THE ILLINOIS PGA SECTION is hosting the 99th Illinois PGA Section Championship at the Medinah Country Club today through Wednesday’s final round. Details IPGA.com. _____________________________________________________________________
BY: Rory Spears, reporting from Medinah Country Club, Medinah IL. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Medinah Professional Travis Johns pounds a drive in the 2019 Illinois PGA Section Championship. Johns sits among the leaders after Round 1 in 2020. Photo by Nick Novelli.
BACK AT THE TOP is Medinah Country Club teaching professional Travis Johns.
Johns opened his title defense of his 2019 Illinois PGA Section Championship with a 5 under par 66 on the Medinah #1 course, playing at 6,539 yards for the championship.
But when the dust settled, Johns was not alone in the first place. He had company from fellow Medinah professional Brandon Moore, one of the two new Medinah head golf professional’s, under Director of Golf Marty DeAngelo. Moore works at Medinah and knows the #1 course, but was not expected to be a co-leader after Round 1.
Moore holed about everything he touched on the back nine of course where he started his round. A hole-out from a green-side bunker on ten, an eagle on the par 4, 14th hole from 142 yards. A chip in on the par 3, 18th hole after missing the green with his tee shot.
Mistwood Golf Club Director of Golf Andy Mickelson joined the two Medinah pro’s at 5 under par, and Mickelson’s head professional at Mistwood Frank Hohenadel was 1 shot back at 4 under par. Hohenadel was the first IPGA Section professional to win a section championship on Medinah #1 in 2014, after the completion of the architect Tom Doak renovation that took place in 2012-2013. With that win, Hohenadel ended University of Illinois golf coach Mike Small’s victory streak of 8 straight years in the section championship.Hohenadel came to his 18th hole (the ninth green) with a chance to get to 6 under par, but made bogey to end up with a 67. Adam Schumacher the 2017 IPGA Section Champion at Medinah, is now the head golf professional in Michigan at the famed Western Amateur course, the Point O’Woods in Benton Harbor.
CLICK HERE to hear interviews with in order-Brandon Moore of Medinah, Andy Mickelson of Mistwood, and Travis Johns of Medinah.
Two-time defending IPGA Match Play Champion Garrett Chaussard of the Skokie Country Club is two shots back at 3 under par. After what he called a “good opening round.”
The afternoon session played tougher, as temperatures hit the mid-90’s and winds picked up from almost nothing in the morning to near 20 mph in the afternoon. There were three good rounds played in the afternoon session.
Small made it to three under par through his first five holes, and then fell back to 2 under par where he finished. Joining Small at 2 under par, was White Eagle Golf Club Director of Golf Curtis Malm. Malm was at even par through 16 holes, and made birdie on his final two holes to reach 2 under par. Glen View Club’s Jim Billiter reached three under par through 17 holes, but made a bogey on 18 to finish at 2 under par.
Round 2 begins at 7:30 on Tuesday morning. The top 60 players and ties out of the field of 126 players, will advance to Wednesday’s final round of 18 holes.