Johns the man to beat in Illinois PGA

Writing from Medinah, Illinois

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Since he arrived in the Chicago area, Medinah Country Club director of instruction Travis Johns has compiled a more consistent record in Illinois majors than any other player in the state.

The Australian native has 34 top 20 finishes over the last decade. Twenty-five of those are top 10 placings. Seventeen of those are top five finishes. Twelve of those are in the top three. Six times, he’s been the runner-up. Three times, he’s emerged triumphant: the 2010 Illinois Match Play, the 2014 Players Championship and the 2019 Illinois PGA Championship. Only Illinois coach Mike Small, with four Illinois PGA titles in the last decade, has won more state majors in that time.

All of which is news to Johns.

“I didn’t know that,” he said, eyebrows raised, when looking at a chart of his accomplishments. “I don’t know that there’s one thing that accounts for it.”

Johns, 42, is very much rooted in today, not yesterday. Perhaps that’s why he’s so focused.

“Maybe I concentrate a bit in those events,” Johns said Thursday, taking a break between teaching on the busy Medinah range.

This sterling resume is recounted because Johns, believed to be the second left-hander to win, Frank Hohenadel being the likely first, will attempt a defense of his Illinois PGA title beginning Monday, when the 102nd edition of the championship – or 99th, if one dismisses the three Middle States Championships before the section’s name-change – is played on Medinah’s testing No. 1 course.

The field of 129 features seven past champions and includes all 10 of Medinah’s PGA-affiliated staffers. Asked if he’d rather repeat or just beat the rest of his colleagues at the big west side club, Johns smiled and said, “I’m pulling for every single one of them. I hope they do, really, really well. If I was to lose to someone, I hope I lose to one of them.”

Of course Johns wants to beat them. His thirst for competition is what lured him to the U.S. as an amateur in the summer of 1999, when he played on the amateur circuit, including the Western Amateur at Point O’Woods, near Benton Harbor, Mich., where he met the woman he would marry.

That assured a stay in the States, and after about a decade in Dallas, Johns and his bride relocated to the Chicago area. He was simultaneously the instruction guru at Glencoe and Twin Lakes, spending the morning at the former and the afternoon at the latter, before a position at Medinah opened up. Four months after arriving, he was elevated to director of instruction.

“I was here by myself (on the range). It was 12-13 hours every day, crazy,” Johns said. “Now we’ve got four instructors (and a new teaching and practice center) as well.”

Regarding the Illinois PGA, Johns noted the rotation that includes Medinah No. 1 every three years, and Stonewall Orchard the same, as helpful. Olympia Fields’ South Course used to be part of that rota as well.

“After a while, you should, even if you don’t jibe with the courses, get a little used to them,” Johns said. “And the Match Play is always at Kemper (Lakes). There’s some familiarity, I would say. You would argue that against the majors on the Tour. They’ll only come back maybe every eight years. Then look at the Masters. Remember Dan Forsman? He would always play well at the Masters. He hit it high and was top 20 a lot. Familiarity.”

This will be the fifth visit of the Illinois PGA to Medinah No. 1 across 13 years. Small won here in 2008, Frank Hohenadel in 2011, and Jim Billiter in 2015. They’re all in the field. Adam Schumacher, who won in 2017, has moved to Point O’Woods and competes in Michigan PGA tournaments now.

Small was leading last year at Ruth Lake, a record-extending 13th IPGA title in sight, when Johns overhauled him on the back nine. Small was leading until a watery double-bogey on a par-3 and Johns’ steady play turned the tables.

Small, the men’s coach at Illinois, has played more this year than usual since there’s been nobody to coach with the pandemic raging, and leads the Illinois Section point standings. He’s always a threat, as is second-ranked Andy Mickelson of Mistwood, third-ranked Andrew Godfrey of White Pines – just transferred from Mistwood, and Jeff Kellen, an assistant at Butler National who ranks fourth in the points, just ahead of Johns.

Defender or not, Johns doesn’t necessarily fancy his chances.

“I haven’t done any practice,” he said. With a nod out the window to the range, he added, “I’ve been standing out here 12 hours a day, today 13. There were 16 people on the range at 7:20 this morning, and the range doesn’t open until 7:30. It’s just been real busy.”

He was teaching last year as well, and look what happened. Obviously, Johns can switch it on.

“Sometimes, and sometimes not,” he said. “When I feel like I’m putting all right, I know I’ve got a shot.”

