GLENVIEW, Ill. – December 16, 2021 – Kevin Flack (The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club) has won the 2021 Don Drasler Illinois PGA Assistant Player of the Year Award. This marks the first career Assistant Player of the Year honor.
“I’m proud to win the Illinois Assistant Player of the Year Award because we have some great players in our Section and it’s hard to beat them,” said Flack. “I’m lucky to work for Ed Slattery, Head Golf Professional at The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club, who has helped me and encouraged me to compete and to get better. I couldn’t have won this award without him. Four out of the last five Assistant Player of the Year winners have been from Rockford and I’m proud to keep that tradition going. Thanks to the Illinois PGA staff for all that they did to make every event this year a great one. We appreciate all that they do for us.”
Don Drasler Assistant Player of the Year points are earned against other eligible players competing in the Assistant Division at Illinois PGA Stroke Play events, the Illinois PGA Assistant Championship, the Assistant Match Play and the Illinois Open Championship. Players earn points based on their finish against the entire field. Points are also weighted based on the strength and size of the field.
“We have a very competitive group of Assistants and Associates in the Illinois Section,” said Carrie Williams, Executive Director of the Illinois PGA Section. “Kevin showcased some fantastic golf throughout the season and played well at the Assistants events, winning two majors. We congratulate him on his outstanding season and on winning both of these awards.”
Flack played in nine Illinois PGA events in 2021. He competed in the Main Division and Assistants Division in seven events, and also appeared in the Illinois PGA’s only two Assistant specific events. He finished in the top 10 in the Assistant Divisions at seven events in 2021 and also finished in the top 10 in the Main Division three times.
The 2021 season was highlighted by four victories for Flack. He won the National Car Rental Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship at Crystal Tree Golf and Country Club. Flack’s victory marked his second win at this event in three years (2019) and also qualified him for the 45th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship where he finished T42 and was the only Illinois PGA Professional to make the 36-hole cut.
Flack also won the season-long Illinois PGA Match Play Championship. Competitors of the Assistant Match Championship were responsible for scheduling the date and time of their matches for each round within the time frame set by the committee. Flack defeated Ryan Peavey (Knollwood Club), Jeff Kellen (Butler National Golf Club), Kyle Donovan (Oak Park Country Club) and Michael Schachner (DePaul University) to advance to the Championship Match where he defeated Chris French (Aldeen Golf Club).
Flack finished atop the leaderboard in the Assistants Division at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at ThunderHawk Golf Club and the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Metamora Fields. He also won the Main Divisions at these events.
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The Illinois PGA Assistant Player of the Year Award is named after Don Drasler. Drasler was a PGA Professional from 1965-2007 and served as the Assistant Professional at Old Elm Club for over 33 years. He was the consummate golf professional and a fixture at the Old Elm Club in Highland Park, Illinois. Don loved the game of golf and made it not only his life’s work but also his passion.
About the Illinois PGA/Illinois PGA Foundation
The Illinois Section of the PGA of America is a professional organization serving the men and women golf professionals in northern and central Illinois who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf. The Illinois PGA is responsible for the administration of competitive golf tournaments, educational opportunities, support programs and growth of the game initiatives. With over 840 members and apprentices, the Illinois PGA is one of the 41 regional Sections that comprise the PGA of America. The Illinois PGA Foundation focuses its community efforts on promoting the goodwill and growth of the game with an emphasis on activities that benefit youth. Foundation initiatives include: GolfWorks Illinois, Youth-based Scholarship Funds and the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. For more information about the Illinois PGA and the Illinois PGA Foundation, please visit www.www.ipga.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
708.336.1294 mobile
847.729.4102 office
kbquinn@pgahq.com