Mickelson trumps 100th Illinois PGA field

By Tim Cronin

Reporting from Ivanhoe, Illinois

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Seven years ago, Andy Mickelson was a PGA professional without a golf course.

He was working a desk job in a packaging facility. Then Mistwood called, and his life changed.

Wednesday, he celebrated again, winning the 100th Illinois PGA Championship by four strokes via his third straight 1-under-par 71. His total of 3-under 213 on the difficult Ivanhoe Club layout earned him his first Illinois major, a year after he tied for second and two after he was joint fifth.

“It’s five years since I did something special,” Mickelson said, recalling a victory at Pebble Beach in a TaylorMade-sponsored tournament. “I truly did take it one shot at a time today.”

Mickelson kept his game together, hitting most of Ivanhoe’s narrow fairways and, by his counting, 17 greens. That led to 15 pars, two birdies and a solitary bogey as the only player to finish under par. In comparison, the others in his group, Garrett Chaussard and Tim Streng, scored 76 and 81, respectively.

“Garrett has a bad start and Tim has a bad start, and I almost make it (with an approach on No. 3), and I think, ‘Why not me?’ ” Mickelson said.

Why not indeed. He trailed Chaussard by a stroke entering the day, and was four ahead of was him and Kurt Rogers of Champaign Country Club at the turn.

“I’ve been in the last group the last three years,” Mickelson said. “The rut I got into was playing match play against the guys in my group. I didn’t do that today.”

He didn’t check a leader board until the back nine and loved what he saw. He finished with eight straight pars, agonizing over missed birdie chances on several occasions.

“I could have shot a special number,” Mickelson said. “I put a lot into every shot. That’s why I’m exhausted right now.”

Rogers, 60, was encouraged to make the long trip from his home in Forsyth, a Decatur suburb, by Illinois Section tournament director Brad Slocum, who thought his arrow-straight driving game would buoy his chances on the narrow course. That proved correct.

“I probably hit driver 10 (of 14) times,” Rogers said. “I tried to stay patient. You can’t go firing at every flag.”

He made 11 birdies in three days, including three in the final round, with two in the last four holes.

Mickelson earned $9,800 from the purse of $81,650 for the victory, with Rogers and Chaussard, who tied for second at 1-over 217, collecting $5,690.50 each. Chris French of Aldeen in Rockford was solo fourth at 2-over 218, and earned $4,333.

All of the above made the PGA club pro championship – formally the National Professional Championship. It’ll be Mickelson’s third appearance.

“I thought I was prepared for it last time and wasn’t,” Mickelson said. “I couldn’t have been more uncomfortable. I learned so much. Now I know better where I rank among pros around the country.”

Higher than before, to be sure, and with limitless possibilities.

Around Ivanhoe

Chris Green of Glen View Club had a tough day, scoring 6-over 78 and snapping a club while throwing two along the way. An earlier version of this story had him scoring 77 and snapping two clubs, but only one snapped when thrown across Ivanhoe’s verdant turf. … The 10 club pro qualifiers: Mickelson, Rogers, Chaussard, French, Frank Hohenadel, Matt Slowinski, Brian Carroll, David Pagelow, Streng and Reece Bartlet, the latter beating Curtis Malm, Andrew Godfrey and Jim Billiter for the last contested spot. Mike Small, the Illinois men’s coach, is also in as a past champion. Small played the last three holes of the second round in 7-over, and triple-bogeyed the first hole Wednesday. He scored 5-over 221 and finished seventh. If he played those four holes in even par, he beats Mickelson by two.

Mickelson trumps 100th Illinois PGA field

By Tim Cronin

Reporting from Ivanhoe, Illinois

Wednesday, August 25, 2001

Seven years ago, Andy Mickelson was a PGA professional without a golf course.

He was working a desk job in a packaging facility. Then Mistwood called, and his life changed.

Wednesday, he celebrated again, winning the 100th Illinois PGA Championship by four strokes via his third straight 1-under-par 71. His total of 3-under 213 on the difficult Ivanhoe Club layout earned him his first Illinois major, a year after he tied for second and two after he was joint fifth.

“It’s five years since I did something special,” Mickelson said, recalling a victory at Pebble Beach in a TaylorMade-sponsored tournament. “I truly did take it one shot at a time today.”

Mickelson kept his game together, hitting most of Ivanhoe’s narrow fairways and, by his counting, 17 greens. That led to 15 pars, two birdies and a solitary bogey as the only player to finish under par. In comparison, the others in his group, Garrett Chaussard and Tim Streng, scored 76 and 81, respectively.

