THE KEMPER CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP still has a few spots remaining for the 3 day event that runs Sept. 26-28. Two-man teams will play the Glen Club, Royal Melbourne and Hawthorn Woods Country Club, all are courses that have hosted the Illinois Open Championship. Total cost is only $1,850 per team. So call right now to sign up you and your partner for a great three days of golf in the beautiful fall season (847)-832-6401.     ______________________________________________________________________

   THE JOHN DEERE CLASSIC IS moving along through the raindrops, with Round 1 now complete, and Round 2 underway. 2012 Champion Zach Johnson is among the leaders, for tickets and more please visit John Deere Classic.com. Hear the Deere.        _____________________________________________________________________

John Deere Classic board member Zach Johnson at Wrigley Field with all the trophies.

Round 1 is now in the books at the 2016 John Deere Classic, Round 2 is underway, even though it will not get finished today.

Better news is that enough golf should get played on Friday, that any catch up will be able to be done on Saturday in addition to the regularly scheduled Round 3.

Andrew Loupe and Tom Gillis were the Round 2 leaders at 7 under par, but had about only 1 hour to enjoy ti before they were back on the tee box playing Round 2.

Wesley Bryant who just got promoted from the Web.com Tour for getting his third win, is the leader so far at 12 under par. Bryant completed Round 2, and so did Steve Marino who is one shot back and Tom Gillis one back of Marino. Gillis lost in the playoff to Jordan Spieth last year in the JDC. But plenty of players still need to complete Round 2 or even tee off to start the round.

The golf course is holding up very well according to Tournament Director Clair Peterson, who says that between yesterdays rain delay, the overnight rains, and what has fallen today, that the golf course has taken over 3 inches of rain. Some caddies reported that while finishing up Round 1, players were not getting “mud balls”. However the PGA Tour elected to with “lift clean and place” for Round 2. Or as some media call it, “lift clean and cheat”.

For Loupe he started the day with a two shot lead, but ended up tied with Gillis after he played the final four holes in Round 1, Loupe had a testy 8 foot par putt on 15 for his first stroke of the day, but calmly drained that to stay at 8 under par.

THE PGA TOUR let the players players play until 7:53 PM and but at 7:45 PM an unexpected downpour hit TPC Deere Run, so the final few minutes were played in a downpour.

Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson and Brian Harman who have 5 JDC Titles between them, were on the first tee waiting to hit their first shot of the day when the rain came. They all stalled to not tee off in the rain knowing the horn was about to sound anyway.

The Soggy weather might have had an effect on JDC Sponsors Exemption player and recent Illinois graduate Charlie Danielson. Danielson was playing great golf and had made it to 4th place at 8 under par, but finished bogey and double bogey on holes 7 & 8 which were holes 16-17 for him. It would have been nice to speak with him at the end of his round, but Danielson who told several media members he would meet them at the clubhouse, ran for his car and blew off the media. He will have one hole to complete in the morning when Round 2 play resumes.

   McWethy’s Tavern in the new clubhouse at Mistwood, fine dining in a golf atmosphere, visit Mistwoodgc.com. Callaway, we still make clubs and balls, see Callawaygolf.com.     ______________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory at the John Deere Classic and on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

ROUND 1 of the John Deere Classic is not in the books, the rain saw to that.

What was originally announced as a 3 hour and 22 minute rain delay by the PGA Tour, later became 3 hours and 30 minutes. But at that point, who’s counting.

With the delay that dropped over 1 inch of rain on the TPC Deere Run Golf Course, soggy conditions were what the golfers saw. The players were pulled off the course at 11:38 AM, and were allowed to return to the range as of 2:20 PM, and play resumed at 3 PM local time.

The morning flight did finish their rounds, and the entire afternoon flight did tee off before the horn sounded at 7:52 PM. At that time players were allowed to finish the hole they were playing.

In the clubhouse are finished leaders Zach Johnson, Patrick Rodgers and Ryan Moore at 6 under par. Tom Gillis who was in the first group out in the afternoon session was able to complete 16 holes at 6 under par. On the 16th hole Gillis missed a 10 foot birdie putt that would have left him at 7 under par.

