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BY: RORY SPEARS, ASSISTANT                       EDITOR & SR. WRITER

NEW IPGA PRESIDENT                 JIM OPP

Jim Opp the head golf professional at the Bonnie Dundee Golf Club in Carpentersville, was recently named the 26th President of the Illinois PGA Section.

Opp previously had served as the IPGA Vice President from 2013-2014 and the Secretary from 2012-2013. He will succeed Chris Gumbach who will continue to sit on the board as Honorary President.

2015 will be Opp’s 14th year at Bonnie Dundee, he has will have been the head professional the last 11 years. Opp started played golf as a teenager after being invited to play by his stepfather.

Golf was not the only thing that Opp was attracted to. He became a chef and worked at the famed Gene & Georgetti’s, Chicago’s oldest steakhouse by day and then over to Indian Lakes Resort to work on outings and club repair by night. Currently the staff at Bonnie Dundee still enjoys when Opp gets the urge to fire up the grill outside the clubhouse, or create some new sauces in the kitchen.

IPGA.COM

Opp registered for the PGA program in 1980, and then went to work at the Champaign (IL) Country Club. He became a member of the of the PGA of America in 1985. Then he went on to work at other facilities in both Illinois and Missouri, where he held a variety of jobs.

When Opp returned to the Chicago area, he took the job of assistant golf professional at the Randall Oaks Golf Club in Dundee. But a short time after that Opp was moved by the Dundee Township Park District, that owned both courses, over to Bonnie Dundee that’s become his home ever since.

Opp has been involved in the IPGA before becoming secretary in 2012. Opp served on the board of  directors for six years and served chairman of the IPGA Education Committee, focusing on educational programs and opportunities for membership. in addition to serving on national PGA education committee’s, Opp won the 2006, 2007 and 2008 IPGA Horton Smith Award for improving educational opportunities for fellow golf professionals. In 2009 Opp won the IPGA Professional of the Year Award, the highest award bestowed on a PGA Professional.

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“The leadership Jim brings as President will undoubtedly allow us to continue to advance our mission of growing the game,” said Michael Miller, executive director of the Illinois PGA. “Jim has a great pulse on the state of the game and the industry within the Illinois Section not only from his many years of dedicated service to the Association, but from his many years of experience of working within the public golf sector. The passion he has for the game and for assisting his fellow PGA Professionals is unwavering.”

With Opp moving into the presidents role, Mark Labiak of Ruth Lake CC in Hinsdale becomes the new Vice President. The new Secretary is Jim Miller of the Bloomington CC. Three new members were elected to the IPGA Board of Directors for 3-year terms. Frank Bruno from Oak Park CC, Travis Johns from Medinah CC, and Andy Phelan of the Wynstone GC.

Click here to our interview with new IPGA president Jim Opp, head professional of the Bonnie Dundee Golf Club in Carpentersville.

Stay clicked in to the Gog Blog for news coming soon on the new format for the Illinois Open Championship.