“Garrett has a bad start and Tim has a bad start, and I almost make it (with an approach on No. 3), and I think, ‘Why not me?’ ” Mickelson said.

Why not indeed. He trailed Chaussard by a stroke entering the day, and was four ahead of was him and Kurt Rogers of Champaign Country Club at the turn.

“I’ve been in the last group the last three years,” Mickelson said. “The rut I got into was playing match play against the guys in my group. I didn’t do that today.”

He didn’t check a leader board until the back nine and loved what he saw. He finished with eight straight pars, agonizing over missed birdie chances on several occasions.

“I could have shot a special number,” Mickelson said. “I put a lot into every shot. That’s why I’m exhausted right now.”

Rogers, 60, was encouraged to make the long trip from his home in Forsyth, a Decatur suburb, by Illinois Section tournament director Brad Slocum, who thought his arrow-straight driving game would buoy his chances on the narrow course. That proved correct.

“I probably hit driver 10 (of 14) times,” Rogers said. “I tried to stay patient. You can’t go firing at every flag.”

He made 11 birdies in three days, including three in the final round, with two in the last four holes.

Mickelson earned $9,800 from the $81,650 purse for the victory, with Rogers and Chaussard, who tied for second at 1-over 217, collecting $5,690.50 each. Chris French of Aldeen in Rockford was solo fourth at 2-over 218, and earned $4,333.

All of the above made the PGA club pro championship – formally the National Professional Championship. It’ll be Mickelson’s third appearance.

“I thought I was prepared for it last time and wasn’t,” Mickelson said. “I couldn’t have been more uncomfortable. I learned so much. Now I know better where I rank among pros around the country.”

Higher than before, to be sure, and with limitless possibilities.

Around Ivanhoe

Chris Green of Glen View Club had a tough day, scoring 5-under 77 and snapping a pair of clubs along the way. … The 10 club pro qualifiers: Mickelson, Rogers, Chaussard, French, Frank Hohenadel, Matt Slowinski, Brian Carroll, David Pagelow, Streng and Reece Bartlet, the latter beating Curtis Malm, Andrew Godfrey and Jim Billiter for the last contested spot. Mike Small, the Illinois men’s coach, is also in as a past champion. Small played the last three holes of the second round in 7-over, and triple-bogeyed the first hole Wednesday. He scored 5-over 221 and finished seventh. If he played those four holes in even par, he beats Mickelson by two.

Chaussard leads soaked Illinois PGA

By Tim Cronin

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

When the rain came for good, Garrett Chaussard, the teaching pro at Skokie Country Club, was in a good place – in the clubhouse at the Ivanhoe Club and atop the leader board.

Chaussard’s 2-under-par 70 for 3-under 141 earned him a one-stroke lead entering the final round of the 100th PGA Championship – presuming those who finish on Wednesday morning, in advance of Round 3, don’t change the standings.

Chaussard leads Tim Streng of Wildcat Golf Academy and Andy Mickelson of Mistwood Got Club by a stroke, while Mistwood’s Frank Hohenadel, the overnight leader, is two strokes back with three holes remaining. He was caught out by the big squall line that rolled through the north suburban course before nightfall just after hitting his tee shot on the 16th hole.

Chaussard, a two-time Illinois PGA Match Play winner, was just happy to be finished.

“It’s very tough out there,” Chaussard said. “I’m glad I got it done. The break was actually good. It slowed me down. I happened to birdie No. 16 coming in and scrape together a couple of pars.”

The break, while long, helped Chaussard. First, he was out of the heat, a 96-degree scorcher with a heat index of 103.

““It was very refreshing, especially because I was one of three people to wear pants today,” Chaussard said. “Plus those last three holes are pretty hard, so it was good to get them without wind.”

The quartet Chaussard heads features the only players under par. Matt Slowinski of Hinsdale Golf Club is even through 36 holes after a 2-under 70, while Champaign’s Kurt Rogers is at 2-over 146 after consecutive 73s, and Eric Ilic of Merit Club is 2-over with six holes remaining.

The first break for severe weather lasted from 4:25 to 6:25 p.m. When it ended, players were told to go straight to their spot on the course without a warmup, unusual considering the length of the delay, though not unprecedented. They played 31 more minutes before the hooter sounded again.

The quick restart in the heat after the long wait in air conditioning might have cost 13-time winner Mike Small. The Illinois men’s coach was 3-under, having gone birdie-eagle on the two holes immediately before the stop, including an eagle on the par-5 15th. But he came out and promptly double-bogeyed the 16th, bogeyed the par-3 17th and made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the watery final hole, a 7-over train wreck that added up to 77 and a tie for ninth at 4-over 148 at nightfall.