The leader on the golf course is Andrew Loupe who reached 8 under par through 14 holes, Loupe had tee’d off on the 15th hole when the horn was blown, so he elected to try and finish the hole. He then elected to mark his ball on the 15th green with an 8 foot putt remaining for par.

Loupe played well last week and credited his caddie for keeping him going through round one today. Loupe held a short press conference for about 3 minutes in the press center and told reporters that,” considering the length of the delay I’m glad i was able to play as many holes as I did.”

Tee times resume at 7:00 Am on Friday to conclude round one, tee times for round 2 will begin at 8:20 and 10:20.

Johnson who serves on the JDC board of directors made it clear he really wants a second JDC title. Johnson got his first title in 2012 and has not been out of the top finishers in the JDC since 2011. Johnson said after his round he left the tournament in 2015 after not winning, as was not very happy all the way to St. Andrews where he won the British Open and his second major.

Click here to hear the Zach Johnson press conference after round one.

Three time JDC winner Steve Stricker finsihed his round at one under oar, Sricker struggled with the par 3 holes, recording bogeys on the three of them. Sticker called his game not sharp and admitted he needs a low round to get back into the championship.

   NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS Resort, Pennsylvania’s hidden treasure near Pittsburgh. The John Deere Classic is on the tee, come to TPC Deere Run, Johndeereclassic.com. _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG, by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy at Scioto CC in Columbus Ohio.

It could be known as the house that Jack built, as Scioto Country Club in Columbus Ohio is where it all began for Jack Nicklaus. he learned the game there, he got better at the game there, he became great at the game there.

There greatest player in the games history and probably always will be is enjoying a week back on his home turf as the USGA has brought the Sr. Open to Ohio and Scioto.

It’s an outstanding club and great golf course, when the USGA came in to prepare for the championship, there was no major overall to be done. A tree was cut down for good view on one hole, a tee box was added on another. But that was about all that was needed, the course is there and it’s right in front of the players this week. It should be a great championship.

Don’t be long on the first hole, that has a scenic view back to the clubhouse, and deep bunkers around the green.

University of Illinois golf coach mike Small is playing in his first Sr. Open. Small went through qualifying to get in, he shot maybe his best round of the year, when he shot 65 at the Brickyard Course than runs through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to get into the field.

Other players will ties to Illinois include Gary Hallberg and former British Open Champion Todd Hamilton who for the first time in years will miss a John Deere Classic.

jnicklaus_ussopen_081016

During the preview interviews, the Golden Bear himself came to the press room, you can hear his interview above.

The US. Sr. Open at Scioto has 12 past Sr. Open Champions in the field. Dave Eichelberger the oldest player in the field at age 72 is playing in his 23rd Sr. Open Championship, with Hale Irwin playing in his 21st.

The youngest player to be in the field is Billy Mayfair, who just turned 50 last Saturday on August 6th.

Defending champion Jeff Maggert is in the field this week, but favorites are expected to be Bernhardt Langer, Colin Montgomery and Sr. PGA Champion Rocco Mediate. Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports will have daily coverage of the championship.

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears. Follow Rory to the Beloit Club and on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

   WGA Sr. VP of Tournaments Vince Pellegrino launches this years BMW Championship at the Pete Dye designed Crooked Stick Golf in Carmel Indiana. The championship is a major fundraiser for the Evan Scholars Program, send a caddie to college. Tickets are on sale for the tournament (Sept 8-11) featuring 70 top players of the PGA TOUR. Visit BMWChampionshipusa.com for tickets and information. Support the Evans Scholars.     ______________________________________________________________________

The Beloit Club’s new clubhouse, and rear seating area, from the new and expanded putting green.

