MCWETHY’S TAVERN AT THE MISTWOOD GOLF CLUB located on Renwick Road in Romeoville. The Mistwood Golf Club is home to 18 Ray Hearn designed golf holes, a Top 100 performance center complete with club fitting bays. So visit Mistwoodgc.com     _____________________________________________________________________

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

Reporting from the Ivanhoe Club in Mundelein.

2021 IPGA Section champion Andy Mickelson of Mistwood Golf Club. The only player under par in all three rounds at Ivanhoe. Photo by Nick Novelli.

Winning a Illinois PGA major championship is pretty special. So for Mistwood Golf Club Director of Golf, winning his first major felt really good. Mickelson finished the championship at three under par (213), and was the only player in the field of 115 players, to break par for the championship. Garrett Chaussard of the Skokie Country Club tied for second place at +1 with Kurt Rogers of the Champaign Country Club.

Mickelson wasn’t flashy in the final round. Because the 15 pars he carded, was really all he needed with other leaders backing up on the front nine. Starting the third round one shot behind Chaussard, Mickelson played the front nine in even par. But that was good enough to have a three shot lead at the turn. Mickelson birdied the 10th hole and added 8 straight pars, to coast in. Mickelson had a four shot lead on the 18th tee. But he made par after hitting his tee shot left of the fairway, but very safe and away from the water on the right side of the fairway.

Skokie Country Club’s Garrett Chaussard finished T-2 at the IPGA Section Championship. Photo by Nick Novelli.

Chaussard continues to be the most consistent IPGA Section player in the majors this year. After a runner up finish in the IPGA Match Play at Bull Valley, Chaussard was in contention through 45 holes at the Illinois Open this year, before the final nine holes caused a rough finish. Chaussard ended up T-37. Chaussard entered this week in 5th place in the 2021 Player of Year point race. With another second place finish in a major, he will move up the list.

Kurt Rogers of the Champaign Country Club tied for second place with Garrett Chaussard. Photo by Nick Novelli

Rogers 60, was pleased with his second place finish. But the thought of earning a trip to the National Club Professional Championship at Barton Creek Resort in Austin Texas in early 2022 really hit home. “At my age this is probably my last shot in that event,” said Rogers. “I’m going to try and make the most of it.” Rogers score of 71 (-1) was one of the seven third round scores that finished under par.

University of Illinois Men’s Coach Golf Mike Small who had won the championship 13 of the last 16 years, hit a round patch at the end of Round 2 and to Wednesday’s final round.

CLICK HERE to hear final round interviews with champion Andy Mickelson, and runner-up finishers Garrett Chaussard and Kurt Rogers.

Because after the weather restart on Tuesday, Small had three holes to play 16-17-18. But the defending champion finished double bogey-bogey-quad bogey, seven over par. But the rough patch for Small didn’t end on Tuesday. Because he made triple bogey on the first hole in Wednesdays final round. All Small needed was four pars on those holes and he would have won by two shots.

Mickelson, Chaussard and Rogers will be joined by Tim Streng (Wildcat Academy), Chris French (Aldeen Club), Frank Hohenadel (Mistwood GC), Matt Slowinski (Hinsdale CC), Brian Carroll (The Hawk Country Club), David Paeglow (Kishwaukee CC), Reece Bartelt (S.M.A.R.T. Golf and Fitness), and Small, at the 2022 and 55th PGA Club Professional Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa, in Austin Texas next April.

With the victory Mickelson earns the first place check of $9,800 from the purse of $81,650. The final IPGA Major of the year, is the Players Championship at The Knollwood Club in Lake Forest on September 27-28th.