Small did everything not to be a human Mount Vesuvius after the round.

Conversely, Mickelson took the quick restart in stride, even though his game changed.

“It was the right move to get back on the golf course,” Mickelson said. “I really had a lot of momentum going, but once the weather came through, I wasn’t making great swings. I band-aided it at the last four holes we played after I played so good in the middle of the round and I made nothing.”

Four straight approaches to within six to 15 feet earned nothing but two-putt pars.

“I had a stretch where it could have been a pretty darn good round if I made a few putts,” Mickelson said. “I had more control of my golf ball today, and that’s the stupid thing about golf. I played a lot better today and shot the same score.”

Welcome to golf.

Around Ivanhoe

The field averaged 79.80 strokes before play was halted, nearly identical to the opening round’s 79.81 average. … Twenty-nine players will finish Round 2 on Wednesday morning before Round 3 commences, with the cut trimming the field to the top 60 and ties from the original 116.

Hodenadel chases second Illinois PGA title

By Tim Cronin

Reporting from Ivanhoe, Illinois

Monday, August 23, 2021

Frank Hodenadel, when asked what winning a second Illinois PGA title would mean, notes, “That was two jobs ago.”

Hodenadel, currently at Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville, was an assistant at Midlothian when he beat the field by four strokes at Medinah No. 1 a decade ago. Monday’s first round of the 100th Illinois PGA Championship, a 3-under-par 69 on Ivanhoe Club’s championship course, saw him earn a one-stroke advantage on his 115 peers. All because, he thinks, of a swing adjustment urged on him by fellow Mistwood pro Andy Mickelson, who sits tied for third at 1-under 71.

“I’ve been fighting a hook my whole life,” Hohenadel said. “Andy is always telling me I’m shut coming back.”

That means the clubface will promote a hook coming through the ball. Hodenadel’s slight adjustment opened the face of the club and voila! No more hook.

Instead, after a quiet first 13 holes, he birdied three of the last five to sit ahead of Tim Streng, whose 2-under 70 was the best afternoon score, and a gaggle at 1-under 71 including both Mickelson and 13-time winner Mike Small, the coach of Illinois’ men’s team. Garrett Chaussard and Eric Ilic are also at 71. Steve Gillie and Travis Hall are at even par 72.

Small, unsurprisingly, is the defending champion. Hodenadel won when the iPhone was new.

“I was a kid,” Hohenadel said. “It was my first year of eligibility (as a Class A pro). Now the event means a lot more to me.”

Hohenadel, finishing on the front nine, birdied the fifth, eighth and ninth holes to race to 3-under and the lead.

Streng played quietly, saving pars along the way, scoring a brace of birdies, including one at the par-5 ninth, his last hole of the day, achieved this way: 5-iron, 7-iron, wedge, 8-foot putt.

“Just tried to keep it in play,” Streng said. “I hit two drivers all day, a lot of 4-irons. Maybe my driving iron once. The fairways narrow where you’d hit driver.”

Small credited salvaging a par on the fifth hole from an unplayable lie in weeds as a key to his 71. He wasn’t happy that the setup effectively took driver out of his hand. He also hit driver twice. But he said in comparison to Sunday’s practice round, “it probably exceeded my expectations.”

Small, in winning 13 times, has come from behind and led the parade. In 10 of his victories, there’s at least one round of 67 or better, no matter where it’s been played. If he does that on Tuesday, the field could well be chasing him in Wednesday’s final round.

Mickelson, 40, picked a 20-foot birdie on the par-4 16th as his highlight, noting he was wary all day.

“It’s not an easy golf course to be comfortable on,” Mickelson said. “There are some angles on tee shots, and there’s always some water or out-of-bounds present.”

Mickelson is eager to capture his first Illinois major. He and Hohenadel tied for second last year, four strokes in arrears. 

Around Ivanhoe

Brian Dalton and Greg Bauman had the secret of the 17th hole on Monday. Each aced the 187-yard test, Dalton with a 7-iron in the first group of the day, and Bauman with a 6-iron shortly thereafter. … Brian Kribs and Marcus Yado each scored exactly 100. …  The field averaged about 79.5 strokes on the par 72, 6,862 yard course.

Kelly brings it home

Writing from Aurora, Illinois

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

From the start on Wednesday, it was clear Tim “Tee-K” Kelly was playing with a purpose. This final round of the 72nd Illinois Open was anything but a casual round of golf for him. This was business.

