THE 61ST ILLINOIS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP WILL TEE OFF MONDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE
THROUGHOUT WEDNESDAY AT THE HAWTHORN WOODS COUNTRY CLUB IN NORTHWEST
SUBURBAN HAWTHORN WOODS.
University of Illinois golf coach Mike Small fresh off a a victory in the PGA Professional National
Championship (PPNC) at French Lick heads the 156 man field into this years Illinois Open.
With that win Small earned $75,000 and a spot in the field at this years PGA Championship, to
be held August 9-15 at the Whistling Straits links style course in Haven/Kohler Wisconsin.
Small has won the Illinois Open four times and is looking to tie Gary Pinns for most Illinois Open
Championships with five. Pinns won five times between 1978 and 1990. Small was victorious
in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, but has not won at Hawthorn Woods since the championship moved
there in 2008.
That doesn't mean he hasn't been close, Small finishing as runner up the last two years. Including
a playoff loss to last years champion Brad Benjamin of Rockford. Benjamin who is in the middle of
a strong push to make the 2011 US Walker Cup team before turning professional, is competing
this week at the Porter Cup in upstate New York and will not be in the field to defend his title.
(For more on Benjamin see Gog Blog past story on this site earlier this month)
Small will be tested by a strong field that includes some of Illinois top PGA section professionals
(99) and the state's best amateur players (57). "I have won the Illinois Open four times and have
two runner ups," Small said. "I like Hawthorn Woods but just haven't played well down the stretch,
this year I am hoping to get a win." (For more on Mike Small and his thoughts on the 2010 Illinois
Open see Gog Blog past story earlier this month)

MIKE SMALL (SEEN HOLDING 2009 IPGA SECTION TROPHY) IS TRYING TO TIE GARY
PINNS RECORD OF FIVE ILLINOIS OPEN'S THIS WEEK AT HAWTHORN WOODS.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ILL PGA/NICK NOVELLI
Dekalbs David Paeglow who was an early leader at the PPNC this year, joins 2008 Illinois Open
winner Joe Emerich of Palatine, Michael Schachner of Libertyville who played in the final group
in 2008 and holds the NCAA record for low round (60) in the NCAA National championship, Randy
Cochran of Deerfield Head Professional at Briarwood C.C. in Deerfield, who was this years
runner up in the IPGA Sr. Match Play Championship and played in the 2009 US Sr. Open at
Crooked Stick.
Other past Illinois Open champions include. Dino Lucchesi of Grayslake from 1993, Marty Schiene
of Mokena from 1997, and Curtis Malm of Aurora in 2000. Jim Sobb of Barrington and Head Professional
at Ivanhoe C.C. runner up of this years IPGA match play championship, and winner of the 2010 IPGA
Sr. Match Play, and participant at this years PPNC joins the field as well.
A couple of celebrity names will join the field too. For the second time WGN-TV channel 9 sports
anchor Dan Roan will tee it up, along with former Chicago Bear and ESPN Radio-1000 morning
show host Tom Waddle making his Illinois Open debut.
JIM SOBB HEAD PROFESSIONAL AT IVANHOE AND 2010 IPGA SR. MATCH PLAY CHAMPION
PHOTO COURTESY OF ILL PGA/MIKE SCHOAF
Steve Skinner CEO of the Northbrook based Kemper Sports Management who owns and
operates Hawthorn Woods CC, was pleased to welcome the state championship back
for a third year.
"We look forward to welcoming the Illinois Open Championship back to Hawthorn Woods,"
Skinner said. "I am certain it will again prove to be a great test of skill for all the finest players
in the state of Illinois."
Mike Miller the IPGA Executive Director says the Illinois PGA section is glad to be back playing
again at Hawthorn Woods.
"We are excited that Hawthorn Woods will again host the Illinois Open Championship," Miller
said. "The past two years the championship has been very well received by the players, and
the golf course proved to be a stern test. The staff and membership at Hawthorn Woods also
provide tremendous support. Which helped make both Illinois Open Championships the best
to date."

