Rich Harvest Farms is ready for the “Progression” are you. June 12-14 The Palmer Cup, This August the Western Amateur, Coming July of 2016 The International Crown, come make the Crown even bigger than the Solheim Cup was in 2009. Jerry Rich is ready for great amateur and professional golf, are you ?

The Gog Blog, by Rory Spears, Editor & Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linked and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. With the Senior PGA Championship Trophy.

It’s coming this week to the French Lick Resort, the Kitchen-Aid Sr. PGA Championship with defending Champion Colin Montgomerie. It should be a great week this week in the state of Indiana, the 500 and great golf. It doesn’t get any better than that.

The first Midwest major tournament of the season is coming, and it’s the Senior PGA Championship. The Pete Dye Course and it’s volcano bunkers will be the center of attention this week. BIG 3 partner Len Ziehm will be checking in live on Golfers on Golf with updates about the championship. The latest Lenziehmongolf.com trvael story includes more about the famed Southern Indiana Resort, that is fresh off  winning yet another top voters award for best resorts in America.

    Are you ready for that next play and stay golf trip. How about Island Hills Golf Clourse in Centreville Michigan, only 2 hours from the Chicago Loop, and not far from South Bend. The Ray Hearn 18 hole championship design golf course has some of the great closing holes you will find anywhere, the 12th hole plays the ruins of a historic area site. Visit the new website Islandhillsgolf.con and set up your round today.

                    The Encompass Championship coming to North Shore Country Club In Glenview July 10-12, Defending Champion Tom Lehman with trophy, Encompasschampionship.com. for tickets and more.

The local golf tournament golf scene starts rolling with media day today at North Shore Country Club with Tom Lehman here to tee things off. More information will be coming out here on the GogBlog about the Encompass Championship this week. Come out in July and enjoy this fun and competitive championship that has gone down to the last putt on 18 two straight years.

The Glen Club, home of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.

The Illinois Golf Hall of Fame committee held it’s final voting this past week. Three new members were elected to be the Class of 2015.

Congratulations to H. Chandler Egan, a top amateur player and later on course designer out west. His credits include reworking Pebble Beach, that as I write this is having it’s 17t hole re-worked again. 17 has lost size and isn’t holding shots these days the way it should. Maybe a return to Egan’s design could help.

The other two inductee’s include Leon McNair of Fox Bend Golf Club in Oswego and Jim Sobb from the Ivanhoe Club, both club professionals. All deserving of the honor to be inducted. That being said…

I do have issues with the vote. Number one is that each of the 18 voters can vote for up to Five of the final Ten finalists. But you don’t have to use all five, several votes were not used. With the quality of the ten finalists that were on the ballot, all votes should have been used. Two candidates fell just two votes short and it would have been nice to use those votes to add another person.

Another problem is the imbalance of who is going into the hall. The amount of club professionals that have been enshrined, compared to the amount of people in other categories who have been voted in, is staggering. Is the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame a golf hall of fame, or is it the Illinois PGA Section Club Professional Hall of Fame, it’s getting hard to tell. Maybe the class of 2017 should not include any club professionals.

Rory McIlroy is gearing up for a big summer.

If you watched the PGA Tour on Saturday you saw Rory McIlroy being Rory the No.1 Golfer in the World.

He was on a pace to shoot 59 but came up a couple of birdies short. But his win yesterday in Charlotte coupled with other past showings this year, have him looking like he is ready to just go crazy on the major championship scene this summer. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him with more trophies like these come August.

I’m looking forward to his PGA Championship media day at Whistling Straits next month, to hear what the young Irishman has to say about his world of golf, and defending in the PGA Championship.

Meanwhile World #133 and dropping like an anchor, was caught cheating AGAIN, yes AGAIN. That is all.

CONGRATS TO Illinois and Coach Mike Small as the Illini have won the NCAA Regional to advance to the NCAA National Championship at the Concession Golf Club in Sarasota Florida. Go Illini bring home the National Championship. Illinois was led by Senior Brian Campbell who won the individual championship with a final round 65.

   Coming August 1st, the NEW Mt. Prospect Golf Club, a David Esler renovation. Stay clicked in to hear about opening day at Mt. Prospect.

The temps will be a little cool this week, but get out and play. Golf season is here. RS

    The Island Hills Golf Club in Centreville Michigan, Chicago’s Southwest Michigan Golf Destination. This Ray Hearn designed championship layout, has some of the greatest finishing holes in Michigan. Island Hills has some of the best villas of any golf club, Visit Islandhillsgolf.com and check out the stay and play package. Call (269)-467-7261.