EDITORS NOTE***

BIG 3 partner Len Ziehm and I recently traveled to Beloit Wisconsin to play the renovated Beloit Country Club, and to see the new clubhouse. But what we found in this Wisconsin town was more than we expected. RS

It had been a while since I had heard from golf professional Kent Instefjord. When last I knew, he was enjoying the great southwest and putting golfers out to play one of three Jack Nicklaus golf courses he was running, on a property  located in Tucson Arizona.

The Par 3, 7th hole at the Beloit Club.

But never doubt the power of family, when Instefjord and his wife started getting calls about their new grandchildren back in Wisconsin, they couldn’t resist the urge to move back to the Midwest.

If his name sounds familiar to golfers it should. Instefjord was a pro at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, and then moved over in the late 1990’s to be the first head professional at Whistling Straits. A few years later when Bob Lang called and told Instefjord he needed a Director of Golf to launch a new course called Erin Hills, Instefjord was on the move again. When the current management at Erin Hills bought out Bob Lang, Instefjord was on his way St. Louis and then Tucson.

Kent Instefjord is back in Wisconsin, after stints in Kohler and Erin Hills, he is now the GM at the Beloit Club.

But part of Instefjord working in the golf world of Wisconsin again, comes from a connection he had at Erin Hills. When you look at the Erin Hills clubhouse and the new clubhouse in Beloit, there are plenty of differences but there seems to be a couple similarities in style.

It seems some of the same folks connected to the clubhouse building at Erin Hills, got involved in the Beloit Club project as well. At that point when word got out Instefjord was back in Wsiconsin, his phone rang. Now Instefjord finds himself not as the head professional or director of golf, but the general manager of the Beloit Club.

The 18th hole at the Beloit Club has the new clubhouse as a great backdrop.

The golf course is a good one that dates back to 1906, BIG 3 partner Len Ziehm has more lenziehmongolf.com with details on the original architects.

Madison based Oliphant Golf is now involved with the club, and runs the maintenance side as they will at the new Mike Keiser Wisconsin resort Sand Valley.

The new owner of the club is Diane Hendricks owner of ABC Supply and some 65 other companies. Hendricks reportedly bought the club for $700,000 but has spent much more than that in improving the property. Early results show it has paid off. Prior to Hendricks coming on board the club had reached a low of 115 members, in a little over 2 years it now has some 380 members with more interested in joining. As a result Instefjord is working on ways to expand the quickly growing club. The next time someone tells you nobody is joining country clubs anymore, don’t believe them.

The Beloit Club now has a new pool and new pool building, new cart barn, new maintenance facility and more. As renovation and restoration continues to be the key in making properties profitable, and a in-place to be. Both Ziehm and I agreed the course has one of the best set of 4-par 3’s that we have seen anywhere and on any course.

The Ironworks area of Beloit is rebuilding and developing quickly.

While Len and I enjoyed our day on the golf course, that has new bunkers, new sand in the bunkers, over 500 trees removed from a property that had become overgrown, new tee boxes and more, it was part 2 of our day that was even more surprising.

THE REBUILDING OF BELOIT, Hendricks isn’t just sitting on her reported net worth of some 4+ billion, she is using it to rebuild an entire community, and create plenty of new jobs.

Beloit is not some sleepy Wisconsin town anymore, it’s becoming a boom-town. The Ironworks area of downtown Beloit, is the rebuilding of old factories into office space that is now home to new computer software companies and more. While plenty of work has been done, there is more getting done and the plans of whats on the table in the next few years is even more exciting.

Instefjord took Len and I downtown and showed us a new area that in only two months will be a state of the art indoor golf facility open to the public. Complete with simulators, large putting greens, hitting bays for lessons, club fitting and more. While I’m not ready to call Beloit Wisconsin a major golf destination, the golfer has not been forgotten when it comes to improving the quality of life in Beloit. Which is just the way that Instefjord and his golf team at the Beloit Club likes to have it. The pro staff at the Beloit club will be running the new downtown indoor facility.

What’s amazing is how fast an area that currently looks like an old storage or loading dock area of a warehouse or factory, will be transformed into a state-of-the-art golf operation. But since Hendricks owns her own construction company, things can happen quickly when she says go.

