JIM MCWETHY holds the menu to McWethy’s Tavern, the restaurant in the new Mistwood Golf Club clubhouse on Renwick Road in Romeoville. Open year round, and now taking orders for banquets and more. See Mcwethystavern.com or call (815)-254-7001. McQ’s Dome for indoor golf, sports bar restaurant, and OTB horse racing wagers. See Mcqsdome.com or call (630)-739-7600. THE TINLEY PARK golf expo tee’s off this Friday at noon, Friday admission is only $5. Stay clicked in for more show details as the week goes on, and visit Tinleyparkgolfexpo.com. At the Tinley Park Convention Center. ______________________________________________________________________

  Standing in front of the USGA Museum in Far Hills New Jersey. The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. Visit the USGA website at USGA.org.

The Chicago Golf Club Clubhouse in Wheaton, with the CB Macdonald statue.

They’re back and just in time. The Chicago area had run out of championships hosted by the USGA, when the final putt fell at Olympia Fields last August and the U.S. Amateur had concluded.

It had been years or more like decades, since there was not a USGA championship on the schedule to be played in Chicago.

That has now changed. The first club back on the schedule to host a USGA Championship is, the historic Chicago Golf Club located in Wheaton.

The Charles Blair Macdonald statue at the Chicago Golf Club.

The Chicago Golf Club will make history again, as it hosts the first U.S Opens Sr. Open in 2018. The USGA also announced that Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Pinehurst, will host the second championship in 2019.

The new championship will be open to professional females, and amateur females with handicap index that does not exceed 7.4, who have reached their 50th birthday as of the first day of the championship.

“The USGA is proud to realize it’s vision of hosting national championships for players of all age demographics, and we are thrilled that the first two editions of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be contested at two of the most respected courses in the United States,” said USGA President Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., who announced the establishment of the U.S Senior Women’s Open in February of 2015. “We hope that this championship will inspire generations of female golfers to continue competing at the highest level long into their careers.”

The scorecard at the Chicago Golf Club

The format for the championship will be that of a U.S. Open. It will be walking only, and a 72-hole stroke play competition over over four consecutive days. The field will be cut after 36 holes to the top 60 players including ties. The prize money for the championship will be announced at a later date.

The field of 120 players will be determined, by qualifying at sectional sites, or through an exemption category. Details of that will be announced at a later date. The date for the 2018 Championship is July 12-15. The date for the 2019 championship is still TBD.

“As a founding member of the USGA, Chicago Golf Club is honored to support the USGA’s newest championship by hosting the inaugural U.S. Sr. Women’s Open, ” said Brad Kinsey, president of the Chicago Golf Club. “We look forward to making this our 12th USGA Championship, an exceptional event for the players and spectators alike.”

The Chicago Golf Club hosted it’s first two championships in 1897-the U.S. Open won by Joe Lloyd and the U.S. Amateur won by H.J. Wigham. It then hosted the 1900 U.S. Open by by Harry Vardon. John J. McDermott became the first american winner of the U.S. Open when he won at Chicago Golf in 1911. Most recently the club hosted the Walker Cup Matches in 2005, won by the United States.

The only USGA women’s championship held at the club was the 1903 Women’s Amateur. For more information please visit USGA.org.