Reporting from Kildeer, Illinois
Thursday, May 10, 2018
First Garrett Chaussard had to get to the championship match. Last year, he dropped a semifinal decision to Danny Mulhearn.
Thursday at Kemper Lakes Golf Club was different for Chaussard. In the morning, he needed 20 holes to beat Kyle Bauer, advancing him to the 67th Illinois PGA Match Play Championship title match.
Then he had to beat Chris Green, a frequent golf companion. They had practiced together for Monday’s U.S. Open local qualifier. Their jobs – Chaussard at Skokie Country Club, Green at Glen View Club – are only a few miles apart, so they play occasionally.
But when the time came, Chaussard put the hammer down. His 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th gave him a 2-up lead on Green, and he parlayed that into a 3 and 2 victory for the title, his first in a state major.
“It feels good,” Chaussard said. “It’s kind of an unexpected one. I don’t think you ever go in thinking you’ll win a match play event because there’s so much luck involved. I happened to be on the right side of a few very close matches and it was enough to win.”
Green said his play in the title match was his worst of the week. He had scored a 2 and 1 victory over Brian Carroll of Royal Hawk in the semifinal.
“Four or five or six over isn’t going to get it done in the final,” Green said. “And Garrett’s a steady competitor. He’s not going to give it back. I’m happy to get to today.”
Green had chipped in for birdie on the second hole, but Chaussard birdied on top of him to keep the match square. Green won the fourth hole with a par, lost the fifth, won the sixth to lead again, but lost the eighth and ninth with a bogey and double-bogey, handing Chaussard a 1-up lead. He never surrendered it.
Chaussard earned $5,000, while Green received $2,750 as balm.
– Tim Cronin
A full report on the 67th Illinois PGA Championship is slated for the June issue of Illinois Golfer.
Golf course architect Greg Martin and clubhouse architect Dan Wohlfeil won a six-way competition on Thursday night for a comprehensive renovation of Sportsman’s Country Club in Northbrook.
Martin’s winning proposal comes on the heels of his award-winning renovation of the Preserve at Oak Meadows in Wood Dale, which opened last year and has won raves from customers aside from plaques from those who judge such things with a technical eye. Wohlfeil designed Mistwood’s clubhouse, among other unique properties.
Details on the five candidates Martin was up against can be found in May’s digital issue of Illinois Golfer.
– Tim Cronin