PINE MEADOW IS HOLDING  2-Man Senior Scramble on Monday May 22nd, sign up today the field is over half-full. (847)-566-4653 (GOLF). HERITAGE OAKS has won a Top 50 GRAA  Award for one of the best ranges in America. Try it-HeritageOaksgc.com

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and or Facebook/LinkedIn/Instagram

ILL-INI The men’s golf team wins the B1G Ten again.

ILL-INI!

SO IT JUST never seems to end. The Fighting Illini just keep winning, and Coach Mike Small has built a powerhouse in men’s NCAA golf.

Illinois now heads to the regionals after winning it’s own tournament at the Atkins Course. Then rolling behind Big Ten Men’s Player of the Year Adrien Dumont de Chassart, won the conference championship yet again.

For Coach Mike Small that makes 8 straight and 13 of the last 14 conference titles in recent years. But who’s counting.

But while this years championship in New Jersey was weather shortened to only 36 holes, it doesn’t matter. Small got what he called a “total team effort”, as the Illini did jump out to a 17 shot lead after two days. So whether or not the third round was played, it was very unlikely anyone would have caught Illinois on the final day.

Coach Small won his 13th BIG Ten Coach of the Year award, no other B1G Ten coach has done that. But Small was not alone in capturing B1G Ten honors. Because the Big Ten player of the year, was Fifth-Year Senior Adrien Dumont de Chassart.

One of two athletes in University of Illinois history to accomplish the feat.  But for Illinois it was the 14th time an Illini golf team member took home the award. So only two others have won the award three times in men’s golf. With one them being Northwestern’s Luke Donald.

FIGHTING ILLINI that took home post season awards included Tommy Kuhl. Kuhl was recently named to the 2023 Team USA Palmer Cup Team to be held June 8-10 at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Pennsylvania. But joining Chassart and Kuhl on the First Team-All Big Ten list was Matthis Besard, and Jackson Buchanan. Junior Piercen Hunt made the Second-Team All Big Ten list.

ILLINOIS now moves on to the Eagle Eye Golf Club in East Michigan (Lansing) as the No.1 seed at the regional May 15-17. Five teams will advance to the Grayhawk Golf Club for the NCAA National Championships in late May and early June.

HERITAGE OAKS GOLF CLUB on Dundee Road in Northbrook has been honored by the GRAA (Golf Range Association of America) with two awards. One award to teacher Michael Wenzel (L) now a 5-time national award winner for golf instruction. The other to the Northbrook Park District and Director of Golf Greg Baron (R). The Heritage Oaks range is double-sided for instruction and complete with Trackman. Heritageoaksgc.com

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and connect Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn

Illinois-the women’s golf B1G Ten Champions

The Illinois Women’s Golf Team has won the B1G Ten Women’s Golf Championship at Fox Chapel Country Club in Pittsburgh PA.

Illinois was led by the outstanding play of Graduate Student Crystal Wang. Wang shot a 9 under par score of 62 in the final round to lead Illinois to the title.

But not only is Wang’s score of 62 outstanding. But it was accomplished in horrible weather conditions, with winds gusting and temperatures in the 40’s.

Wang has since been named the B1G Ten Women’s Golfer of the Year, and has been selected to this years Women’s Team in the Arnold Palmer Cup from June 8-10 at the Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier PA.. Wang will be joined there my Tommy Kuhl of the Illinois Men’s golf team, who will compete in the men’s competition.

Illini graduate student Crystal Wang lines up a putt. All photo’s courtesy of the University of Illinois.

So WANG IS currently ranked the No.8 women’s player in the country by GolfStat.

But she is also the first Illini Women’s Golf to be the medalist at the B1G Ten Conference Championships, since Illini Women’s Coach Renee Slone did it back in 1993.

Next week Illinois will travel to the San Antonio Texas NCAA Women’s Regional, to compete for a spot in the national championship field. Illinois has been named the No.9 seed, in a field of 12 schools. But only five schools from the field will advance to nationals.

The regional will be played at TPC San Antonio on the Oaks Course. So the course will be set up as a par-72, and playing at a yardage of 6,342. In addition to the team advancing to the nationals at Grayhawk Golf Club May 19-24 in Scottsdale Arizona. One player whose team did not advance, will advance as an individual to the nationals.

Illinois faces tough competition in San Antonio, headed up by No.1 seed Texas AM. But there are three schools from Texas in the field.

THE U.S. SENIOR OPEN at Sentry World in Stevens Point Wisconsin is June 29-July 2, defending champion Padraig Harrington heads up the field. Wisconsin’s Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly will join the field. See more information at USGA.org. Mother’s Day is coming soon, take care of Mom with golf gifts from Zero Friction, including the new Stride Remote controlled golf cart shown by owner John Iacono. Zerofriction.com.

