Svoboda takes Illinois PGA in playoff

Writing from Elgin, Illinois

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Andy Svoboda was leaking oil.

Leader of the 105th Illinois PGA Championship by three strokes after the first round, leader by five on the front nine, leader by four at the turn, the teaching pro at Elevation Golf heard the footsteps and saw the exploits of Mistwood’s Andy Mickelson on the back nine of hilly Elgin Country Club, where sherpas go to caddie.

Mickelson birdied the 10th and 12th holes, then chipped in for eagle from 60 feet on the par-5 14th to cut Svoboda’s lead to a stroke.

Two holes later, Svoboda overshot the 128-yard par-3 16th and was fortunate to salvage a bogey. Mickelson got up and down for par, and they remained so through the final putt to force a three-hole playoff, tying at 7-under 209.

“I’m lucky it wasn’t a one-hole playoff,” said Svoboda after outlasting Mickelson 12-13 in the cross-country excursion to capture $11,500. “I just kind of hung in there and got lucky in the playoff.”

He bogeyed the first hole, the par-3 ninth, but led by a stroke after two holes when Mickelson bogeyed the nefarious par-5 10th while Svoboda birdied. When Mickelson missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th, the last of the three holes, and Svoboda three-putted, it was handshake time.

Mickelson, who trailed by three starting the final round, said his mindset changed as the back nine played out.

“The birdie on 12 (to go 5-under) changed my mindset,” Mickelson said. “In my head, now I’ve made the club pro. That’s always the worry when you’re playing in this thing. I had a lipout on 13, but the golf gods paid me back on 14. I made a perfect chip there, a couple skids and it went in.

“It was fun.”

For Svoboda, who won three Met Opens while in New York, it was a payoff a couple years in the waiting. He tied for 21st (with Mickelson) last year at Beverly Country Club, tied for third (again with Mickelson) two years ago at Elgin.

“I knew it was going to be pressure-packed just to have a good day with the lead,” Svoboda. “I was making a lot of pars, not really doing anything. It wasn’t pretty, but I made a bunch of good two-putts at the end.

“I like trophies. I’ve been close. This year, I’ve been lucky. This is the pinnacle of the year, to win this – and get into the national club pro.”

Host pro Jonathan Duppler was one of eight players to advance to next year’s national club pro championship, from which the top 20 advance to the PGA Championship. He came up six strokes sort in bidding to be the first host pro to win the section championship since Shelby Futch of Twin Orchard in 1975. Along with Svoboda and Mickelson, Mike Small, Brian Carroll, Kevin Flack, Jim Billiter and Jeff Kellen advanced.

Of the 111 finishers, Inverness's Rick Sargent brought up the rear, adding a 91 to his opening 89 for 36-over 180.

– Tim Cronin