The Beloit Club is a private club, but nothing in Beloit these days especially with Hendricks at the wheel seems to be set in stone for long. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if another golf course comes along, if the town continues to grow like it’s currently doing.

So the next time you find yourself north of Rockford and over the border into Wisconsin, take time to stop and visit Beloit. There is more and more happening there all the time, and some of it even includes golf.

  THE JOHN DEERE CLASSIC at TPC Deere Run this week, see Johndeereclassic.com. ______________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS. Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @gogblogguy. Spraying to all fairways.

HE HAS DONE IT AGAIN, a special congratulations to Jim Furyk the new record holder on the PGA Tour with a 58.

It was something we all knew would happen, we just didn’t know when, and who would do it first . I know I didn’t think it would be done by the guy who shot 59 in 2013 at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms.

Furyk should be nicknamed “Mr. Low” because he is the only player to go Sub-60 twice on tour. His round at the Travelers at the TPC River Highlands course was just amazing golf. I don’t think he will stand alone at 58 for as long as Mr. 59 Al Geiberger did at that number. But what Geiberger did on that day in Memphis, on a wet course and with the clubs he had at the time, was still pretty special.

Jim Furyk’s actual scorecard from his 59 at Conway Farms during the BMW Championship.

It’s too bad Furyk is not playing at the John Deere Classic this week, after Paul Goydo’s shot 59 there and Steve Stricker a 60, anything can and usually does happen at the TPC Deere Run. It would surprise me to see Furyk go really low at Deere Run someday, if he ever decides to compete there.

Right after Furyk carded his 58, social media was abuzz about the historical round, on a sleepy hot Sunday morning with the Olympic Games going on in RIO. The world was talking about golf in Hartford, what a wonderful thing.

THE WASHINGTON POST which has become only a shell of what it used to be, put out something this week it tried to promote as journalism. It wasn’t. In one of the worst stories to appear in print, was a total piece of garbage by Drew Harwell who knows nothing about golf or the industry.

Harwell penned something called, Golf is back in the Olympics, too bad nobody plays it anymore. Really Drew, quit embarrassing yourself and the media industry before you write something like that. All the numbers in various golf categories dispute the crap you wrote.

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE put out a story this week about a possible renovation of the Jackson Park Golf Course that would sit alongside of a proposed Barack Obama Presidential Library. While the golf course renovation would be a great idea, the story quoted an economics lecturer at the University of Chicago named Allen Sanderson.

While Mr. Sanderson might know economics, he doesn’t know sports. Sanderson actually said when referencing the golf course possible renovation, he compared golf to tennis and called tennis more appealing because you can play it in less than hour, while golf takes over five hours.

I know people who actually still play tennis, and they play for more than hour, and I know many people who play golf and it never takes them over five hours. Hellooo! Mr. Sanderson, try visiting Arlington Lakes where a three-hole golf loop can be played in 30 minutes. Many golfers are playing 18 hole rounds on weekdays or early on weekends in three hours or less. There is some real economics for you.

THAT JACKSON PARK RENOVATION would be something great for golf and for Chicago. So it’s no surprise that when the Tribune called the Mayor’s office for reaction, they declined comment and passed the Tribune writers off to the Park District.

IF THERE IS GOING to be a golf project in Chicago tied into the president, the renovation should be done by architect Greg Martin, since Martin is the President of the American Society of Golf Course Architect’s (ASGCA). The president working with the president sounds like a plan, draw it up now.

SPEAKING OF MARTIN, he and his team are really creating something that is going to be popular when Oak Meadows, or what ever the new name becomes does reopen. Stay clicked in here to follow the progress, but the new destination in Chicago area will be along Salt Creek in Addison.

THE JOHN DEERE CLASSIC is this week, and by early signs it should be another great one. It would not surprise me to see Zach Johnson win his second JDC title this week, and this time not in a playoff.

