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BY: RORY SPEARS-Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or friend him on Facebook or connect with linkedIn.

White Eagle Golf Club Director of Golf Curtis Malm-holds the IPGA Players Championship trophy at Conway Farms.

MAKE IT THREE different Illinois PGA major championships for Curtis Malm.

Malm the Director of Golf at White Eagle Golf Club in Naperville, hung on to win the 2020 IPGA Players Championship by 1 shot at Conway Farms in Lake Forest.

Malm has previously won the Illinois Open, and was victorious in the IPGA Match Play Championship three straight years (2012-2014).

Malm started his march to victory with birdies on the final 2 holes in Round 1 on Monday. His 2 under par 69 gave him a two shot lead. His 69 in Round 1, was the only score under par for the day.

“I finished the first round really well. I hit two good shots into eight and nine to make birdies and finish 2 under. I hit a lot of quality shots the whole day yesterday,” said Malm. “Coming into the final round, I didn’t know what would happen. I was joking with some guys that I would shoot 80 or 85, but I hit some good shots, some bad ones and just got it done.”

Malm opened Round 2 with six straight pars in windy conditions, and then birdied holes 7 & 8 to open a four shot lead. But a bogey on 9 saw his lead drop down to two shots over Andy Mickelson (Mistwood Golf Club) and Tim Streng (Wildcat Golf Academy).

A birdie on the par 3, 11th hole pushed Malm’s lead back to 3, but another bogey on the 12th made the lead only two shots. After Streng made eagle on the par 5, 14th, and Malm could only counter with a birdie, the lead was down to one shot.

But the eagle on 14 and a par on 15 was all the charge Streng could mount, before bogeys on 16 and 17, combined with a double bogey on 18, pushed him out of contention. Streng finished alone in 4th place.

Malm lost his tee shot on the par 3 17th, and made a triple bogey 6. Malm then made bogey on the par 5, 18th hole. That reduced his margin of victory to only 1 shot, but it was all he needed.

Frank Hohenadel (Mistwood Golf Club) and Chris Green (Glen View Club) tied for second place with scores of 142 (even par). University of Illinois golf coach Mike Small and Brian Carroll (The Hawk Country Club) tied for 5th place, with 2-over par scores of 144.

This wrapped up the 2020 Bernardi Player of the Year points race. For more details visit IPGA.com. The Senior Players Championship is next Monday and Tuesday at Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove (Oct. 12-13).