Nikitas realizes lifelong dream in winning Illinois Open

Writing from Flossmoor, Illinois

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

When he was 8 years old, when he was just starting in competitive golf, Charlie Nikitas might have celebrated a victory by coaxing his mom and dad for an outing at Chuck E. Cheese.

Wednesday was different. Nikitas, a 25-year-old from Glenview trying to make his way in professional golf, captured the 75th Illinois Open at Flossmoor Golf Club for his first victory as a pro.

The crystal trophy he was awarded at nightfall for beating Luke Guthrie and Matthis Besard by a stroke after a three-day grind might hold more than a dozen beers. Chances are, before last call Nikitas and his family will have found out exactly how many.

“This is the coolest thing ever,” Nikitas said. “I’ve wanted to win this tournament since I started playing. There’s a lot of pretty cool names on this trophy, a lot of my friends. It just means the world to me. I can’t even explain it.”

Nikitas earned the sudsy celebration, to say nothing of the $20,612 first prize check. Trailing Tommy Kuhl of downstate Morton by three strokes after three holes, Nikitas commenced a run of four birdies in six holes to finish the front nine in 4-under 32, catching Kuhl with a 20-footer on No. 8, and grabbing the lead with a 7-footer for birdie on the par-5 ninth.

Nikitas scored 1-under 71 to finish at 7-under 209, besting Guthrie and Besard, who closed with 4-under 68s to finish at 6-under 210. Kuhl remained in contention until the treacherous par-4 16th, where he was on the back of the green in regulation but putted off the green en route to a double-bogey. A second 6 followed on the 17th, which made his birdie at the last academic. Kuhl ended up with a 2-over 74 for 4-under 212 and solo sixth.

“Brutal,” Kuhl said of his back nine. “Obviously, 16, I want that back. I just ran out of gas, to be honest. It’s no excuse. It was a tough set-up. It kicked my butt down the stretch, but I’ve got to learn from it.”

Kuhl and Drew Shepherd had opened with eagles on the first hole, running down 45- and 65-foot putts respectively. Nikitas, the final member of the threesome, scrambled for a birdie out of a greenside bunker, and knew he was in for a battle.

“I made a birdie and I lost the tee,” Nikitas said. “I knew it was going to be a battle. I was excited for that final pairing. Tommy and I, we’ve been traveling around Canada together. I respect Tommy’s game.”

His birdie on No. 4, a 15-foot putt following an 8-yard wedge, started the charge. A 10-foot bird on No. 6, then the birds on the eighth and ninth, followed by a back nine which was as much a survival test than anything else.

“I wasn’t looking at the board,” Nikitas said. “I wanted to keep my foot on the gas, but it got hard out there.”

Kuhl and Shepherd, who four-putted the second hole and faded from there, had caddies. Nikitas was by himself in a cart. Yet he kept his focus when those about him were losing theirs.

“My family,” Nikitas explained. “There were a lot of fist bumps and a lot of support. I wasn’t alone.”

Nikitas had finished tied for ninth in 2021 and 2023, and tied for 23rd in 2022. Now he’s checked the Illinois Open off his bucket list.

“I started to think about it when I made that (25-foot) birdie on 15, and when Tommy missed (a four-footer for birdie) I figured I had a decent cushion,” Nikitas said. “I knew those last three holes are not easy. Until the last putt on 18 (for bogey after laying up on the par-5), I tried not to think about it.”

Around Flossmoor

The third round scoring average was 74.17, with six holes playing under par. … Alex Creamean of Winnetka was the low amateur, tying for 12th at 1-under 215 with a closing 1-over 73. He’ll be headed back to Penn State in two weeks, but first will play the U.S. Amateur for the first time. … Besard goes back to the DP World Tour in a week, in quest of some big finishes that will jump-start his path to the PGA Tour.

– Tim Cronin