BY: Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

Golfers on Golf Radio returns for week 5 today at 9 AM on WSBC-AM 1240 and WCFJ-AM 1470. If you miss the show live because your on the golf course or at the range, you get a Mulligan because you can hear the show on this website either late Sunday or by Monday.

This mornings show will feature BIG 3 Partner Tim Cronin, the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Committee Chairman. Cronin will discuss this weeks final voting on the Class of 2015, that yielded three new members. If you want to learn more about the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame, the voting procedure and the induction dinner, catch our interview with Tim.

Following Tim Cronin will be our interview with Long John Daly, who stopped in town last weekend. Daly talks about the new talent on the PGA Tour, his sponsored products and some thoughts about the Ryder Cup. Daly will discuss the teo pcoming majors he will play in, and the injury he has been fighting through.

WITH LESS THAN 50 days remaining to play Oak Meadows, a couple of special guests will talk about their challenge this past week to play 100 holes their in a single day. For more on the final days of Oak Meadows see Dupagegolf.com.

Illinois Senior Brian Campbell seen here in 2014 at Rich Harvest Farms, led the Illini to yet another NCAA Regional Championship.

The Fighting Illini have done it again, led by Senior Brian Campbell Illinois rallied from third place to tie for the overall championship with SMU. Campbell won the individual title and Illinois will move onto the NCAA National Championship. Good Luck Illinois.

The NCAA National Championship will be held next week in Sarasota Florida at the Concession Golf Club. Illinois will head into the nationals ranked #1 or #2 in the country depending on which poll you read.

FROM ORLANDO:  Comes news of a new book by one of the top swing coaches in the world and that’s David Ledbetter. his new book THE A SWING. It’s the first book by Ledbetter in over 10 years, the book is now on sale for $27.99. via St. Martins Press.

CANTIGNY GOLF in Wheaton has announced that pat Hickey has been named PGA Teaching Professional, Hickey will conduct private and group lessons. For Cantigny Golf and lessons visit CantignyGolf.com.

THE CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship tee’s off tomorrow at Bowes Creek in Elgin, under a new match play format. The Rick Jacobson design plays from 6,731 yards. A solid field is lead by four-time CDGA Mid-Amateur Champion Todd Mitchell from Bloomington.

The weather is great today, get out before the Blackhawks game and enjoy 18 holes at your favorite club. See you on the tee at 9 AM. RS.

 Island Hills golf Club in Centreville Michigan, Chicago’s Southwest Michigan golf Destination. Just hours from the Loop, Call (269)-467-7261 or visit Islandhillsgolf.com, check out the Stay & Play packages and stay in the Villa’s with views of the course and the lake.

The Glen Club, Home of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.

The votes are in and the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame class of 2015 has been announced.

From the list of 10 finalists, three of them were slected to join the hall this fall. The induction night will be held in October but the date has not yet been selected.

The three new members are, H. Chandler Egan, Leon McNair, and Jim Sobb.

“It’s an overachieving class,” said Tim Cronin, chairman of the selection committee. “Chandler Egan’s amateur playing record was outstanding, and his architectural resume has until now been largely unheralded. Leon McNair has done it all in golf,from construction to running a first-class shop to innovating programs to bring peopleinto the game and keep them there. Jim Sobb’s been the player you didn’t want to play against in IPGA section events for decades.”

H. CHANDLER EGAN was raised in Highland Park and had one of the greatest amateur careers in golf. Egan not only won the U.S. Amateur twice (1904-05), but won the Western Amateur four times (1902-04-05-07), as well as the Intercollegiate Individual title in 1902. Egan had runner up finishes in the Western Amateur in 1903, the 1904 Olympic Games, and the 1909 U.S. Amateur.

After relocation from Chicago to oregon he entered the golf course design business and his work includes a remodeling of Pebble Beach in 1928 along with Robert Hunter. Egan designed 18 courses and won the Pacific Northwest Amateur five-times.

LEON MCNAIR: Is the co-founder of the Illinois PGA Foundation. McNair has worked hard on the charitible side of golf, and been the head professional at Fox Bend Golf Course, a course he built with architect-builder Brent Wadsworth. Today McNair now retired from Fox Bend is a board member of the First-Tee program of Aurora and Fox River Valley. McNair sevred as IPGA Section President in 1991-92. In College he was part of the 1964 NCAA Championship team from Southern Illinois University.

