Weather takes the lead in Illinois Open

Writing from Flossmoor, Illinois

Monday, August 5, 2024

The 75th Illinois Open started and ended with fireworks displays the sanctioning Illinois PGA didn’t pay for. It was Mother Nature, waking the neighborhood around Flossmoor Golf Club with a thunderstorm that pushed back tee times for the first round three hours, then ended play before it was to resume after a second delay.

The only possible beneficiaries were the quartet of players toiling on the Canadian Tour who finished up in Windsor, Ont., on Sunday and made their way across Michigan on Interstate 94 overnight. As it turned out, they all were in or close to the lead on a steamy 92-degree dat when the hooter blew a second time for a second wave of lightning at 4:33 p.m., shifting the schedule for the rest of the state championship well off the original plan. Players were going back to their positions when more flickers and rumbles ended play for the day at 7:10 p.m.

David Perkins of East Peoria and Drew Shepherd of Hinsdale, two of the international travelers, share the lead at 5-under through 15 holes. Perkins tied for 11th in Windsor, while Shepherd, who missed the cut, got an early start home from Canada.

Tommy Kuhl of Morton, who tied for 27th in Canada, was solo third at 4-under through 14 holes. And Glenview native Charlie Nikitas, also 27th in Canada, was tied for fourth at 3-under after his round of 69 and co-clubhouse leader with Monticello’s Luke Gannon.

All of the above are living the vagabond life of the Tour hopeful. All have ridiculously good games, which shows how hard it is to make a living playing golf as a professional. Nikitas and Kuhl, for instance, each made $1,568.57 for their toil in Windsor.

“It’s kind of fun,” Nikitas said of the quick turnaround. “I was saying to my parents my only complaint the last few months is a lack of opportunity to play. So it was an easy decision for me to come from Windsor. I was glad I made the cut and played the weekend there. It wasn’t that bad of a drive. I was never going to say no to playing here. It’s one of my favorite tournaments of the year.”

Nikitas, who has two T-9 finishes in the Illinois Open in the last three years, opened with a birdie on the back nine, then added two more on the front for his bogey-free 69.

“I feel I’m prepared,” Nikitas said. “It’s tough to make money up there. I’ve only gotten two starts, but I’ve made both cuts, and I’ve got enough points to hopefully shuffle in and play the last four.

“It’s tough, but I knew going in. It’s been good to have some guidance from my roommates, who are like my older brothers to me.”

Gannon, without Canadian Tour status, is playing when and where he can. He too has game, having finished second, tied for seventh and tied for third in the Illinois Open the last three years. He had a simple plan for waiting out the delay.

“I sat on my phone and watched Olympic highlights,” Gannon said.

Gannon started on the back and birdied the 18th and first holes to get his round going. But he yearns for more birdies.

“This year, I’ve hit it the best I have in all my years playing professionally,” Gannon said. “The last few months, I’ve been making more birdies, but I’ve made doubles that keep me from getting a win. Like at the NV5 (for which he Monday-qualified), making a double-bogey on a 330-yard par-4. That’s tough when the cut’s minus-6.

“Simple stuff I sometimes do really bad.”

In other words, golf, like bad weather, happens.

Around Flossmoor

Flossmoor owner George Goich birdied the first two holes, bogeyed No. 3, then birdied No. 4 before the hooter blew for delay No. 2. … Even with the second delay, the hope is to finish Wednesday afternoon. The inaugural three-hour delay was more for lightning and getting the course back to tournament condition than rain. Only a quarter-inch of rain hit the course, which barely slowed down the treacherous greens. … Defending champion Vince India posted a 1-over 73. Between this year and last, he served a six-month gambling suspension imposed by the PGA Tour, which boasts BetMGM as its official betting operator.

– Tim Cronin