2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship Players to Watch

Aug 23, 2019

ROUND 1 & 2 PAIRINGS AND TEE TIMES

GLENVIEW, Ill. – August 22, 2019 – The 2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship will take place at Ruth Lake Country Club in Hinsdale, Ill. on August 26-28. This year marks the 97th Illinois PGA Professional Championship. The top nine finishers will qualify for the 53rd PGA Professional Championship at the Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas on April 26-29, 2020. There are seven past champions in this year’s field. Long-time Illinois PGA partner, Nadler Golf Cars, is the Title Sponsor of the 2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship and has been supporting this event for over 15 years.  

BRIAN CARROLL, 36 
Head PGA Professional at the Hawk Country Club

Carroll has played in six Illinois PGA Section events in 2019, finishing inside the top-10 at five events. Carroll’s 2019 season is highlighted by his win at the Stroke Play #5 at Stonebridge Country Club. The Crystal Lake native also finished second in the 2019 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes. Carroll finished T1 in the 2018 Illinois PGA Professional Championship, but fell to Dakun Chang in a three-hole playoff. Carroll would go on to defeat Chang in the semifinal match of the 2019 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship. One of 11 Illinois PGA Professionals to qualify for the 2019 PGA Professional Championship, Carroll would go on to miss the cut at Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina. Carroll is currently in third place in the 2019 Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year points race.   

DAKUN CHANG, 27
Assistant PGA Professional at Twin Orchard Country Club
Chang will look to defend his 2018 Illinois PGA Professional title next week at Ruth Lake Country Club and become just the 10th person in Section history to win back-to-back Illinois PGA Professional Championships. A top nine finish would result in Chang qualifying for the PGA Professional Championship for the third straight time. He missed the cut in the 2019 PGA Professional Championship and finished T16 in 2018. Chang has five top-10 finishes in Illinois PGA events this year, including a T3 finish at the 2019 Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes. He also finished second at the Assistant Stroke Play #1 at Rolling Green Country and Stroke Play #3 at Onwenstia Club. Chang is currently in eighth in the 2019 Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year points race.

GARRETT CHAUSSARD, 36
PGA Director of Instruction at Skokie Country Club
Chaussard has won two Illinois PGA events in 2019, including the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes for the second straight year. He currently leads the 2019 Bernardi Player of the Year points race. He also finished T1 at Stroke Play #2 with Chris French and was part of the team that finished T1 at the Pro-Pro-Pro Scramble at Harborside. Chaussard recently recorded his best finish at an Illinois Open with a T9 finish at the 70th Illinois Open. The Park Ridge native finished T27 in the 2018 Illinois PGA Professional Championship and his best finish came back in 2014 (T3).

CHRIS FRENCH, 32
Assistant PGA Professional at Aldeen Golf Club
French has had a strong showing on the 2019 Illinois PGA circuit, winning three of the seven Illinois PGA events he’s played in, including the Illinois PGA Assistant Match Play Championship at the Grove Country Club. He won the Assistant Stroke Play #1 at Rolling Green Country and Club and tied Chaussard for first place at the Stroke Play #3 at Onwentsia Club. French punched his ticket to the 43rd National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club on Nov. 14-17 with his second-place finish at the Assistant Illinois PGA Professional Championship at Elgin Country Club. Having just garnered A-8 status, the 2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship will be the first Section Championship appearance for French. French leads the Illinois PGA Don Drasler Assistant Player of the Year points race. 

FRANK HOHENADEL, 36
Head PGA Professional at Mistwood Golf Club
Hohenadel is one of seven past Illinois PGA Professional Champions in this year’s field. Hohenadel got his win in 2011 at Medinah Country Club. Since then, he has finished inside the top-10 at this event four times. Hohenadel is coming off a career best, third place finish at the 70th Illinois Open. He also finished T9 in the 2019 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes and T3 at the Stroke Play #3 at Onwentsia Club this season. Hohenadel currently sits in second place in the 2019 Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race.

TRAVIS JOHNS, 41
PGA Director of Instruction at Medinah Country Club
Johns had an impressive 2018 season on the Illinois PGA circuit finishing inside the 10-top in every event he played in on his way to winning to the 2018 Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year award. 2019 has proved to be more of the same for Johns, who has four top-10 finishes at Illinois PGA events this season. Although he has never won the Illinois PGA Professional Championship, Johns has finished in second place three times (2010, 2013, 2016) and fifth place or better three other times. Johns is coming off a T16 finish at the 70th Illinois Open and ranks fourth in the 2019 Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year points race.

ANDY MICKELSON, 38
PGA Director of Golf at Mistwood GC
Mickelson will also be making his Section Championship debut at the 2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship, having just earned his membership. Mickelson has only made two appearances at Illinois PGA events this season, finishing T2 at Stroke Play #3 at Onwentsia Club and T10 at Stroke Play #5 at Stonebridge Country Club. Before garnering his membership in 2019, Mickelson enjoyed a decorated playing career as an Associate. Since 2015, Mickelson has won 14 Illinois PGA events, including the Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship in 2016 and the Illinois PGA Players Championship in 2017. Mickelson also won the 2015 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship.

MATT SLOWINSKI, 41
Head PGA Professional at Hinsdale Golf Club
Slowinski enters the 2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship looking to break out of his top-10 finish streak. Slowinski has finished in 10th place or better in the last six Illinois PGA Section Championships, including two second place finishes in 2013 and 2015. Since 2009, Slowinski has placed in the top-10 nine times and has three second place finishes. He is coming off a T16 at the 70th Illinois Open and is currently in sixth in the 2019 Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race.   

MIKE SMALL, 53
Men’s Head Golf Coach at the University of Illinois
Small enters the 2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship fresh off his third consecutive victory at the 2019 Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship. Small has won the Section Championship 12 times, including eight straight victories from 2003-2010. He also won this Championship in consecutive years in 2013 and 2014. Small’s most recent victory at this event came in 2016. Since his first victory in 2001, Small has never finished outside the top 10 at the Section Championship. Including the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship, Small has played in three Illinois PGA events in 2019. He finished second at the Senior Stroke Play #2 at Rolling Green Country Club and T11 at the Stroke Play #3 at Onwentsia Club. Small is also a four-time Illinois Open Champion.  

About the Illinois PGA/Illinois PGA Foundation
The Illinois Section of the PGA of America is a professional organization serving the men and women golf professionals in northern and central Illinois who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf. The Illinois PGA is responsible for the administration of competitive golf tournaments, educational opportunities, support programs and growth of the game initiatives. With over 840 members and apprentices, the Illinois PGA is one of the 41 regional Sections that comprise the PGA of America. The Illinois PGA Foundation focuses its community efforts on promoting the goodwill and growth of the game with an emphasis on activities that benefit youth. Foundation initiatives include: GolfWorks Illinois, Youth-based Scholarship Funds and the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. For more information about the Illinois PGA and the Illinois PGA Foundation, please visit www.www.ipga.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.                

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CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
llinois PGA Communications
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