THE 69TH ILLINOIS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE CONTESTED AT THE GLEN CLUB AND RAVINIA GREEN COUNTRY CLUB

Apr 11, 2018


 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ILLINOIS PGA NEWS
                               
                                                                                                               
THE 69TH ILLINOIS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE CONTESTED AT THE GLEN CLUB AND RAVINIA GREEN COUNTRY CLUB
 
Glen Club Hosts First Two Rounds and Championship Round; Ravinia Green C.C. First-Time Site
 
GLENVIEW, Ill. – April 11, 2018 – The Illinois PGA has announced that the 69th Illinois Open Championship will be contested at The Glen Club in Glenview, Ill. and Ravinia Green Country Club in Riverwoods, Ill. This marks the 11th time the tournament has been held at The Glen Club, home to the Illinois PGA office and the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame, and the first time for Ravinia Green to serve as a host site. The first two rounds will be played at both courses with the Championship Round hosted at The Glen Club.
 
“Once again, we feel we have two outstanding championship sites to host the 69th Illinois Open Championship,” said Carrie Williams, executive director of the Illinois PGA. “The Glen Club has been a longtime partner of the Section and is home to our headquarters and Illinois Golf Hall of Fame and is truly a championship course. Ravinia Green’s tighter, tree-lined layout contrasts in style to The Glen Club, and we are looking  forward to showcasing the club’s recently updated amenities. The two courses will provide challenging play in different ways and their close proximity to one another will ease logistics for players, fans, sponsors, staff and officials.”
 
In order to increase opportunities for competition for PGA Professionals, non-PGA professionals and amateur golfers throughout the state, the Illinois PGA doubled the starting field size of the Illinois Open in 2014, necessitating two courses to accommodate the first and second round. The 2018 starting field will be comprised of 264 participants, including those exempt from qualifying and those who will qualify in one of eight qualifying events conducted from June 26 to August 3. The first and second round will be held Monday, August 6 and Tuesday, August 7 at The Glen Club in Glenview, Ill. and Ravinia Green C.C. in Riverwoods, Ill.
 
For the first and second round, participants will play one round each at The Glen Club and Ravinia Green C.C. Following 36 holes of play, the field will be cut to the low 50 players plus any competitor within 10 shots of the lead. The championship round will be contested on Wednesday, August 8 at The Glen Club.
 
The Tom Fazio-designed Glen Club opened in 2001 as part of The Glen which transformed the former Glenview Naval Air Station into a multi-use development including homes, condominiums, a downtown shopping center, golf course and more. The course routing features dramatic elevation changes – up to 40 feet on certain holes – mature trees and natural areas, lakes and streams. Many elements of a superb Fazio design are here and offer a challenge in many forms, from the classic perched greens undercut by bunkers to peninsula greens surrounded by water. The Glen Club is currently ranked 90th on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play list and No. 2 on the publication’s list of Best Courses You Can Play In Illinois. The course measures 7,170 yards from the back tees playing to a par 72.
 
“We take great pride in hosting the Illinois Open at The Glen Club,” said Josh Lesnik, president of KemperSports, which manages the club. “We’ve enjoyed a longtime relationship with the Illinois PGA that includes being the home of the Section headquarters, home of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame and now as host of the Illinois Open Championship for the 11th time.”
 
Situated on more than 150 acres of lush land, Ravinia Green has one of the most enthralling and picturesque courses in the area with 100 bunkers and water coming into play on over 10 holes.  The course is home to an immense community of old weeping willows along with an abundance of greenery and scenic views. It measures 6,866 yards from the back tees playing to a par 72.
 
“We are extremely excited for our club to partner with the Illinois PGA and be a host site for the Illinois Open,” said Danny Behr, Head PGA Professional at Ravinia Green Country Club, “The course and club has been around for 50 years and as far as quality and difficulty ranks right up there with all the other top courses here on the North Shore.”
 
Patrick Flavin from Highwood, Ill. (Highland Park H.S./Miami University) is the defending Illinois Open champion. He won the 2017 tournament with a score of 202 (13-under).
 
The 69th Illinois Open Championship Qualifiers:
– Qualifier #1 – June 25, 2018 – Bartlett Hills G.C. in Bartlett, Ill.
– Qualifier #2 – June 27, 2018 – Deerfield G.C. in Deerfield, Ill.
– Qualifier #3 – July 5, 2018 – Maple Meadows  G.C. in Wood Dale, Ill.
– Qualifier #4 – July 11, 2018 – Red Tail Run G.C. in Decatur, Ill.
– Qualifier #5 – July 13, 2018 – Flossmoor C.C. in Flossmoor, Ill.
– Qualifier #6 – July 19, 2018 – Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Ill.
– Qualifier #7– July 25, 2018 – Royal Hawk C.C. in St. Charles, Ill.
– Qualifier #8 – August 1, 2018 – Last Chance Qualifier at Willow Crest G.C. in Oak Brook, Ill.
 
About the Illinois Open
Administered by the Illinois PGA since 1950, the Illinois Open has historical roots dating back to 1922. The state championship of golf is a 54-hole competition contested over three days to determine the finest player in the state of Illinois. The tournament is open to professionals and amateurs with a handicap of 10 or less who reside within the state of Illinois. Qualifying events conducted from June 25 to August 1 will determine a field of the top 264 players. For more information or to register for any of the qualifiers, please visit www.www.ipga.com.
 
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

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CONTACT:
Palmer Moody
Illinois PGA Communications
847.804.2721 mobile
pmoody@pgahq.com