Chicago golfers and golf fans, it’s well worth it to go see the only PGA Tour stop in Illinois this year, this week in the Quad Cities area. Johndeereclassic.com for tickets and more information. University of Iowa alums your day is Thursday and University of Illinois alums your day is Friday, come out and support the players from your schools.

Dyaln Meyer with the Western Amateur trophy at Knollwood.

HOW ABOUT DYLAN MEYER, U of I golf team members continue to step up and win tournaments.

First it was Nick Hardy at the Illinois State Amateur, now Dylan Meyer at the Western Amateur. What a win by Meyer over World #2 amateur Sam Horsfield who fell victim to Meyer and several lipped out putts at Knollwood.

If your weren’t at Knollwood on Saturday your missed a true exhibition in short game play by Meyer, who says he really has embraced that part of his game this summer. Meyer who at 140 pounds says he knows he is not Dustin Johnson, he is Zach Johnson and will “short game” a course to death.

The Par 3, 12th at Knollwood.

For those of you who were at knollwood this past week and saw greens that were not in the condition you would expect them to be in for the Western Amateur Championship, well there is good reason for that.

Tomorrow the gassing of the greens at Knollwood will begin. The Poa will go and a new strain will be brought in for even better putting surfaces. There are two options on the table, and one possibility is the 007 grass that is now in at Conway Farms.

ARCHITECT KEITH FOSTER known for his work in the Chicago area at places like Knollwood, Highlands of Elgin, and Shepherd’s Crook has his hands full with a real big clean-up and restoration project in West Virginia. Foster has been contracted by the Greenbrier Resort to repair (from the flood damage) and restore the famed Old White course designed by C.B. McDonald and used for the resorts PGA Tour event.

As both the PGA Tour and the resort are ready to take Old White to a new level, not only for the tour players but for resort guests and members alike. Kudo’s to Greenbrier owner Jim Justice and the head professional at Old White Jamie Hamilton on picking the right guy to restore this classic gem in golf course history.

CHICAGOLAND GOLF ERROR.. due to editorial changes in my story for this months Chicagoland Golf, there became an error in the story. The new 11 hole Tom Doak Par 3 course scheduled to start construction this fall, will be built at Bandon Dunes not Mike Keiser’s Sand Valley as written in the story. There will be a correction in next month’s issue.

THE GOG BLOG returns on Tuesday. RS

   JERRY RICH AND ILLINOIS WOMEN’S OPEN CHAMPION STEPHANIE MILLER at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, RHF will host the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Golf Championships in May of 2017. The Pete and Alice Dye Statue behind the 18th green at Crooked Stick Golf Club home of the 2016 BMW Championship, support the Evans Scholars and attend the BMW Championship September 8-11 Bmwchampionship.com.  _____________________________________________________________________

Golfers on Golf Radio Standing L-R Mike Munro and Ed Stevenson, seated L-R Rory Spears and Bill Berger. At AM 1240 WSBC studios.

The season continues through the Back Nine of Golfers on Golf Radio for 2016.

Chicago’s Favorite Foursome of Mike Munro, Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger and Rory Spears are set to tee it up at 9 Am today on Am 1240 WSBC.

Today’s show includes John Deere Classic Tournament Director Clair Petersen, who will talk about this weeks John Deere Classic in Silvis Illinois. Tickets for the PGA Tour stop are available Johndeereclassic.com.

JDC Tournament Director Clair Petersen (standing at the podium) speaks about this years championship on Media Day.

Petersen will join the show about 9:10, there are some good last minute additions to the John Deere Classic field.

Special exemptions were just added to the field this week include, “Young Guns” Robby Shelton, Brian Bullington, and Justin Connelly. On the veteran side is Troy Matteson, Heath Slocum, Charlie Wi and Matt Weibring.

In spite of skipping the Olympic Games, defending champion Jordan Spieth has elected not to play at the John Deere Classic this year, he didn’t feel it was proper.

AT 9:30 Brendan Sweeney the marketing master of the French Lick Resort joins us to talk the upcoming LPGA Legends tournament coming to the FLR, and French Lick is our destination of the week. See Frenchlick.com for more details and golf specials.