JIM SOBB: A native of Palatine and NCAA Division II All-American at Western Illinois University.  Sobb won three Illinois PGA Section Championships (1995-1999-2000). Sobb has won four IPGA Match Play titles (1990-1993-1995-2011). In 2011 Sobb won both the Match Play Championship and the IPGA Senior Match Play Championship, becomes the first and only player to accomplish the feat in the same year. In 2000 Sobb was named the IPGA Player of the Year, and is a five-time winner of that award in the IPGA Senior Division. Sobb has played in 22 Radix Cup Matches, more than any other professional with a record of 13-5-4. Only Joel Hirsch has played in more matches (23), Hirsch on the amateur side. Sobb was award the IPGA Senior Masters Award in 2012.

THE VOTE COUNT: To be inducted, nominee’s needed 12 of the 18 votes possible. Egan had 16, McNair 14 and Sobb 13.

Just missing out was Jerry Rich and Francis Peabody each with 10. Gary Hallberg with 9, Harry Radix 7,  Emil Esposito and Phil Kosin had 3 each and William Langford with 2. The selection committee did cast 87 of the 90 possible votes. Members could vote for 5 of the 10 finalists.

 The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Editor & Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin & Twitter @GogBlogGuy. The Palmer Cup at Rich Harvest Farms June 12-13-14, walk the fairways with the players, admission and parking are FREE.

    The Palmer Cup coming June 12-13-14, the USA vs Europe in an amateur style Ryder Cup format event. Walk with the players in the fairways, free admission and parking. Follow the progression at Rich Harvest Farms, three major championships in just 13 months in Sugar Grove. First on the tee is the Palmer Cup, this August the Western Amateur, July of 2016 the UL LPGA International Crown.

The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Editor & Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

Jim Billiter of the Merit Club in Libertyville.

There is a new champion in the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship. Jim Billiter of the Merit Club in Libertyville won his first IPGA Major Championship on his 29th birthday. Happy Birthday Jim, you earned it.

Earn it he did on the 21st hole of his championship match with Brian Brodell now with Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville.

Billiter thought he had lost it on the par 3, 3rd hole when he put an 8-Iron in the drink off the tee. But Brodell hit the back of the green and watched his ball jump over the back and into the deep rough.

After Billiter hit from the drop zone to 6 feet, Brodell chunked his chip short of the green and had to hit again from the rough. The second time he left his shot 5 feet from the pin, but when Billiter made his six foot bogey putt, Brodell missed from five feet to end the match.

Par 3, 17th hole at Island hills Golf Club in Centreville Michigan, See Islandhills.com for information on golf and stay and play packages.

It was not exactly the way either player wanted to end. Billiter admitted he thought he had lost the match after hitting his tee shot in the water.

Billiter had it a little easier in the morning when he defeated Simon Allan of Prestwick Country Club 4 & 3. Brodell meanwhile had his first match extended to 19 holes with Kyle Bauer of The Glenview Club.

The biggest surprise of the tournament was the collapse of the top seven seeds who lost on Wednesday. Three time champion Curtis Malm headed the list of unexpected early departures. Malm was followed out of the tournament by 2010 Champion Travis Johns the No.2 seed. Garrett Chaussard #3, Matt Slowinski #4, Rich Dukelow #6 all lost matches as well.

The 64th Illinois PGA Match Play Championship was conducted at Kemper Lakes Country Club, that is still wrapping up some renovation work by Rick Jacobson. The second IPGA major of the 2015 season will be the Illinois Open in July, to be held for the first time at two courses. In the new format both Royal Melbourne in Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods Country Club in Hawthorn Woods will be used.

    Island Hills Golf Club in Centerville Michigan, Chicago’s Southwest Michigan Golf Destination, Stay and Play Packages now available, Islandhills.com. Medinah patriot Day May 26th, support our Illinois Veterans, see Illinoispatriot.org. The Palmer Cup is June 12-13-14 at Rich Harvest Farms, admission is free, walk the fairways with the players. Palmercup.org

The Glen Club, Home of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame

The results are in for the 2015 Class of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.

From the list of the ten finalists there was only three people lected into the hall.