MIKE MILLER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ILLINOIS PGA
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ILLINOIS PGA/NICK NOVELLI
A LOOK AT THE HAWTHORN WOODS C.C. GOLF COURSE HOLES 1-18, AND WHAT THE OPEN
FIELD WILL BE FACING. THE COURSE IS DESIGNED BY ARNOLD PALMER, AND THE PALMER
TEE'S ARE 7,045 YARDS WITH A RATING AND SLOPE OF 74.7/140.
Hole 1, Par 4, 410 yards. A ravine and fescue area is left off the tee, golfers have to be careful
how much of this dogleg left they wish to cut off.
Hole 2, Par 4, 433 yards. A dogleg right with water left that shouldn't come into play for the
players this week. Second shot is uphill to a multi-tier green.
Hole 3, Par 4, 383 yards. Another dogleg right with water left. The best tee shot goes over the
bunkers that guard the right side, leaving a short iron into the green.
Hole 4, Par 3, 200 yards. This green has bunkers well placed front right and back left, back right
is a tough pin placement.
Hole 5, Par 4, 442 yards. The longest par 4 so far plays slightly uphill but has wide landing area's
in the fairway. The players can use some distant towers in the rear to line up their shots here.
Hole 6, Par 5, 563 yards. This par 5 the longest on the course has a fairway that snakes along
between mounds and sand bunkers. Into the wind this hole plays very tough.
Hole 7, Par 5, 501 yards. The shortest par 5 is a birdie hole unless the IPGA plays it as a par 4,
bunkers surround the front of this green. Most players get home in two here, regardless of par.
Hole 8, Par 4, 381 yards. The weed/fescue area and water right shouldn't come into play much
for these players. This will be one of the courses tighter fairways.
Hole 9, Par 3, 195 yards. Grass mounds and bunkers right, one long narrow bunker left before
the wetlands take over. Back left is a tough pin placement, the pin will be there at least once.
Hole 10, Par 4, 417 yards. OB right if the players try to bomb it down the right side over a high
faced bunker, to a slope that leaves the ball in position for a short second shot. Water left makes
the approach from an elevated fairway tough, especially if the wind is up.
Hole 11, Par 3, 190 yards. All carry here over a pond and a bunker that protects back left pin
placements.
Hole 12, Par 4, 442 yards. Players must hit the tee shot left here to have the best angle into this
tricky green. The green has deep front right bunkers and a big fall off into a chipping area if you
go long.
Hole 13, Par 5, 520 yards. Water left bunkers right off the tee, with a wetlands area to cross on
the second shot. This green is narrow and between grass and sand bunkers.
Hole 14, Par 4, 356 yards. Not a long hole or tough tee shot, but you want to put your tee ball on
the side of the hole location for best approach. The green is shaped around a deep bunker in
front.
Hole 15, Par 3, 236 yards. The water short left shouldn't bother these players. The hole plays
long, but bailout area's and chipping zones surround the green.
Hole 16, Par 4, 417 yards. The tee shot is best hit to the right side to get a good angle on the
approach shot, the green is guarded on the left side by four deep bunkers.
Hole 17, Par 5, 506 yards. Bunkers tighten the landing area and guard the front of this green,
but if the wind isn't in the players faces many will try and hit it in two shots. Players needing
to make up ground will gamble here.
Hole 18, Par 4, 453 yards. Water crosses the fairway and guards the left side, while surrounding
the the left and back left part of the green. Mike Small almost made a heroic par save here last
year from the rocks by the waterfall, in his attempt to win. When the flag is left it's a tough choice
to gamble on going for it, especially if the cut or the tournament is on the line.
The cut will fall after 36 holes, the top 50 players and ties will advance to the final 18 holes to
played on Wednesday.
THE 61ST ILLINOIS OPEN STARTS MONDAY JULY 26TH AND RUNS THROUGH THE 28TH,
COME SUPPORT THESE PLAYERS AS THEY TRY TO BE CROWNED STATE CHAMPION.
ADMISSION AND PARKING ARE FREE. HAWTHORN WOODS IS LOCATED ON SCHWERMAN RD.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT
WWW.IPGA.COM.