DAVID IMPASTATO most recently the Director of Golf at Cog Hill, has been named an instructor for the Golf Channel Academy. The GCA now has 68 locations and is inviting additional coaches to be part of the network. Impastato has been named among the “Best Teachers in State” by Golf Digest magazine. Impastato is the owner of Studio 59 Golf Learning Center in Batavia.

For more information see his facebook page or email him at gcacademy59@gmail.com.

EVANSTON BASED LINKS CAPITAL ADVISORS and Principal Chris Charnas is proud to announce his newest listing, the Laurel Island Links in Kingsland Georgia. The club is considered a hidden jewel in Southeast Georgia. The course opened in 1996 and is a 7,000 yard par 72, Davis Love III design. The club has a 300+ yard driving range and a 8,400+ square foot clubhouse. For more information on purchasing the property, please contact Chris@linkscapitaladvisors.com or call (847)-866-7192.

AIRFORCE ONE has announced it’s new Air Foil fairway woods. The fairway woods are offered in a 15-degree 3-wood, and a 19 degree 5-wood. The Air Foil technology helps golfers get their fairway shots in the air more quickly. The new Air Foil dual-slot wave design creates what Air Force One calls an accordion effect. A thin face flexes inward at impact, initiating the build up of nitrogen pressure inside the clubhead. Then the clubs trampoline effect kicks into effect, as the club face flexes at impact, that in turn promotes faster ball speed and increased distance.

“Our brand is known for producing easy-to-hit equipment that increases ball speed for more distance,” says AFO President Ross Kvinge. “One thing we see is average players having a difficult time getting fairway wood shots in the air. So our goal in the Air-Foil dual slot wave design and independent testing shows we have achieved our goal.”

The clubs are priced at $199.99 apiece with Tour Grade shaft options or at $149.99 with an Air Force One Fujikura Shaft. Find locations or more information online.

CARNOUSTIE SPORTSWEAR is now announcing it’s Fall of 2016 performance apparel line, that’s been redesigned with new colors and patterns. The new style collections include the Classic, Desert and Resort.

Classic Collection with colors of blue, black, white and grey hues for fall of 2016. Desert Collection includes orange, white, brown, and grey color-ways. The Resort Collection has shed a light on the fall with a brighter blue and green hues than mix with back and greys to keep with true fall colors. Each collection has a variety of polo’s, lightweight cotton interlock outerwear, cotton suede outerwear, belts and trousers. See Carnoustie apparel online on visit your local pro shop to see more.

THE GOG BLOG SPEAKS OUT returns on Monday. RS

 TITLEIST, we’re still making clubs bags and balls, Titleist The #1 Ball in Golf, see more at Titleist.com. The Western Golf Association sending caddies to college wgaesf.com.      _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. At the 114th Western Amateur at the Knollwood Club.

It’s another feather in the cap of the University of Illinois Men’s Golf program, as one of it’s leaders for the season ahead stepped up in a big way, when Dylan Meyer defeated Sam Horsfield 3 & 1 to win the 114th Western Amateur Championship at Knollwood Club in Lake Forest.

Meyer who along with Nick Hardy will now be the upper classmen leaders of the Illini Golf team, showed he is ready to stand alongside Hardy to help the Illini make a run to Rich Harvest Farms and the 2017 NCAA national championships.

Meyer who defeated William Gordon 3 & 2 in the semi-finals, then moved on to play Horsfield the #1 seed and the medalist from the stroke play portion of the championship. Horsfield did struggle in the morning session, recovering from 4 Down after 10 holes to defeat Davis Riley 2 & 1.

Dylan Meyer with the Western Amateur trophy and the U of I flag.

The championship match started off good for Horsfield, taking a 2 UP lead on Meyer after 5 fives. But from there Horsfield never won another hole.

Meyer using his incredible short game that he admits he has worked on all summer, never let Horsfield back in the match.

