IllinoisIllinois GolferGolfer Digital Edition May 2016 IlliniIllini primedprimed forfor titletitle runrun Juniors!Juniors! EnterEnter thethe IGIG ChallengeChallenge JuneJune 2222 atat Glenwoodie!Glenwoodie! SeeSee Pgs.Pgs. 13-1413-14 Page 2 • May 2016 • Illinois Golfer www.illinoisgolfer.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Buzz In This Issue –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– News –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Cover story: The return of the Happy Bunny Illinois chases NCAA grail 6 Another Drive, Chip & Putt winner 8 No, not the gentleman at the right. Przybylski wins Will County Am 9 He’s more akin to the friendly squirrel, and the Bauer wins Illinois PGA match play 10 caption under the photo explains his presence. A gopher-free zone? Evans Centennial: Triumph at Merion 11 The buzz is about Colin Montgomerie, who two Opinion years ago captured the Senior PGA Championship at –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Grill Room: The USGA-Chicago Golf Harbor Shores, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course Club big wait 4 that meanders over and around previously abandoned industrial sites next to downtown Benton Harbor, Mich., Departments –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– and the centerpiece of a redevelopment of the area. Junior: AJGA visits Glen Club 13 Monty’s win at Harbor Shores prompted him to say Around Illinois: the following: “I’m a happy bunny.” Of Pelican and Pettersen 15 Tour Guide 16 Well, that was better than his old nickname of Mrs. Tournament calendar / results 17 Doubtfire. The Directory 19 And the big, happy bunny was back at Harbor Shores a little while back to tout this year’s edition, which runs from May 26-29, ending on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Illinois Golfer –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– That’s a difficult weekend for the proprietor of this May 2016 journal to attend, given that it is also the weekend of Digital Edition • Vol. 2, No. 2 the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, an annual fixture on –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– the boss’ personal and professional calendar. But while Published monthly April through October the 11 rows of three jockey to run 200 laps of the Brick- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Publisher & Editor Tim Cronin yard for the 100th time, ILLINOIS GOLFER will have spies –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– on the ground in Benton Harbor to see if Monty can pull Join us online at www.illinoisgolfer.net Courtesy Joel Murray / Canal Shores another, er, rabbit out of his hat. Write us at P.O. Box 541, Worth, Illinois 60482 Caddie garb Bill Murray, who scuffed E-mail us at [email protected] Size 7 1/4, we believe. it around at old Peter Jans more than once, Call us at (708) 638-1164 The Happy Bunny said this at the preview: Follow us on Twitter: @illinoisgolfer shows off the latest in haute couture, part of –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– “It was surreal to come back and see all the places Canal Shores’ fund-raising effort. Display / classified advertising: and say that was where that happened and that was Call (708) 638-1164 for particulars. Illinois Golfer assumes no responsibility for unsolicited ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– materials or claims of advertisers. Caveat emptor. Big Ten champion Illinois’ players and coaches pose (l-r): Charlie Danielson, Edoardo Lipparelli, Nick –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Cover © 2016 Illinois Golfer LLC, a unit of Cronin Multimedia Hardy, Dylan Meyer and Thomas Detry with coaches Zach Barlow and Mike Small in front. / Jenny Dewer / Illinois Athletics Page 3 • May 2016 www.illinoisgolfer.net Experience Cantigny ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– where that happened,” Montgomerie tional – the Wildcats finished at 23-pver- said. “It was amazing to feel and very par 887 – but the margin was. Northwest- emotional coming back. This place, this ern beat runner-up Florida State by 18 Benton Harbor, Harbor Shores place, is a strokes across three rounds. very special place to me.” Janet Mao tied Florida State’s Matil- Montgomerie followed up his win at da Castren and California’s Marianne Li Harbor Shores with a U.S. Senior Open for the individual crown and led the Wild- victory a few weeks later, and then suc- cats at 4-over 220 with a closing round of cessfully defended his Senior PGA crown par 72, with Kacie Komoto (6-over 222, at French Lick last year. Thus, Monty is closing 77) second on the squad and going for a third straight Senior PGA and fourth overall. fourth senior major overall. The totals of Sarah Cho (9-over Only five players, led by Sam 225, closing 78) and Big Ten freshman Snead’s six titles, have won three Senior of the year Stephanie