham of Bettendorf, Iowa, called herself “super excited” after capturing the Girls 10-11 division. She had to rally to do so, having missed the 40-yard-wide landing area with her first drive. But rally she did, piling up 50 points in both chipping and putting to win by five. “It’s a big deal,” Graham said. She was grinning. It was not only big, but fun. www.ipga.com 43


Members Lounge

Members Lounge NEW MEMBERS: Joseph Bentivegna, PGA Richard Janski, PGA Eric Martin, PGA Benjamin McAdams, PGA Michael Mercer, PGA Michael Pariso, PGA Kyle Pecka, PGA Jack Turner, PGA QUARTER CENTURY MEMBERS Frank Bruno, PGA Louis Flores, PGA Daniel Hotchkin, PGA Marianne Kaiser, PGA Kurt Kollmeyer, PGA Ray Kralis, PGA Scott Lunde, PGA John Platt, PGA Doral Reining, PGA Michael Williams, PGA

NEW ASSOCIATES: Caleb Funke Jordan Hall Ethan Hildebrandt Jong Lee Joseph Pegura Robert Schmelter

IN MEMORIAM Bill Abrams, PGA Richard Bell, PGA

TRANSFERS IN Jim Buyze, PGA Scott Feller, PGA Christopher French, PGA Christian Gutierrez Christopher Harder, PGA John Jacobs, PGA Tyler James, PGA Taylor Kahlman, PGA Tyler Kathrineberg Mark LaMeer, PGA Jeremy Nevius Matthew Reglin, PGA Charles Stilin, PGA Luke Sutton, PGA Dick Wagley, PGA

2021 BERNARDI PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS RACE RANK 1

PLAYER Garrett Chaussard (Skokie Country Club)

POINTS 2,741.44

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Chris French (Aldeen Golf Club) Roy Biancalana (Blackberry Oaks Golf Club) Andy Mickelson (Mistwood Golf Club) Brian Carroll (The Hawk Country Club) Travis Johns (Medinah Country Club) Jim Billiter (Ivanhoe Club) Frank Hohenadel (Mistwood Golf Club) Jeff Kellen (Butler National Golf Club)

2,544.22 2,398.29 2,378.62 2,344.55 2,178.88 2,059.99 1,929.63 1,817.67 1,755.51 1,684.52 1,649.77 1,580.36 1,332.87 1,319.75 1,077.17 1014.20 987.67

Reece Bartelt (S.M.A.R.T. Golf & Fitness) Tim Streng (Wildcat Golf Academy) Andrew Godfrey (White Pines Golf Club) David Paeglow (Kishwaukee Country Club) Steve Gillie (Randall Oaks Golf Club) Mike Small (University of Illinois) Curtis Malm (White Eagle Golf Club) Cameron Beeler (Oak Park Country Club) Eric Ilic (Merit Club)

44 Illinois PGA Magazine

RANK 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

PLAYER Chris Green (Glen View Club) Bret Leon (Old Elm Club) Kurt Rogers (Champaign Country Club) David Burdick (Biltmore Country Club) Davis Jensen (Five Iron Golf) Matt Slowinski (Hinsdale Golf Club) Sean Gervais (Glen View Club) Eric Hoff (Bryn Mawr Country Club) Carson Solien (Oak Park Country Club) Brandon Wessel (Sunset Ridge Country Club) John Varner (Beverly Country Club) Caleb Wittig (Lake Shore Country Club) Katie Pius (Biltmore Country Club) John Billiter (Heritage Oak Golf Club) Jason Moss (Old Elm Club) Sean McLeod (Medinah Country Club) Danny Mulhearn (Glen Oak Country Club) Michael Troy (Zigfield Troy Golf Club)

POINTS 974.29 956.38 947.00 941.89 878.67 857.88 849.16 823.73 736.77 689.59 681.70 663.22 660.20 629.89 629.13 600.79 586.35 528.25


Members Lounge

2021 ERRIE BALL SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS RACE RANK 1

PLAYER Roy Biancalana (Blackberry Oaks Golf Club)

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Job Sobb (Ivanhoe Club) David Paeglow (Kishwaukee Country Club) John Varner (Beverly Country Club) Michael Troy (Zigfield Troy Golf Club) Doug Bauman (Biltmore Country Club) Rich Dukelow (Ridge Country Club) Mike Small (University of Illinois) Dave Erickson (St. Andrews Golf & Country Club Mike Harrigan (PGA Life Member) Kevin Marion (Old Elm Club) John Cleary (Exmoor Country Club) Kurt Rogers (Champaign Country Club) Jim Rafferty (RedTail Golf Club) Danny Mulhearn (Glen Oak Country Club) Brad Rouse (Renwood Golf Club)

POINTS 2,973.80

RANK 17 2,029.00 18 1,937.00 19 1,774.00 20 1,722.00 21 1,501.25 22 1,390.38 23 1,350.00 24 1,333.40 25 1,253.80 26 1,228.24 27 1,217.10 28 1,131.60 29 1,119.90 30 1,087.00 31 $1,078.33 32

PLAYER Don Morris (Diversey Golf Rnage) Marc Woodcock (The Village Links) Kevin Healy (PGA Member) Mike Camastro (Silver Lake Country Club) Tony Feminis (Rolling Green Country Club) Roy Dombeck (Stony Creek Golf Club) Kevin Rafferty (Golf Galaxy - Vernon Hills) David Thompson (Crystal Lake Country Club) Billy Rosinia (Flagg Creek Golf Club) George Goich (Flossmoor Golf Club) David Hannon (Links & Tees) Peter Latkiewicz (PGA Life Member) John Platt (Mistwood Golf Club) Ryan O'Connor (Itasca Country Club Gary Shastal (Pro Circle Golf Rnage) Craig Bertrand (Biltmore Country Club)