While Meyer’s putts kept falling, Horsfield’s continued to lip out. Horsfield had four solid putts lip out on the back nine alone.

Dylan Meyer putts for birdie on the 14th hole at Knollwood, in the championship match.

Meyer started to fight his way back into the match with a great up and down on the par 4, 6th hole. When Horsfield could not 2 putt, his lead was only one.

Horsfield could not get up and down from a green side bunker on the par 3, 7th hole. Meyer chipped close and had his putt conceded. Now the match was All-Square.

It stayed that way through the turn, but Meyer who was out driven on the par 5, 10th hole, hit his third shot to within inches. After Horsfield could not get up and down from a green side bunker, Meyer took his first lead of the day now 1 UP.

Both players had chances to extend or cut into the lead, but halved the next 5 five holes, with Meyer saving par with a long putt on the par 4 11th hole.

Click here to hear interviews with Dylan Meyer champion, followed by runner up Sam Horsfield.

The par 5, 16th hole was the turning point. Meyer hit the fairway and Horsfield ended up in fairway bunker. When Horsfield hit his third shot into the green, it checked up some 18 feet short of the hole, and Meyer pitched his third shot to 3 feet. When Horsfield missed and Meyer made his putt, the lead was 2 UP with two holes to play.

Meyer then fired at the pin tucked on the left side of the elevated par 3, 17th green. The shot hit in front of the stick and rolled to 20 feet past the cup. Horsfield missed the green just off the fringe on the right but pin high. Horsfield feeling he needed to hole the chip was too aggressive and watch his pitch run almost off the far side of the green. His par saving putt went a foot past the hole, and then Horsfield conceded the match.

Meyer called the win the biggest in his career. Both Meyer and Horsfield will play in the U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills in 9 days.

The 2017 Western Amateur will be held at the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe.

 THE WGA Home of the Evans Scholars, put a caddie in college see WGAESF.ORG. Titleist yes we still make clubs, balls and bags, learn more at Titleist.com. The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort, the LPGA Legends are coming. See Frenchlick.com.       _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG BY RORY SPEARS, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. With the Western Amateur Sweet 16 Trophy.

It started at 156 players and now it’s down to the Final Four and championship Saturday at the Knollwood Club in lake Forest.

Match play is now the format and medalist Sam Horsfield is still alive after a couple of close matches in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.

In his Elite 8 match, Horsfield lead JJ Grey 4 UP after just 10 holes, but by the time they were on the 17th tee box, the match was All-Square (AS).

With Horsfield 1 UP on 16, he blocked his tee shot on the Par 5, and it landed Out of Bounds.

“I played good this morning and on the front nine this afternoon,” said Horsfield. ” then on the back side this afternoon I struggled. I made a couple of bad decisions on the bad nine that lead to bogeys.”

But after Grey missed the green on the par 3, 17th and could not get up and down. Horsfield went 1 UP, on 18 with both players in the fairway. Horsfield hit the green and Grey flew it over, then hit a long chip and missed a par putt. He conceded to Horsfield at that point.

Match 2 saw Davis Riley defeat John Coultas 1 UP, Riley won his morning match against local favorite Nick Hardy 4&2.

Match 3 had William Gordon defeat Braden Bailey 1 UP, in a match that stayed close all the way around the course.

Match 4 saw two players will local ties battle it out. Dylan Meyer from Indiana and a member of the University of Illinois Golf Team, defeated Doug Ghim from Arlington Hts. Illinois by a 5&4 score. Ghim admitted he was fortunate to get this far, since he didn’t feel he had his game all week, on what he called a tough Knollwood course.

The Par 3, 12th hole at Knollwood.

Meyer called the key to his success was the way he has been hitting his driver.

Meyer called the only disappointment of the day, was the morning loss of fellow Illinois teammate Nick Hardy.

Meyer said he and Hardy were really “cheering hard for each other” because they wanted to play each other in the championship match.

Click here to hear interviews with Dylan Meyer, Doug Ghim and Nick Hardy.

