THE PALMER CUP coming next week to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. June 12 through 14, come walk the fairways with the players of Team USA, and Team Europe to see who wins the trophy named for Arnold Palmer. Free admission and free parking, go to Palmercup.org or Richharvestfarms.com for more information.

CDGA.org

The ending was better than the start, as the 54th annual Radix Cup, played at the Oak Park Country Club was won in a late rally by the CDGA Amateur players over the Illinois PGA professionals by a score of 11-7.

Radix Cup format is that there are six matches, with 3 points available in every match for a total of 18 points. First team to 9 1/2 points wins the cup, like in the Ryder Cup if there is a tie, the victorious team from the previous year retains possession of the cup.

The day started off with the professionals looking to win by a big score like they did on 2014. The first team of professionals Steve Orrick and Frank Hohenadel went out and routed the am’s winning all three points, from Dave Ryan and Derek Meinhart.

Match Two didn’t go any better for the amateurs. It was another three point sweep for the professionals, as recently crowned IPGA Match Play Champion Jim Billiter and Adam Schumacher swept Jodran Fahel and Justin Smith. With two matches in the clubhouse it was Professionals 6 Amateurs 0.

Now just three points away from retaining the Radix Cup, the IPGA professionals hit a brick wall in getting further points.

Amateurs Glenn Przybylski and Blake Johnson started the comeback in Match 3, with a three point sweep of Connie DeMattia and Garrett Chausard. Match 4 saw the amateurs close the gap even further, when Jack Watson and Raymond Knoll won 2 1/2 out of 3 points from David Paeglow and Oak Park host professional Frank Bruno. Now the IPGA lead was down to 6 1/2 to 5 1/2.

IPGA.com

Match 4 saw the CDGA Amateurs take the lead when Kyle Nathan and Chadd Slutzky defeated Curtis Malm and Rich Dukelow by a sweeping 3-0 score. The overall score was now 8 1/2 to 6 1/2 in favor of the amateurs.

Both teams had their anchor players out for the final match. But the team of amateurs Tee-K Kelly and Dan Stringfellow that both play out of Medinah CC, were able to defeat Medinah teaching professional Travis Johns and Matt Slowinski of Conway Farms. Slowinski gave the professionals some early momentum when holed a 50 foot putt on the second green,but after that it was the amateur team making all the birdies. By winning 2 1/2 out of 3 points, the final score ended up 11-7.

Both teams played shorthanded. The professionals without Illinois coach Mike Small and the amateurs without Illinois freshman Nick Hardy, both had not yet returned from the NCAA Championships in Florida, where Illinois tied for 3rd place with the University of Georgia.

The Radix Cup might be moved back a week in 2016, to allow players to return from the NCAA Championships that will be played in Oregon.

During the post round dinner, Bruno made a pitch to help get event founder Harry Radix into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in 2017, Radix was a finalist this year but was not selected into the Class of 2015.