The Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open at Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville, is July 27-28-and final round is July 29th. Pro-Am Sunday, call Mistwood at (815)-254-3333 for details Noon-Shotgun. Mistwoodgc.com. The Mt. Prospect Golf Club reopens for play on Saturday August 1st with a shotgun outing, steak dinner, golf shirt with the new logo and more. Call (847)-259-4200 for details 2nd reopening outing is Sunday August 3rd.    _____________________________________________________________________

The Gog Blog Speaks Out, by Rory Spears, Editor and Director Content for Golfersongolf.com. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. With the Payne Stewart statue at Pinehurst.

THE OPENS ARE IN THE BOOKS, well except for the ones that are future sites, as announced by the USGA yesterday on their website.

Congrats to Mike Davis and his team at the USGA, on selecting three sites that are home runs for the U.S. Open and for the game of golf. For those of you who missed the announcement, it goes like this. 2022 The Country Club in Brookline Mass., 2023 Los Angeles Country Club- North Course, and 2024 back to Pinehurst NC, and a visit to the Donald Ross classic Course No.2. and you can’t beat that. The only question left about 2024 in Pinehurst, is will the Women’s Open follow along, and it’s my thought that it won’t. The next U.S. Women’s Open in Pinehurst should be at Pine Needles, just down the street from the landmark that Ross built.

USGA.org visit Golf House and the USGA Museum in Far Hills NJ., the new Jack Nicklaus building is open.

In all fairness maybe the FIRST U.S. Sr. Women’s Open should go to Pine Needles, Peggy Kirk-Bell is deserving of another women’s open.

It was a bit of surprise that 2022 is headed to Brookline and TCC, but it has the history. But more than one USGA type in recent years has suggested that it was a site out of the question due to space and other reasons. Well, Guess Not !, you know since Merion in 2013 was done so well, Miracle Mike Davis and his team have proved they could hold the U.S. Open about anywhere.

2023 in Los Angeles had been rumored about for a while now and Pinehurst in 2024, makes perfect sense on the 25 Anniversary of Payne Stewart’s dramatic win and later that year his passing.

Which is all the more reason the PGA of America needs to bring the PGA Championship back to Kemper Lakes that year, with the Stewart connection from his first major win in 1989. Kemper Lakes must first of all get a Stewart statue up before any championship can be played there.

While Davis and his crew did their home work on these three sites, there is still more work to be done. 2025, hey USGA, how about the Midwest yes why not US. Remember us, just pick us already, and while it could be Erin Hills again, Olympia Fields should be about ready.

With all USGA events spoken for in 2016, 2017 and 2018, this is getting alarming that the Chicago Area and Illinois are being shut out by the USGA after the amateur is over at Olympia Fields in about 30 days. The memo to the PGA of America, your due to send something this way as well.

THE ILLINOIS OPEN, congrats to (a) David Cooke who dusted the field at the 66th Illinois Open, second place finisher Vince India was 5 shots back. Cooke is a great story about one moves forward after a tough loss, which he did when his brother Chad passed away from a heart issue last December 23rd while playing basketball.

Another big story at the Illinois Open, was the format and new amount of players and having it played over two courses. Eligibility seemed to be an issue as well. Some people liked the new format, others did not, some feel it needs a few tweaks while others just want to go back to the old format.

It does appear the membership, the IPGA board, and the Illinois Open committee need to meet again and go over some requirements before next summer rolls around. Just another thing new IPGA Executive Director Carrie Williams will get to deal with as she settles into the new job.

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP way to go Zach Johnson, you had the look on Monday of locked in and ready to win. That Claret Jug will look good in Iowa. Jordan Spieth gave it a great run, and just couldn’t quite pull it off. Had the playoff been Spieth and Johnson the folks at John Deere including Clair Peterson would have had a tough time rooting against either guy.

AS FOR THE MYTH about needing to skip the John Deere Classic in order to have a chance to win the British Open, ah NO. That is not true, not now and never was. St. Andrews in spite of the weather held up, and it will be good to see it again in 2020, maybe I’ll get to see it first in person before then.

The Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open tee’s off at Mistwood on Monday, and wraps up on Wednesday, it sounds like several of past champions won’t make the field due to an Symetra Tour event in Milwaukee later in the week and an LPGA qualifier the following week. The new Mistwood clubhouse is coming along, wish it was open already. So does everyone at Mistwood. Wait Til’ next year !!!.

The weather is great, go play everyone. RS