He and brother-caddie Will talked about the line on every tee, every approach, every putt. Kelly’s game was sharp, undistracted by the many family members and friends from Medinah Country Club watching him. Draining a downhill 15-foot curler for birdie after hitting his approach into a shortside greenside bunker on the par-5 first hole was the first clue.

Put it this way. To beat him, Luke Gannon of Mahomet, who started the day in second, would have to score five strokes under whatever Kelly shot.

When Kelly went out in 4-under-par 32, Gannon understood that wasn’t going to happen. (Back in the pack, Daniel Hudson was matching the Stonebridge Country Club course record with a 10-under 62, about which more later.)

Even when Kelly pulled his tee shot on the par-5 14th out of bounds, and stumbled to a three-putt double-bogey 7, it wasn’t going to happen.

“I knew an eagle would be huge there, and made a bad par,” Gannon said, hoping for a four-shot swing.

Kelly, from Wheaton, birdied the next two holes anyway, sinking putts of 10 and 15 feet to erase the double and Gannon’s last hope for an upset.

Only scoring records were in question by then. Kelly cruised to a 4-under 68 and total of 17-under 199 to annex Illinois Open and add it to his two Illinois Amateur titles from the previous decade. In so doing, he collected a record $25,080 from the professional purse of $105,010, and became the 10th player to score the Open-Am career double.

“Winning golf tournaments is never easy, but it sure is a lot of fun when you pull it off,” said Kelly, who had three top-nine finishes in his previous four starts, including a tie for third last year. “I’ve never had too close of a call, but I feel I’ve put myself in contention a fair bit.”

His wire-to-wire lead this year made sure that only Gannon, and barely, had something of a close call this year. Kelly hit 12 of 14 fairways, as did Gannon, and 13 greens in regulation, and took 31 putts. Gannon, who birdied the first two holes, hit one more green and had 28 putts, but his second straight 67 for 14-under 202 didn’t get him the trophy. But the consolation prize of $14,765 will heal any mental wounds.

“I kinda figured I had to play pretty close to perfect,” Gannon said.

That category was already taken by Kelly.

Hudson fires a 62

Daniel Hudson is a 26-year-old Chicagoan who, like many others in the Illinois Open field, wants to make it to the PGA Tour sooner rather than later. The Lyons Township and Kansas grad displayed tourish skills Wednesday, equaling the Stonebridge course record with a 10-under 62.

He equaled Joe Jimenez’s score from the third round of the 1995 Ameritech Senior Open – when Jimenez was merely 69 – and the numbers Rosie Jones and Annika Sorenstam posted in the first round of the 2003 Kellogg-Keebler Classic.

Hudson did so from a greater distance – 6,932 yards – than any of the others. It vaulted him from mid-pack to solo third with a total of 10-under 206 and earned him $9,029.

“I had no idea about the course record, so that’s a bonus,” Hudson said. “I think the toughest thing is when you get to a certain point (under par), you want to keep going, but you don’t want to make decisions that would alter the progress of the round. So mentally that’s the toughest thing, when you get to 6-, 7-, or 8-under and you’ve got some holes left. But it was a great day.

“I set a goal at the start of the day to shoot the lowest round of the tournament, so I think I’ve got that.”

Hudson bogeyed the fourth and 11th holes, but eagled the par-5 ninth with a 230-yard hybrid and 30-foot putt, and birdied 10 others, including six of the last seven.

“I was able to get over the mental battle of commitment and conviction, just doing it, which was really good,” Hudson said. “I’ve struggled with that pretty much all summer."

If a 62 doesn’t brighten the attitude, nothing will.

Around Stonebridge

Mac McClear of Hinsdale and Iowa’s golf team was low amateur, finishing with a 2-under 70 for 7-under 209. … Kelly’s 17-under score to par across three days of near-windless conditions matched the mark set by Carlos Sainz at Royal Fox and Royal Hawk in 2016. His 199 aggregate matches second-best in Illinois Open history, tying David Cooke in 2015 and behind only Sainz’s 197 in 2016. … Kelly pulled the trigger on the $5,250 entry fee for Korn Ferry Tour qualifying last weekend, saying the money he won for tying for third on the Forme Tour stop at Purdue effectively covered it. … The field averaged 71.91 strokes, even with many cups tucked in locations than Stonebridge members have never aimed it. … Brandon Holtz eagled the par-4 second hole, a 346-yard test. He shot 4-under 68 and tied for 18th at 1-under 215. … Illinois Amateur champion Ethan Farnam posted two eagles in the final round and scored 5-under 67 to total 4-under 212 and tie for ninth. … 

– Tim Cronin