POINTS 1,075.50 1,071.96 880.78 852.50 684.60 681.68 659.03 659.00 621.46 620.00 606.00 600.40 581.55 491.33 481.65 457.45

2021 DON DRASLER ASSISTANT PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS RACE

RANK 1 2 3 4 5

PLAYER Kevin Flack (Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club) Jeff Kellen (Butler National Golf Club) Kyle Donovan (Oak Park Country Club) Chris French (Aldeen Golf Club) Michael Schachner (DePaul University)

POINTS 2,008.75 1,870.63 1,776.33 1,767.00 1,345.50

RANK 6 7 8 9 10

PLAYER Paul Schlimm (Chicago Highlands) Cameron Beeler (Oak Park Country Club) Katie Pius (Biltmore Country Club) David Burdick (Biltmore Country Club) Jeremy Nevius (Bloomington Country Club)

POINTS 1,302.50 1,263.25 1,149.50 1,102.50 1,087.75

*All Player of the Year rankings were updated as of October 8. Rankings are subject to change based on future events.

www.ipga.com 45


The Illinois PGA Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization that serves as the charitable arm of the Illinois PGA Section, one of the forty-one geographical regions that comprise the PGA of America. Established in 1991 and celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2021, the foundation focuses its community efforts on promoting the goodwill and growth of the game with an emphasis on activities that benefit youth. The Illinois PGA Foundation actively partners and supports the following organizations and charities: • Illinois Junior Golf Association • Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana • Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago • JDRF Illinois Chapter THE FOUNDATION MANAGES SEVERAL PROGRAMS INCLUDING:

Support Youth Golf License Plate

CLICK HERE if you would like to make a donation to the Illinois PGA Foundation.


ILLINOIS PGA FOUNDATION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN The Illinois PGA Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and in recognition of this milestone has announced a $1,000,000 capital campaign that will focus on securing funding to create a financial base that will support both existing and future programming. The Illinois PGA Foundation is responsible for managing several programs including PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) which introduces golf to veterans to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being and PGA Jr. League and Drive, Chip and Putt which are the skills and competition training ground for our future golfers. GolfWorks Illinois provides internships to high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in the golf business, and there are also several college scholarship programs opportunities provided by the Foundation. A new Junior Tour was recently launched which will allow junior golfers to experience tournament play at top facilities throughout the Chicagoland area. And, the Foundation also hosts the Birdies for Charity fundraising event which has raised more than $2 million for deserving children’s charities in the 10 years since its inception. In addition to raising funds to support its existing and future programming, the Illinois PGA Foundation is working with the Western Golf Association (WGA) to purchase the former WGA/Evans Scholars building in Golf, Illinois that will become the first-ever headquarters of both the Illinois PGA Foundation and Illinois PGA Section. Illinois PGA leadership has discussed securing its own building for many years, and this new step will allow the organizations to better serve the community and its PGA Professional membership. The campaign will also help support the operation and renovation of the new building. As you consider joining the campaign, please know that the Foundation Officers, Board and Capital Campaign Committee value each and every donor and appreciate your interest in supporting the Illinois PGA Foundation and its programs. For questions and to learn more about the Illinois PGA Foundation and capital campaign, please contact Palmer Moody, Assistant Executive Director / Foundation & Communications at pmoody@pgahq.com or 847.729.4145 (direct). CLICK HERE to donate to the capital campaign CLICK HERE to learn more about the Illinois PGA Foundation


Illinois PGA E-Magazine Advertising If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities with the Illinois PGA Magazine, please contact Kathy Kreft, Assistant Execuitive Director - Business Development at kkreft@pgahq.com. Below you’ll find E-Magazine Ad pricing.

Illinois PGA E-Magazine Advertising Price Breakdown Ad Type

Number of Issues

Price

Full Page

3 issues

$1,500

1/2 Page

3 Issues

$900

1/4 Page

3 Issues

$500

Side Panel

Pay per Issue

$175/Issue

Illinois PGA E-Magazine Advertising Outline FULL PAGE AD • 3 Issues - $1,500 • A full (8.5 X 11) advertisement of your choice. You have the right to request which page you would like this advertisement to appear on . Note: advertisements will be granted location on a first come first serve basis. Some advertisements will not be able to be placed in the exact spot requested due to editorial layout. The Illinois PGA will do what it can to place your ad where you request.

HALF-PAGE AD • 3 Issues - $900 • A half page (8.5 X 5.5) advertisement of your choice. You have the right to request which page you would like this advertisement to appear on . Note: advertisements will be granted location on a first come first serve basis. Some advertisements will not be able to be placed in the exact spot requested due to editorial layout. The Illinois PGA will do what it can to place your ad where you request.

1/4 PAGE AD • 3 Issues - $500 • A 1/4-page (5.5 X 5.5) advertisement of your choice. This advertisement will be located in one of the corners of a page in the magazine. You have the right to request which page you would like this advertisement to appear on. Note: advertisements will be granted location on a first come first serve basis. Some advertisements will not be able to be placed in the exact spot requested due to editorial layout. The Illinois PGA will do what it can to place your ad where you request.

SIDE BANNER AD • $175/Issue • A side banner (2 x 9) advertisement of your choice. This advertisement will be located on the side of one of the pages in the magazine You have the right to request which page you would like this advertisement to appear on . Note: advertisements will be granted location on a first come first serve basis. Some advertisements will not be able to be placed in the exact spot requested due to editorial layout. The Illinois PGA will do what it can to place your ad where you request.


ILLINOIS PGA PARTNERS PLATINUM LEVEL PARTNERS

GOLD LEVEL PARTNERS

SILVER LEVEL PARTNERS

BRONZE LEVEL PARTNERS


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