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When in doubt, bet the host professional. Jim Billiter the head golf professional at Kemper Lakes won his third Illinois PGA major championship by winning the Match-Play at his new home course Kemper Lakes.

Billiter survived a serious challenge by Glen Oak head professional Danny Mulhearn, who had won the play event 19 years ago. Billiter who was 2 down with five holes to play, rallied late to win 1 Up with a conceded par putt on the 18th green.

Billiter fell behind on the second hole when Mulhearn made his par, but a Billiter birdie on the par 5, 5th hole made things all-square.

After Mulhearn found the water on the 7th hole, Billiter took his first lead 1 Up. It was short-lived as Mulhearned answered with a 20 foot birdie putt on the 8th hole and again the match was A/S.

kemper Lakes head professional Jim Billiter your 2017 IPGA Match Play Champion

Mulhearn started quickly on the back nine with a 27 foot birdie putt on 10 to go 1 Up. After an Out-of-Bounds drive on 11 by Billiter, Mulhearn went 2 Up. A Billiter birdie on 12 cut Mulhearns lead down to 1 Up.

The par 3, 13th had some drama when Billiter missed the green, Mulhearn converted on a par save of his own, and when Billiter could not, Mulhearn went back to 2 Up.

Billiter’s 6 foot par putt on 14, put him back to 1 Dn. A Billiter par on the par 5, 15th hole brought the match back to A/S.

After both players made bogey on the 16th hole, they went to the famed par 3, 17th hole.

Billiter managed to find the green, with Mulhearn in a side bunker. Mulhearn could not get up and down after his bunker shot went long to the backside of the green, and Billiter went 1 Up after a conceded par putt.

On 18 Billiter found a fairway bunker and his approach just made the front of the green, Mulhearn with a longer fairway shot got home in two shots, but faced the longer putt. After his birdie putt came up short and his par putt conceded, Billiter missed his birdie putt for the win, but his par putt was conceded and the match concluded with a final tally of 1 Up for Billiter. His second match play win.

Click here to hear interviews with Jim Billiter and Danny Mulhearn.

In the semi-finals played in the morning. Mulhearn defeated Garrett Chaussard of Skokie Country Club, and Billiter defeated Curtis Malm of White Eagle Country Club. The next IPGA major is the Illinois Open in August at the Glen Club, with the second course being Briarwood in Deerfield.

For more information on the Illinois PGA, please visit IPGA.com.