Ohr hoping to strike gold at Kemper Lakes

Writing from Kildeer, Illinois

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

A sorta-kinda PGA Tour hopeful, a full-blown Tour hopeful and a crafty club professional.

That’s your top three players for the final round of the 76th Illinois Open at Kemper Lakes Golf Club.

The protagonists, in order on the leader board:

Brian Ohr, 26, of Northbrook, who is teaching as much as he’s playing these days after a run at the Tour. He’s at 4-under 140 after adding a 3-under 69 Tuesday to his opening 71, the only player to score two under-par rounds at Kemper Lakes, a.k.a. the big course of horrors.

Timmy Crawford, 24, of Arlington Heights, chasing the dream of a Tour card sooner rather than later and sitting at even-par 144 after Tuesday’s 69.

Travis Johns, 47, lead teaching professional at Medinah Country Club, the big West Side club whose remodeled No. 3 course can be as tough or tougher than Kemper Lakes, depending on tee and cup positions and the disposition of those setting it up. Johns, the overnight leader, is also even par after adding a 4-under 76 to his opening 4-under 68.

Crawford and Johns, while four strokes in arrears, are the closest competitors to Ohr, who this days splits his time between teaching at Louis Sauer’s Next Level Golf in Northbook, and playing on the developmental APGA Tour.

Illinois coach Mike Small and Andy Svoboda of Oak Brook, head pro at Butler National, are tied for fourth at 1-over 145. The trio tied for sixth at 2-over 146 consists of Dylan Meyer, Michael Feagles and Bobby Beaubien.

“I just played steady, conservative golf,” Ohr said of Tuesday’s circuit. “I can’t try to beat the golf course. Just go with the flow and take the opportunities as they come. I’m grateful to be in this position.

“I’ve played out here a lot. One of my close friends is Jim Billiter, who was the head pro here. I think I’m comfortable at this golf course.”

But, Ohr said, Kemper Lakes in tournament condition is a different animal.

“It’s a lot easier usually, and still very difficult,” Ohr said.

“Brian is a class act and a really good player,” said Johns, in his threesome Monday and Tuesday. “Hits a nice little fade. I really like his game.”

Johns is chasing not only an Illinois Open win, but a career state grand slam. He’s won each of the other three tournaments open to professionals, the Illinois PGA, the Illinois Match Play, and the Illinois Players. And he’s thought of it.

“The funny thing is I leave the hardest one, with all the Tour players that come back – I guess if I win it against the Tour players, then I’ve earned it,” said Johns, who won a Match Play crown at Kemper Lakes.

Johns would also be the first Illinois Section club professional to win since Todd Tremaglio beat then-amateur D.A. Points in a playoff in 1998. Mike Small is a section member, but a coach and thus in a different classification than Johns and Tremaglio.

“I didn’t know what to expect not playing very much coming into it,” Johns said.

Johns suffered a quartet of three-putts on his outward nine, Kemper’s back nine, including a double-bogey 6 at the treacherous 18th prompted by a bad swing. He rallied and played the front nine in 2-under, including a trio of birdies, play more in keeping with his opening round.

“It was weird,” Johns said. “I hadn’t played that much golf. Normally you can get slowed down in you mind, but here I had 16-17-18 to play.”

But he survived and is as much in contention as anyone.

Crawford was 1-under for the day through 11 holes and missed the fairway on the right with his tee shot on the par-4 12th, but holed out for an eagle with an 8-iron and coasted home from there.

“A lot of ups and downs,” Crawford said of his pro experience so far. “It’s difficult. You have to play well.”

Crawford finished fifth in a Korn Ferry tournament last year after Monday qualifying, earning about $32,000, but hasn’t had a similar success since. Winning Wednesday would at least pay for each stage of Tour qualifying this fall and leave some money left over.

“I gained a lot of experience seeing where my game was,” Crawford. “I didn’t play great the rest of the year but I learned a lot.”

Around Kemper Lakes

The cut fell at 11-over-par 155 and included 52 players. The 13 amateurs advancing include Illinois Amateur champion Jordan Less. … Set up at 7,100 yards, Kemper Lakes was marginally easier in the second round, averaging 78.63 strokes. … Credit for perseverance goes to Joey Gavac of Chicago, who rebounded from his opening 102 with a second-round 93, a score that would have been much better but for his septuple-bogey 12 on the par-5 11th and the quintuple-bogey 10 on the par-5 15th.

– Tim Cronin