H. Chandler Egan a course designer and past Western Amateur Champion.

Leon McNair a long time head golf professional at Fox Bend Golf Course in Oswego, very active in charity work since his retirement from the golf course.

Jim Sobb the longtime head golf professional at the Ivanhoe Club. Sobb has been one of the best professionals on the golf course with his record in Illinois PGA Section tournaments. Sobb was awarded the IPGA Senior Masters award in 2012.

   AND THE WINNERS ARE…Pinehurst in 2019 and Bandon Dunes in 2020 as future sites of the U.S. Amateur Championship.

The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Editor & Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

The USGA has made it official, the latest winners in the U.S. Amateur derby is the Pinehurst Resort for 2019 and the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort for 2020.

Pinehurst was not actually a secret and was expected, as reported here back in February.

The “Home of American Golf” Pinehurst,  is now complete with nine courses. The 2019 U.S. Amateur as it was in 2008 when Danny Lee was the champion, will be contested again on the famed course No.2 and for the stroke play rounds on course No.8. the championship will be played from August 12-18. It will be Pinehurst’s 10 USGA championship hosted, and it’s third U.S. Amateur.

“The USGA is thrilled to continue the strong and cherished tradition of the U.S. Amateur Championship at both Pinehurst and Bandon Dunes, two proven partners in supporting and advancing amateur competition,” said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “We are confident these reknown courses will again provide a worthy test and an enjoyable experience for all when they host the world’s top amateur players in 2019 and 2020.”

“We are pleased to welcome the USGA’s oldest championship to Pinehurst once again in 2019,” said Robert Dedman Jr., Pinehurst Resort & Country Club CEO and owner. “As long as there has been golf at Pinehurst, we have celebrated the contributions amateurs have made to the game. To serve as the site of the U.S. Amateur will be an especially proud moment for Pinehurst, and it reflects the passion for amateur golf we share with the USGA.”

The 2020 U.S. Amateur at Bandon Dunes will be the sixth USGA Championship at the resort since 2006, that includes this weeks inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur. Bandon Dunes has four 18 hole courses, Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald. The two courses that will be used will be named at a later date.

“We are honored and delighted to host the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and look forward to adding to the storied history of this special championship,” said Mike Keiser, owner and founder of Bandon Dunes. “Amateur golf-both competitive and recreational-has been at the heart of Bandon Dunes since it’s inception, particularly the Old Macdonald course, which was constructed as homage to Charles Blair Macdonald who fittingly won the very first U.S. Amateur Championship at Newport Golf Club in 1895.”

The U.S. Amateur is open to all amateur golfers whose handicap does not exceed 2.4. Upcoming U.S. Amateur Championships will be played Olympia Fields this August, in 2016 at Oakland Hills Country Club, in Bloomfield Hills Mich., Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades Calif., and 2018 at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach Calif.

For more information on the USGA visit USGA.org.

Island Hills Golf Club, Chicago’s Southwest Michigan Golf Destination, in Centreville Michigan, 2 hours from downtown Chicago. Stay and play packages, Island Hills has some of the best villa’s in the Midwest and three outstanding closing holes 16-17-18. See Islandhillsgolf.com.

BY: Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin & Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

How about “Mr. Overated” Rickie Fowler, so overated that he just went and won the so-called “Fifth Major” The Players Championship.

Fowler rallied in the closing holes to take a clubhouse lead and said come and get me. Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner did just that forcing a 3-man, 3-hole playoff.

When three holes were in the books, Garcia was gone and Fowler still had Kisner to contend with. So he did, on a replay of the famed par 3, 17th hole, Pete Dye’s famed “Island Green.” Fowler simply made another birdie and that was it. The win was long overdue, but for Fowler he will take it. Now he will target the four majors, and hope to win one of those.

Fowler put himself back on the map last year when he was the only player to finish in the Top 5, of all four majors. But that was as close as he got, this year with this win he moves closer to gaining some of the respect that appeared to be slipping away.

As for the tournament itself, those who got to see the final round or most of it called it some of the best drama in a long time. Good sports action and suspense. It’s too bad that some of the TV networks and sportscasts didn’t give it more play.

FOWLER wasn’t the only golfer who got to spend time with a neat trophy on Sunday.