Lau (11-over 227, PGAs. Only Hale Irwin won three in suc- closing 72) also went on the board for the cession. Could Monty be the second? Wildcats. Hannah Kim, nominally the “You’ve got a series of guys I could Wildcats’ No. 1 player, scored 76 for 232 reel off including hall of famers and future and didn’t figure in the team total. hall of famers,” Montgomerie said of the Eighth-ranked (by Golfstat) North- field lined up against him. “There are 20 western, No. 22 Florida State, No. 9 An exceptional day guys you could think could easily, easily Oklahoma State, No. 1 Alabama, No. 25 of golf and hospitality walk off with this title.” Tennessee and Michigan advanced from One of whom is not Tom Watson, Shoal Creek to the NCAA Championship, awaits you in Chicago’s out with a bad back. But newly-minted set for Eugene (Ore.) Country Club be- western suburbs. senior John Daly will be in the field. ginning Fri., May 20. “This place, this Benton Harbor, Har- HE’S EVERYWHERE: Mike Small • Host of the Illinois State Amateur bor Shores place, is a very special place will tee it up in the inaugural Lincoln Land – 1996, 2002, 2008 & 2014 to me,” said Montgomerie. Charity tournament in Springfield in July. CATS ON THE PROWL: Illinois’ The tournament extended him an invita- • Join the Red Oak Club, our men’s team is on our cover, but North- tion earlier this month. complimentary rewards program! western women’s team is also having For Small, it’ll be a return of sorts to • NEW IN 2016! Young Executive great success this season. The Wildcats his professional roots. Before he became Program for ages 35 and under tied Ohio State for the Big Ten title, and head coach of Illinois’ men’s team, Small have advanced to the NCAA Champion- was a touring pro, and won twice in 1997 ship by romping to victory in the regional on what was originally called the Ben Ho- held at Shoal Creek Country Club In Bir- gan Tour. mingham, Ala. The Lincoln Land is July 14-17 at The final numbers weren’t sensa- Panther Creek Country Club. 630.668.8463 | CantignyGolf.com Page 4 • May 2016 • Illinois Golfer www.illinoisgolfer.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Grill Room by Tim Cronin USGA, Chicago Golf: we’re waiting f there are two organizations in golf that sites until it has a signed and sealed deal. have their ducks in a row all the time, the Except this time. two are the United States Golf Association Seal of The announcement was made in February. and Chicago Golf Club. approval? If It’s May. Still no deal. They date to the 1890s. Charles Blair Mac- the wait for the It’s hard to imagine what the hangup would I USGA-Chicago donald was the founder of Chicago Golf and be. Golf deal goes any largely the reason the USGA was founded, with Club president Brad Kinsey gave a lengthy longer, the club Chicago Golf one of the Founding Five. interview to GolfersOnGolf.com a few weeks motto may become ago, and after it was published, asked the inter- Each is steeped in traditions. “Not Too Sure.” One tradition for each is taking steps care- view be taken off that website – at least until the fully, never tipping a hand until necessary. it’s been a busy year. deal was signed. That’s why the wait for the formalization of If it was a public course – and the redesigned He had said nothing inflammatory. It was a deal between the two to host the inaugural U.S. Mount Prospect has some holes that hint at the all white bread, the typical chatter when such an Senior Women’s Open in 2017 is so curious. features – tee times would be sold out a year announcement is made. He’d done the same a The USGA announced the inauguration of ahead. One must think on every shot and every few weeks earlier in the USGA’s release on the the tournament – championship, as they haugh- putt. The Macdonald-Raynor layout is subtle, announcement: “As a founding member of the tily call everything – at their annual meeting. sublime and packs a punch simultaneously, And USGA, Chicago Golf Club is honored to sup- The headliner in that announcement wasn’t so it’s a great deal of fun. port the newest championship. We look forward much the creation of the Senior Women’s, which Chicago Golf hosts a tournament and throws to making this, our 12th USGA championship, had been speculated upon for some time, but the open its gate to the general public once a genera- an exceptional event for players and spectators location: Chicago Golf Club. tion, it seems. The 2005 Walker Cup was held alike.” The club of about 120 members, tucked there, so only a dozen years between showcases Fine. Now there’s radio silence. Crickets. away on a two-lane road in Wheaton, wasn’t almost seems like they’re rushing things. (Before Given the yawns that normally greet the se- known to be under consideration. In reality, se- that, you have to go back to the 1992 Western nior men – a series of tournaments largely put on cret talks had been going on for over a year.