The Semi-final matches will tee off at 8 AM and 8:15, with the championship match teeing off 45 minutes after the morning matches are complete. The Gog Blog will have full final day coverage. So stay clicked in.

  THE INN ON WOODLAKE IN KOHLER, renovation and addition to start this fall, Inn will remain open during the process see DestinationKohler.com. McWethy’s Tavern in the new clubhouse at Mistwood, fine dining in a golf environment. See Mistwoodgc.com.       _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears. Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. At Olympia Fields prior to the 2015 US Amateur.

The U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills will be along in just a week and a half. The final tune up for that championship for the U.S. Amateur is the Western Amateur this week at the Knollwood Club.

Northbrook’s Nick Hardy a member of the University of Illinois Men’s golf team, and recent winner of the Illinois State Amateur is in the field and hoping to win a Western Amateur title.

***Editors note*** As this story was near completion, Hardy was eliminated from the championship in the match play round of 16, losing to Davis Riley by a score of 4 & 2.

Nick Hardy in 2015, lending his support to an Illinois Junior Golf Event at Valley Lo.

Hardy has had an incredible summer, winning the Illinois State Amateur with a score of 28 under par at St. Charles Country Club. Runner up Tee-K Kelly was 10 shots back.

Hardy went back to St. Charles the following week, and played in the Illinois Open, where at Royal Fox and Royal Hawk he was the low-amateur in the field.

Hardy started out the week at Knollwood shooting under par scores, and making not only the first cut, but survived the second cut and made it into the match play. From Knollwood, Hardy will begin to prepare for the U.S. Amateur in Oakland Hills.

Click here to hear the interview with Nick Hardy this week during the Western Amateur at Knollwood.

The final four matches start at 8 Am tomorrow, and the championship match that will be 18 holes will be teeing off in the noon hour.

   TIM GOVERN OF ARLINGTON LAKES GOLF COURSE, welcomes everyone to come out and enjoy the newly renovated golf course and clubhouse. Do you have a need for speed, play the 3-6-or 9 hole loops, 18 holes of course is always an option. You can call (847)-577-3030, or visit AHPD.ORG/ALGC. ERIN HILLS IS ON THE CLOCK but you can set your clock to wake you up in time for tee time. Come now to Erin Hills home of the 2017 U.S. Open, book your play and stay. Its where the pro’s will play, Erinhills.com. ______________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. With the Western Am Sweet 16 trophy.

The Sweet 16 have been decided for the 2016 Western Amateur at Knollwood in Lake Forest. Local players include Arlington Heights product Doug Ghim who is playing his college golf at the University of Texas. Nick Hardy of Northbrook, who is playing his college golf at the University of Illinois.

Dylan Meyer is a recent University of Illinois player who hails from Indiana. there are 13 other players in the “Sweet 16” but again this year the defending champion is not among them.

2015 Western Amateur at Rich Harvest Farms on Saturday August 8, 2015. Charles Cherney Photography

Last year at Rich Harvest Farms it was Beau Hossler who won in 2014 at Beverly, and earlier in the summer had clinched the winning point for Team USA at Rich Harvest Farms in the Palmer Cup who did make the first cut.

This year Dawson Armstrong of Lipscomb college who won at Rich Harvest in dramatic fashion who did not survive the first cut, down to 44 players.

Armstrong says he didn’t play his best golf in his final tune up for the U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills in two weeks. Unless you count a practice round at Olympia Fields that hosted the U.S. Amateur in 2015, where Armstrong did not play.

But unlike the Masters, or the years it was held at the Point O’Woods in Michigan, the Western Amateur does move the championship around every year these days and unfortunately for Armstrong, it was not played this year again at Rich Harvest Farms. Armstrong would have loved to returned to the farm in Sugar Grove.

Click here to hear the interview with 2015 Western Amateur Champion Dawson Armstrong.

Armstrong will head back to college after the U.S. Amateur, but admits he will be pushing himself and teammates to make it to the NCAA Nationals. He want’s nothing more than another shot at a championship, on a course he loves to play.