Your’s truly logged about 15 minutes with the Men’s U.S. Open trophy as it made it’s tour towards Chambers Bay for next month’s open. The trophy tour by the USGA and Lexus is just yet another new way the USGA is promoting and growing the game. A tip of the cap or golf visor to them, and the golfers who came out to Harborside International Sunday morning, or went to Cog Hill in the afternoon to greet the glowing piece of silver. It’s just too bad the trophy didn’t get more advanced promotion so more golfers could come out and see it.

White Eagle CC head professional Curtis Malm with the IPGA Match Play Championship Trophy.

The Four-Peat ? Yes that’s what Curtis Malm is playing for this week at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Kildeer.

Malm has won the championship three straight years, and is bidding to be the second golfer in section history to win four in a row.

Last year Malm defeated Travis Johns of Medinah 1 UP in the championship match to win. This year since Johns was the 2014 IPGA Player of the Year, he comes in as the #1 seed, with Malm being #2. It could be a great rematch in the finals on Thursday afternoon. Click in to IPGA.com or keep it right here for more on the championship[ this week.

TIGER WOODS is now World # 133, yes that’s correct #133. That is all, there is nothing more to say.

I head out to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove today to take a look at the host course for the Palmer Cup coming June 12-13-14. It should be a great event and fans can walk the fairways behind the players in these international matches. Admission and parking will be free. The Palmer Cup salutes the legend of Arnold Palmer, and is player between top American college players and top European college aged players. Thomas Detry who plays for the University of Illinois will represent Europe in the matches.

There is a break in the rain, go play. RS.

 Erin Hills-Erin Wisconsin, OPEN TODAY, Home of the 2017 U.S. Open. Erinhills.com, The Mt. Prospect Golf Club opening August 1st, stay clicked in right here for details, The Encompass Championship at the North Shore Country Club July 10-11-12, more information at Encompasschampionship.com.

  The Gog Blog by Rory Spears (L) with the IPGA Match Play Championship Trophy, Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy and Golfers on Golf Radio Sundays at 9 Am on WSBC AM 1240 & WCFJ AM 1470.

Curtis Malm, IPGA Match Play Champion 2012-2013-2014

Can you say four-peat ? White Eagle head professional Curtis Malm heads for a Grand Slam in one event, the Illinois PGA Match Play.

It’s the first of the four majors this year for the Illinois PGA, and it tee’s off this morning at Kemper Lakes. This year’s championship concludes on Thursday with the semi-finals starting at 8 Am and the championship match teeing off about Noon.

Last year Malm 2-putted on the 18th hole for par to defeat Medinah Country Club teaching professional Travis Johns, who went on to win the 2014 IPGA player of the year award. As a result, Johns enters this years championship as the number 1 seed. Malm who like Johns has a bye today, will be the number 2 seed.

Malm is is only the second Illinois PGA professionalto win the title three straight times, IPGA Hall of Famer Bob Harris won six straight from 1958-1963.

The field this year has 90 of the top professionals from the Illinois PGA Section, including 10 past champions of the event. Jim Sobb the 2011 champion the last player besides Malm to win the title is in the field. Sobb of the Ivanhoe Club is a three-time champion. Johns won the event in 2010.

Garrett Chaussard of the Chicago Highlands Club is the number 3 seed, other top seeds include, 2008 champion Matt Slowinski of Conway Farms at #4, Frank Hohenadel of Westmoreland Country Club at #5, and Rich Dukelow of Medinah CountryClub at #6.

Admission and parking are free at Kemper Lakes and the public is invited. For more infomration visit ipga.com.

  Island Hills Golf Club in Centreville Michigan, Chicago’s Southwest Michigan Golf Destination, see Islandhillsgolf.com Stay and play packages now available. Erin Hills home of the 2017 U.S. Open, opening day tomorrow May 11th. Play where the pro play see Erinhills.com.

Long John Daly and Rory Spears,Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

John Daly was in the windy all weekend. It started at U.S. Cellular Field where he played celebrity bartender with his new drink. Daly says his John Daly Pizza is doing well too, thank you.

Before Mother Nature rained Daly out of throwing out the first pitch on Friday night at the cell, he took time to talk golf and more with the Gog Blog.

Daly will play the Birtish Open at St. Andrews and the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler. The Greenbrier and a couple of other places this summer. In the meantime his shoulder that he says has been hurt for 8 months is getting better. Let’s hope it does.

Click here to the interview with John Daly.

Who wins in Daly’s book if Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth play Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in a match, interesting answer from Big John. The Ryder Cup, Hall of Fame and more from Daly.

The Gog Blog Returns on Monday.