Recently, he had a putter modified to feel like his favorite putter of all, one he used a decade and more ago and was unaccountably lost.

“I had this putter,” Johns said wistfully. “I won five of 10 events. The next year, I lost it. It just went missing. Nobody wants a left-handed putter. I left it somewhere.

“This (new) one, it feels pretty good.”

Let that be a warning to the field.

– Tim Cronin

Emory comes through in Illinois Open

Writing from Naperville, Illinois

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Bryce Emory managed to stay in the moment on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Aurora native had wanted to win the Illinois Open for the longest time.

This was his chance, at White Eagle Golf Club, not far from home.

“This is my 10th appearance, approximately,” Emory said. “I turned pro at this in 2013.”

Emory opened the day as the leader by four strokes. He closed the day as the leader by four strokes, and the champion.

There was more drama than the above paragraph may suggest. At one point, the lead evaporated, the result of bogeying both par 5s on the front while Ethan Brue of downstate Ashland played the first five holes in 2-under-par.

The tie at 5-under didn’t last long. Brue was making a dog’s breakfast of the par-4 seventh. Suffice it to say he one-putted for a quadruple-bogey 8 after dunking his third shot in a pond.

Meanwhile, Emory birdied the ninth and 10th holes to climb to 7-under and out of anyone’s reach. The back nine was effectively a parade for the mini-tour veteran, with a $19,928 reward at the end of the trail.

He dropped a 115-yard wedge shot two feet from the cup on No. 9 and sank a 7-foot downhill putt for a birdie on No. 10. Another birdie on the par-4 14th, where his approach into the right green side bunker negated a maddening pin placement, sealed the deal.

Emory hit 13 fairways and 15 greens en route to his 1-under-par 71 for a total of 8-under 208. He could almost coast home after the birdies on the ninth and 10th holes.

“A little bit,” Emory allowed. “I knew I was swinging it well. I know after I two-putted the 16th hole, I was in good shape.”

The four-stroke victory is a rout in golf terms, and matches the margin David Cooke had over Nick Hardy last year at The Glen Club.

“It’s definitely my biggest win so far,” said Emory, with proud father and caddie Bob steps away.

The whole Emory family seemed to be out for what he termed a home game. The gallery of around 400, the largest for a local competition in years, was swelled by White Eagle members and various Emorys.

Jack Korzon didn’t win, but coming in second after lurking for two days was a success for the 24-year-old budding pro. He’s trying the mini tours in his second summer after graduating from Lewis University. The $12,455 he won this week is his biggest check as a pro.

“I’ve been trying hard for a couple of years and I think I made a breakthrough today,” Korzon said.

The centerpiece of his 3-under 69 for 4-under 212 was an eagle on the par-5 17th, which moved him a stroke ahead of Charlie Netzel and Tim “Tee-K” Kelly.

“I’ve been digging deep,” Korzon said. “It’s tough out there, week-in, week-out.’

Netzel and Kelly know that. Kelly his his opening tee shot out of bounds, scrambling for a bogey and settled for par 72. Netzel had three birdies and an eagle – like Korzon, on the 17th – and also was stuck at 72. Golf can be hard.

Emory knows that. He’s bounced between mini tours and differing forms of status on lower-level PGA Tour-affiliated circuits, but still longs for hitting the big time. Wednesday, he had something of a taste of what the stars have. People were there to see him. The last time that happened?

“Probably never,” Emory said. “I’ve played in U.S. Open sectionals with PGA Tour pros, but people were there to see the guys.”

Around White Eagle

Look for another visit of the Illinois Open to White Eagle within a couple of years. The gallery at the awards ceremony, most of the White Eagle members, applauded warmly when director of golf Curtis Malm suggested a repeat engagement. Illinois PGA executive director Carrie Williams said the section wants to return. … The field averaged 73.72 strokes, with both the first and 16th holes averaging a half-stroke over par. The par-5 14th, with a treacherous pin position that saw many approaches and a few putts roll over the green into a collection area, averaged 4.80 strokes. “That pin was awful today,” Emory said. “The bunker might have been the best place to be.”

– Tim Cronin

Emory matches record to take Illinois Open lead

Illinois Open R2 Gamer

Writing from Naperville, Illinois

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

At about 5 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, a golf tournament broke out at White Eagle Golf Club. Until then, the 71st Illinois Open was loping along, a host of contestants unable to challenge Brandon Holtz, the overnight leader who continued to lead.

