PAYNE STEWART with the Wanamaker Trophy at Kemper Lakes, the new Kemper Lakes club logo, and the par 5, 15th at Kemper Lakes with a wide open view of the lake. ______________________________________________________________________

At Blackwolf Run in Kohler Wisconsin. The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

The 65th Illinois PGA Match Championship, and the first IPGA Section major championship for 2016 is in the books.

Kyle Bauer the head professional at the Glenview Club in Glenview, defeated Travis Johns the teaching professional at Medinah Country Club in Medinah by a score of 4 & 3.

For Bauer he has now won two consective IPGA majors dating back to last season, when he won the Players Championship at Eagle Ridge.

Kyle Bauer with the IPGA Match Play Championship Trophy.Photo courtesy of the IPGA and Nick Novelli.

It was a long day for the final eight players in the field. On Tuesday there was supposed ot be 2 rounds played, but heavy rain cut play to only 1 round, after a 4 hour and 10 minute delay.

At first the IPGA had thought about a Friday morning finish, but after consultation with the players and the championship director, it was decided that 3 rounds could be played on Thursday. In fact with thre rounds being played on Thursday, at times there was Kemper Lakes members on the course and playing in between the matches.

But the membership of the club fully co-operated with the matches and stepped aside when needed, to let a match play through.

Medinah’s Travis Johns during the championship match. Photo courtesy of the IPGA and master photographer Nick Novelli.

By 2:22 PM the championship match between Bauer and Johns was on the first tee and ready to go.

It appeared early on that Johns had a great chance to win his second Match Play Championship Title, having won the championship back in 2010. But in the end Johns was the runner-up for the second time in three years, after losing to Curtis Malm in 2014.

The turning point was on the fourth hole when the long hitting Johns already 2 Up, hit his drive over the fairway and the ball hit directly on the cart path and bounced Out-of-Bounds. From there Johns made a double bogey 7, and Bauer in spite of going from bunker to bunker made a bogey 6, and closed Johns lead to 1 Up. From there Johns never won another hole.

Kyle Bauer during the championship match. Photo courtesy of the IPGA and Master Photographer Nick Novelli

With Johns hitting his drives some 50-70 yards past Bauer on almost every hole, Bauer kept finding a way to respond on his approach shots and put the pressure back on Johns.

As a result, when Johns three putted the fifth hole Bauer pulled back to All-Square.

That would not be the the last time Johns putter let him down.

Johns failed to birdie the 7th hole from 12 feet for a win. That seemed to inspire Bauer who drained a 15 footer on the eight hole to go 1Up and take his first lead. After Johns could not get up and down from right of the green on the 9th, Bauer went 2 Up at the turn.

Johns hit a magnificent recovery from the trees right of the fairway on the 10th hole, stopping the ball inside of 10 feet from the cup. But Johns missed that birdie putt as well and the players halved the hole.

Bauer drained a 15 foot birdie on the par 5, 11th hole to go 3 Up. Johns lost a chance to go for the green in two shots, when hit drive hit a tree and bounced backward 10 yards.

Johns had a birdie putt on 13, and with Bauer over the green, it appeared he chance to tighten up the match. But Johns missed his birdie putt and Bauer’s pitch to 3 feet allowed him to halve the hole.

With Johns looking at 12 feet for birdie on 14, and Bauer’s ball right behind Johns and 15 feet from the cup, Bauer putted first and made his birdie while Johns missed again.

When both players parred the par 5, 15th hole the match was concluded.

Click here to hear interviews with the two finalists Kyle Bauer and Travis Johns.

Both players are attempting to qualify for the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Johns did not advance on Monday in the South Bend Regional, Bauer will try next Monday at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park.

To advance to the championship match Bauer defeated Scott Baines 6 & 5 and Johns defeated Brian Brodell 2 & 1 in the Semi-finals.

The Quarterfinals that started just after 7 Am, saw Bauer deated Matt Slowinski 2 & 1, Scott Baines over Doug Bauman 7 & 6, Johns over David Paeglow 5 & 4, and Brodell over Jim Sobb 2 & 1.

Both Bauer and Johns say they will compete in the next IPGA major championship the Illinois Open at Royal Fox Country Club in July. With his win Bauer collected the $5,200 first place check.