ERIC MEIERDIERKS SHOT A FINAL ROUND ONE UNDER PAR 68 TO WIN THE
ILLINOIS OPEN BY ONE SHOT, OVER LUKE GUTHRIE OF QUINCY AND THE U OF I
GOLF TEAM.

For the 25 year old Meierdierks  it's his first Illinois Open Victory, which is a tournament
he has competed in since age 16 when he won the the IPGA Junior tournament to
earn his way in.

Meierdierks who is a member at Sunset Ridge CC in north suburban Northfield, was
quick to thank the many people there that had helped him along the way.


              2010 ILLINOIS OPEN WINNER ERIC MEIERDIERKS OF WILMETTE

The tournament was Guthrie's to win or lose late on the front nine. Guthrie was sailing
along after a great start that had him three under par for the day and nine under for
the tournament, when he made a decision to go for a tucked pin on the par 3 ninth
hole. Guthrie pulled his nine iron left into the wetlands and made double bogey. That
started to be the beginning of the end for Guthrie who lead continued to dwindle, after
bogeys on 10, 11.

Meierdiercks made birdie while Guthrie made bogey on the par 5 13th hole, that gave
Meierdierks the lead for good. Guthrie mounted his final charge down two shots on
the 18th hole, when he put his approach shot about 4 feet from the cup.

Meierdierks answered by hitting the center of the green and leaving himself a putt of
20 feet. "That's when it's good to have a two shot lead," Meierdierks said. " I knew I
could make par from there."

Meierdierks left his birdie close enough to the cup to avoid any drama, before Guthrie
rolled in his birdie putt to finish one shot back. Meierdierks won the first place check
of $14,000. With Guthrie and Bennett Lavin of Deerfield both being amateurs the
second place professional check of $10,000 went to Mike Small, who closed with
a one under par 68 to finish T-3rd.

TO HEAR FINAL ROUND INTERVIEWS WITH MIKE SMALL, LUKE GUTHRIE, AND
ERIC MEIERDIERKS CLICK HERE:

Download | Duration: 00:09:46

There was a four way tie for fifth place and Josh Esler, ended up shooting the round
of the tournament a 5 under par 64, that included a 29 on the back side to fuel
his run up the leaderboard. Andy Pope of Glen Ellyn, Guy Sciortino of Melrose Park 
who overcame the flu, and Britt Pavelonis of downstate Harrisburg where the other
fifth place finshers.

Carlos Sainz Jr. of Elgin (66), Michael Schachner of Libertyville (68), Craig Onsrud of
Normal (75) finshed T-9 to round out the top 10.

Billy Rosinia of Indian Head Park closed with a final round +3 (72), that included a
hole-in-one on the par 3 ninth hole. Rosinia made ace with an 8-iron from 144 yards.

Once again the par was 69, as the par 5 17th hole was reduced to a par 3 because
of wet, and muddys conditions from the flooding over the past weekend.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ILLINOIS OPEN PLEASE VISIT WWW.IPGA.COM.