Then, in short order, the following happened:

• Holtz bogeyed three of his last seven holes to stumble home with a 4-over 76 for 2-under 142 and fall into an eventual tie for fifth with 2018 winner Patrick Flavin.

• Charlie Netzel of Western Springs, with birdies on the last two holes, signed for 2-under 70 and climbed to 3-under 141.

• Tim “Tee-K” Kelly of Wheaton and Ethan Brue of downstate Ashland, both scoring 70, followed Netzel to the 141 neighborhood.

• Bryce Emory of Aurora, banging around the mini tours for close to a decade, played his last 10 holes in 6-under to finish in 6-under 66, matching the course record set by Holtz on Monday to finish at 7-under 137 and grab a four-stroke lead.

All of that thrilled Emory, pleased Kelly and Brue, satisfied Netzel and confounded Holtz. Let’s start with Brandon, who eagled the par-5 sixth hole but bogeyed six others, including the 18th.

“It was rough today,” Holtz said. “I had a lot of control of the golf ball yesterday, putting it where I wanted to, and today was not the case. Looks like I’m still in the mix a little bit.

“You’ve got to play out of the fairway. The rough is ankle-deep and thick.”

Kelly matched Netzel with birdies on the 17th and 18th, two-putting from 15 feet on the par-5 and smoothing a lob wedge closer than 15 at the last.

“Those are the only two putts I had inside 20 feet all day,” Kelly said. “I was scrambling out there, two-putting from 70 and 60 feet. It was the lag-putting Olympics out here today.”

Brue is the mystery man. The Bradley grad plays out of The Rail in Springfield and lives in Ashland, a hamlet of 1,333 souls, but played Tuesday like a big-city pro.

“I had the best ball-striking day I’ve had for weeks,” said Brue, who, along with Netzel, tied for ninth in last week’s Iowa Open. His par save on the par-3 eighth, a 177-yard test, via a flop shot to two inches, was his highlight-reel moment.

Then came Emory, a 29-year-old Northern Illinois grad who plays when and where he can, practices at Aurora Country Club, near his home, and works at Black Sheep in Sugar Grove. He went out in 1-under 35, but raced home in 5-under 31, including an eagle on the par-5 14th and a big par save on the 16th.

The eagle came about via a 200-yard 9-iron that snuggled up to the cup, two feet away.

“That was an added bonus,” Emory said. “This course isn’t yielding many good opportunities, and I was lucky enough to capitalize on them.”

Emory said he’s a good wind player because he hits the ball lower than most people. That was a plus on Tuesday, which began with 15 mph wind that grew to gusts of 28 mph in the middle of his round.

What he hasn’t had was great luck. He’d been on and off the Mackenzie Tour in Canada the last two years, but that circuit was put on hold by the pandemic. They left him to play in state opens and the like this summer, once tournaments began to be played.

“Florida mini-tours, state opens, some events on the Tour Red this summer, which was a great tune-up to this,” Emory said. “Other than that, hanging out.”

At his age, he’s wondering how long he’ll try to break through.

“In all honesty, I kind of thought this could be the last year,” Emory said. “Then throw on the coronavirus stuff and I had time to think about it. You realize there are bigger things than golf. But I’m playing well this summer so I’ll probably play a little big longer.”

In this era of birdie binges on the PGA Tour, Emory’s 7-under score may not impress, but it’s actually stout. The course set up, encouraged by the White Eagle membership, has been difficult. Both Kelly and Flavin considered the pin placements as difficult as what they routinely see on the Korn Ferry Tour, if not more testing.

“The way the pin locations are, you need to be below the hole,” Flavin said. “Otherwise, you’re in jeopardy of putting it off the greens.”

Throw in the wind, four-inch rough and green speeds at 13 on the Stimpmeter, and it’s not for the faint-hearted.

“It’s a championship right now,” Kelly said. “The (pins) are all close to the edge, and they’re not only tough to get to, they’re tough to putt to. The greens here have some pretty big slopes to them. That makes it challenging, but the course is set up awesome. I’ve always played my best golf on really hard setups.”

Such a testing setup should benefit the more experienced tourists among the leaders. Emory, the oldest of the leaders, might benefit most of all, but his last notable victory in Illinois was the 2013 CDGA Amateur. A lot of clubs have been regripped since then.

