THE MATCH PLAY AT KEMPER LAKES, IPGA’S FIRST MAJOR

Logo_fullErinHillsDSC01629 Welcome to Mt. Prospect golf course DSEnc_Champ_Wrdmrk_Vert_4cpDS 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.

DSC00695 Rory and trophy DSDSC00233IPGA section sign DS  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.

DSC02415 Curtis Malm with trophy pic 2 DS

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.

This entry was posted in News by Rory Spears. Bookmark the permalink.

About Rory Spears

Rory spent over 8 years growing up working at Rob Roy Golf Club in Prospect Hts.IL, then two years at Chevy Chase in Wheeling. He has covered golf in Chicago since 1986. Rory was one of the initial members of WSCR all-sports radio Chicago and covered golf there for 5 seasons, before moving on to work for ESPN/Sportsticker and ESPN Radio. In addition to hosting Golfers on Golf Radio on WCPT AM820 Chicago, he writes for both the Chicago District (CDGA) Magazine, and formerly Chicagoland Golf. Rory has played over 525 courses in 39 states, and rates golf courses. He does golf course management and communications consulting, within the golf industry.