GLENVIEW, Ill. – August 20, 2021 – The 2021 Illinois PGA Professional Championship will take place August 23-25 at Ivanhoe Club. This year marks the 99th Illinois PGA Professional Championship. The top 10 finishers will qualify for the 55th PGA Professional Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas in April 2022.
This year’s field features seven past champions, including defending champion, Mike Small (University of Illinois). Ivanhoe Club will play host to the Section Championship for the first time in tournament history in 2021. Three Ivanhoe PGA Professionals will compete in this year’s Championship (Michael Strain, PGA, Jim Billiter, PGA and Jim Sobb, PGA). There are four Championship victories shared between the three Ivanhoe pros. (Billiter – 2015, Sobb – 2000, 1999, 1995).
Long-time Illinois PGA Partner, Nadler Golf, is the Title Sponsor of the 2021 Illinois PGA Professional Championship and has been supporting this event for over 15 years.
ROY BIANCALANA, 61
PGA Teaching Professional at Blackberry Oaks Golf Club
Biancalana has played in eight Illinois PGA Professional events in 2021, as well as the Illinois Open Championship. He finished T14 at the 72nd Illinois Open and was the Illinois PGA’s lowest finisher. Biancalana has two wins this season. His first win came at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at the Hawk Country Club, and his other victory came at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Oak Park Country Club. In his most recent appearance, Biancalana finished third at the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship, and he also finished fifth at the Illinois PGA Senior Masters. In 2020, Biancalana finished fifth at the Illinois PGA Professional Championship and qualified for the 54th PGA Professional Championship where he missed the cut. He is currently in second place in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race and leads the Illinois PGA Errie Ball Senior Player of the Year race.
BRIAN CARROLL, 38
Head PGA Professional at The Hawk Country Club
Carroll has played in six Illinois PGA Section events in 2021, and the Illinois Open Championship where he finished T18. He has finished inside the top-10 at three Illinois PGA events this season, including a T4 finish at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at River Forest Country Club. In 2020, Carroll finished ninth at the Illinois PGA Professional Championship and qualified for the 54th PGA Professional Championship where he missed the cut. He is currently sixth in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race.
GARRETT CHAUSSARD, 38
PGA Director of Instruction at Skokie Country Club
Chaussard has played in six Illinois PGA events in 2021, and the Illinois Open Championship where he finished T37. His best finish came at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Sunset Ridge Country Club. He also finished runner-up at the Illinois PGA Match Play for the second straight year. 2021 marked the fourth consecutive season Chaussard made the Championship Match at the Illinois PGA Match Play. In 2020, he finished T14 at the Illinois PGA Professional Championship. He is currently fifth in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race.
CHRIS FRENCH, 35
Assistant PGA Professional at Aldeen Golf Club
French returns to the Illinois PGA Professional Championship after spending 2020 in the Southern California PGA Section. French has played in seven Illinois PGA events in 2021, and the Illinois Open Championship where he finished T41. His best finish came at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at ThunderHawk Golf Club where he finished third. He also finished fifth at Illinois PGA Assistant Championship. In 2020, French finished T13 in the Southern California PGA Professional Championship and qualified for the 54th PGA Professional Championship as an alternate, and finished T29. He finished T5 in his last appearance at the Illinois PGA Professional Championship in 2019. French is currently third in both the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race and the Illinois PGA Don Drasler Assistant Player of the Year race.
FRANK HOHENADEL, 38
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 five times, including a T2 finish last year. Hohenadel has played in six Illinois PGA events this year. His best finish came at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Sunset Ridge Country Club where he finished second. His T2 finish in last year’s Illinois PGA Professional Championship qualified him for the 54th PGA Professional Championship where he missed the cut. Hohenadel is currently 10th in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race.
TRAVIS JOHNS, 43
PGA Director of Instruction at Medinah Country Club
Johns is one of seven past Illinois PGA Professional Champions in this year’s field. He has appeared in six Illinois PGA events this season and the Illinois Open Championship. He won his first event of the year at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Bull Valley Golf Club. He also finished T1 at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at ThunderHawk Golf Club and finished T33 at the Illinois Open. Johns’ first place in the 2019 Illinois PGA Professional Championship broke a streak of three second places finishes (2010, 2013, 2016). In 2020, Johns finished fourth in the Illinois PGA Professional Championship to qualify for the 54th PGA Professional Championship where he missed the cut. He is currently leading the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race.
JEFF KELLEN, 32
Assistant PGA Professional at Butler National Golf Club
Kellen has played in seven Illinois PGA events this season. He won the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Sunset Ridge Country Club and has two other top -10 finishes. He finished T6 at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at The Hawk Country Club and the Illinois PGA Assistant Championship. In 2020, Kellen finished T11 in his first career Illinois PGA Professional Championship. He is currently seventh in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race and second in the Don Drasler Assistant Player of the Year race.
ANDY MICKELSON, 40
PGA Director of Golf at Mistwood GC
Mickelson has played in six Illinois PGA events in 2021, and the Illinois Open Championship. He has four top 10 finishes this year including a second-place finish at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at The Hawk County Club. In 2020, Mickelson finished T2 at the Illinois PGA Professional Championship and qualified for the 54th PGA Professional Championship where he finished T85. Mickelson made his Section Championship debut in 2019 and finished T5. Before 2019, Mickelson enjoyed a decorated playing career as an Associate, which included winning the 2015 National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship. He is currently 11th in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year race.
MIKE SMALL, 55
Men’s Head Golf Coach at the University of Illinois
Small enters the 2021 Illinois PGA Professional Championship as the defending Champion and fresh off his fifth consecutive victory at the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship. Small has won the Section Championship 13 times, including eight straight victories from 2003-2010. He also won the Section Championship in consecutive years in 2013 and 2014. 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 four Illinois PGA events in 2021, finishing inside the top 5 at each event. He also played in the 72nd Illinois Open Championship where he finished 50th. Small is exempt into the 55th PGA Professional Championship due to his win in 2009. In 2020, Small won the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year Award for the second time in his career. He is currently 15th in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of Year race.
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 associates, 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.
CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
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