Around White Eagle

The purse will be $105,000, with first place to be determined.  The cut came at 6-over-par 150, and included 51 players, 31 pros and 20 amateurs. Not inside the select circle: former champions Curtis Malm – White Eagle’s director of golf – Roy Biancalana and Philip Arouca. … Jordan Less of Elmhurst is low amateur with a round to play, tied for seventh overall at 1-under 143 with Garrett Chaussard and Jack Korzon. … The par-72 course averaged 77.34 strokes, with the first hole, a 432-yard par 4 into the wind, averaging 4.87 strokes and yielding only five birdies.

– Tim Cronin

Holtz jumps to front in Illinois Open

Writing from Naperville, Illinois

Monday, August 3, 2020

Brandon Holtz keeps coming back for more in the Illinois Open.

A co-runner-up three years ago and solo runner-up two years ago, Holtz took seventh place last year, and some thought his flame was burning out.

Monday, it sparked anew. Holtz, a salesman for a football helmet refurbisher headquartered in downstate Bloomington, splashed nine birdies across his scorecard en route to a course-record 6-under-par 66 at White Eagle Golf Club.

As he was out in the first group, Holtz effectively set the target score for the rest of the 156-man field in the 71st edition. Nobody reached it, and at nightfall, he enjoyed a three-stroke lead over 2017 winner Patrick Flavin of Deerfield, a Korn Ferry Tour semi-regular, and Brian Bullington of Frankfort.

Leads that large after 18 holes in the Illinois Open have only occurred a handful of times.

Amateurs Ricardo Leme of Lake Villa,  Derek Meinhart of Mattoon and Derek Mason of Plainfield and pro Kyle Slattery of Rockford are tied for fourth at 2-under 70.

“From the start, I kind of hit it good,” Holtz said. “Pretty flawless. Had a few mis-hits off the tee that put me in some bad positions, but overall, I’ll take it. The greens were great, the course is phenomenal. A little softer than what I expected but that’s because you had so much rain.”

Director of golf Curtis Malm, who played with Holtz and scored 1-over 73, was hoping for greens more like car hoods, but nature dictated otherwise. Still, when a breeze came up in the afternoon on a 67-degree day in early August, few people got too far under par. Sixteen players were in red numbers, with another five at even-par 72.

Malm watched Holtz’s exploits firsthand.

“He played unbelievably well,” Malm said. “He hit a lot of good golf shots. He missed a couple putts. It could have been 64 pretty easily. It was fun to watch. Really good guy and with a ton of talent.

“He hit it a mile, hits it fairly straight, and has fairly good wedges. He should do well this week. He hit it in the rough twice, had to chip out, got up and down once and not the other time.”

An eagle and five birdies boosted Bullington’s march to his 69, which would have been better but for two bogeys and a double-bogey. He played in the relatively calmer morning.

The fan came on in the afternoon, bringing thoughts of wind-chill factors to the gallery, and Flavin, fresh off being best man for his brother’s wedding in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday – and a 6-hour drive to White Eagle – collected a quartet of birdies before a bogey on his 17th hole dropped him to 3-under. He stayed there after sinking a five-footer to save par on the last, which made him even more eager to get back out at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“I’m feeling really fresh,” Flavin said. “I did a little yoga and I was ready to go. It was fun to be with family. It’s been awesome.”

Opening with three birdies fresh out of the car indicates Flavin didn’t get too carried away as his brother’s best man.

“I was relatively well-behaved,” he smiled. “There were times I was feeling a little tired, but … one shot at a time.”

He judged his birdie on the 202-yard par-3 fifth hole his best of the day, thanks to a 6-iron that missed the cup by a foot on the fly and went all the way to the back fringe. Sinking that got him to 4-under. More shots like that will get him an oversized check and a trophy on Wednesday.

Around White Eagle

Holtz’s 6-under 66 established the course record for the current configuration of the course. It’s about 100 yards shorter since the remodeling by Todd Quitno because of a major realignment of the 10th hole. The record for the original layout, a 5-under 67 which will stand forevermore, was set by then-amateur Tiger Woods in 1994, a few days before his first appearance in the Western Open. … The cut to the low 50 players and ties comes after Tuesday’s round. … Four-time winner Mike Small got off to a rocky start with a 3-over 75, and is tied for 50th, right on the cut line. … Amateur Bill Gneiser, Stan Mikita’s grandson, was high man with a 19-over 91. … Craig Onsrud of Normal was 12-over after 13 holes, and that was enough for him. .. the field averaged 77.25 strokes.

– Tim Cronin

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