In pandemic, without defending champ, Illinois Open goes on

Reporting from Naperville, Illinois

Sunday, August 2, 2020

The 71st Illinois Open almost didn’t happen this year.

The reason? The coronavirus pandemic that has upended every other part of the world.

“I would say very close,” said Illinois PGA executive director Carrie Williams. “We were looking at precedent around the country, in other states that opened up before Illinois did. We were very concerned, trying to project what phase we would be in. And not only for the golf but the other elements that make the players feel welcome.

“We made the determination we could condense the championship to one site, have it highly-staffed and administer it in a way that would be safe for the field.”

Thus, go on it will beginning Monday morning, thanks to creative planning by the Illinois PGA and host White Eagle Golf Club in Naperville and Aurora, a recently-tweaked Arnold Palmer design.

The recent two-course concept, which allows a larger starting field, has been shelved in favor of a standard 156-player field. Stonebridge Country Club, a few miles away, will likely be brought back another year. Qualifying tournaments were rescheduled to comply with the various phases in which Illinois has moved closer to normal.

The usual large player hospitality area, a hangout with a buffet, has been split into rooms that hold no more than 50 people to adhere to state guidelines, and the buffet is gone. White Eagle members will have their own tent, placed well off the 17th fairway to watch the action, with closed-circuit television of eight holes.

All that will allow something close to a normal three-day tournament, with the winner earning the trophy on Wednesday afternoon.

The field was expected to be headed by defender and two-time champion David Cooke, who is chasing a Tour card and recently has been caddieing in recent weeks for Chesson Hadley. When Hadley missed the cut in Memphis, it was expected Cooke would get back to town and even have time for a practice round, but his name was replaced on the pairing sheet on Sunday evening with amateur Will Stewart.

Local contenders include the dynamic duo from Mistwood, Andy Mickelson, who won a stroke-play tournament at Onwentsia Club last Monday, and Frank Hohenadel, who tied for fifth at Riverside Golf Club two weeks ago.

Other notables include past champions Patrick Flavin (2017), Philip Arouca (2011), and four-time winner and perennial Mike Small (2003, 2005-07).

A strong amateur contingent is headed by Crystal Lake’s Ethan Farnam, last year’s Illinois Amateur champion – and still the champ as that storied competition was canceled by the CDGA this year. Jordan Hahn, the Illinois Am winner two years ago, is also in the field, this time chasing the money and the title.

Missing this year are Brad Hopfinger, Vince India and Nick Hardy, who have grabbed Korn Ferry Tour membership and thus are out of town. That could open the door for a true club professional to win, which hasn’t happened since Todd Tremaglio edged then-amateur D.A. Points in a 1999 playoff. (When current White Eagle director of golf Curtis Malm won in 2000, he was still an amateur.)

When White Eagle agreed to host, club brass and the Illinois PGA agreed to set up the course hard.

“It wasn’t what is the Illinois Open going to do for us, it’s what can we do to make it better,” Malm said. “Rarely do we get a club that really opens their club.”

Thus, superintendent Jeff Cameron had let the rough grow to four inches by Friday, and while the weekend rain might soften the greens a bit, the rough is still growing. Cameron says he’s gotten the green speeds to as high as 13 on the Stimpmeter, which will make putting on the undulating surfaces challenging.

The club will show off the renovation by Todd Quitno of Lohmann-Quitno Design, which involved lowering the number of bunkers at the 27-hole complex from 81 to 56 and placing them where hackers usually won’t find them but fine players might.

“The positioning is ideal for championship golf,” Malm said. “This is the championship event for Illinois, and we need to make it as hard and fair as possible.”

“The membership has embraced this championship,” Williams said, noting a large volunteer corps from the membership. “It’s been really refreshing and positive how the membership has gotten behind this event.”

Last year’s purse was a record $106,500. This year’s will be announced Monday. No one would be surprised if, given the small number of entrants, it was smaller. No one should complain, either.

– Tim Cronin