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect Facebook/LinkdedIn/Instagram.

Medinah 3 has entered the full renovation mode-by firm OGM. ALL Photo’s courtesy of J. Ryan Potts-Medinah 3 restoration team.

The work continues at Medinah #3 as the next phase starts to take shape.

Golfers on Golf sends a special thanks to J. Ryan Potts for the use of his photo’s of the project.

The architecture team of Australia’s OCM firm is moving the renovation into the next phase, the construction phase.

Seeing Medinah #3 in this condition, this time of year, is a bit of a shocker for Chicago’s flagship golf property. But there is renovation work going on in the South Suburbs as well at Olympia Fields Country Club.

Work continues in the area’s of holes 16 and 18, but a recent online video shows hole 1, as torn up as well.

Last fall the tree removal program had started, and that was showcased here in recent weeks.

Now the fairways have been turned upside down, and the dirt is piled up.

So what will the course look like when it reopens in late 2024, there are drawings that can be found on various websites, including Golfersongolf.com.

Medinah #3 last hosted a major golf event with the playing of the 2019 BMW Championship. That was won by Justin Thomas. The 25 under par score by Thomas opened some eyes, even though the players were playing in great conditions, and used lift-clean and place.

The banks of holes on the back-nine have been shaped down for the planned changes.

Next up in the terms of major golf events on Medinah #3, is the playing of the 2026 Presidents Cup.

The Presidents Cup will be the first major team championship at Medinah since the 201 Ryder Cup.

So for most of the major players in the world of golf, the Presidents Cup will be the first look at the revamped Medinah #3 golf course.

What players will be part of the teams that week, remains to be seen.

Because both teams will be short-handed because of the restrictions place on LIV Golf players. Many of which remain the best players in the game of golf today. So stay tuned. Golfers on Golf will continue to follow the renovation as it moves along at Medinah.

THE OKAS GRILLE IS OPEN at Blackberry Oaks in Bristol. Blackberryoaks.com. LIV Golf returns to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove- Sept. 22-24 details at LIVgolf.com.

THE GOG BLOG BY RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and connect Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn

Golfers on Golf Radio-returning soon. L-R Ed Stevenson, Len Ziehm-Bill Berger and Rory Spears, Am 750 WNDZ-Chicago.

THINGS ARE STARTING TO LOOK LIKE GOLF SEASON.

Golfers on Golf Radio returns on Saturday May 13th at 10 AM on our home Am 750 WNDZ-Chicago.

Chicago’s favorite foursome of Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger, Len Ziehm and Rory Spears return for the show’s 33rd season.

There will be more details on the show ahead.

A special thanks to one of our long time sponsors Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville. This year Mistwood is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary. I just wish that the late Jim McWethy was here to celebrate all the hard work and dollars he put into the club before passing away. But good news another edition of Ben’s in the Bunker is back to start the year. Mistwood’s social media guru Ben Hutchison, and superintendent Ben Kelnhofer are in the bunker on the 10th hole. A Ray Hearn Sod-wall bunker design. Catch it and more on the 25th anniversary season at Mistwoodgc.com.

Congrats to the Fighting Illini, yet another Big Ten Championship for Coach Mike Small’s Men’s team. The championship was halted after 36 holes because of weather, but Illinois had a pretty good sized lead to begin with. So it was not impossible, but unlikely they would have been caught on the final day. Congrats Illinois, well deserved, and the women’s team is doing pretty well also, lead by Crystal Wang. Both teams are off to the sectionals.

CONDOLENCES to FRIENDS and family of Lance Ten Broeck a great player and caddie on the professional tours. A tip of the hat and golf visor to the Illinois Golfer for catching wind of of Ten Broeck’s passing. Ten Broeck was 67 and passed away in West Palm Beach Florida.

PARADYM POWER-it really does seem that golf season is here, and it’s not because the weather is starting to change. But it’s the arrival of new clubs, which is always a good thing and a good way to start the golf season.

My new Callaway Paradym’s arrived at Mistwood Golf Club last Friday. So I went out and met with my fitter Matt Carter to pick-up the clubs. Carter watched me hit about 35 balls before I was on my way home with 11 new clubs in the golf bag. I added a new driver, and 3 and 5 wood, plus irons 4-through A-wedge.

I am anxious to get out and play as soon as possible. New golf clubs have a way of doing that to you when you really enjoy the game. Paradym has made an impact on the PGA Tour, starting right at the top with Masters Champion Jon Rahm who has been the hottest player in golf, Rahm is playing with Paradym’s this year. I am not sure who might be playing them on the LIV Tour, but I am sure there are players who are using them.

COLLEGE GOLF is hitting the playoff season, stay tuned for more on the Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats as they hit the post season on college golf.

The Gog Blog is play catching up, but will return this week. RS