French Wins 2019 Don Drasler Illinois PGA Assistant Player of the Year

Nov 19, 2019

GLENVIEW, Ill. – November 19, 2019 – Chris French (Aldeen Golf Club) has won the 2019 Don Drasler Illinois PGA Assistant Player of the Year. This marks the second career Assistant Player of the Year honor for French, who has now won this honor two out of the last three seasons.

“We have a very competitive group of Assistants and Associates in the Illinois Section,” said Carrie Williams, Executive Director of the Illinois PGA Section. “Chris showcased some fantastic golf throughout the season and played well at both Assistant and Section major events. We congratulate him on his outstanding season and on winning Assistant Player of the Year.”

French played in 11 total Illinois PGA events in 2019, including six Assistant events. 2019 featured five victories for French including the Illinois PGA Assistant Match Play at The Grove Country Club and the Assistant Stroke Play #1 at Rolling Green Country Club. French also claimed victories at Illinois PGA Stoke Play #3 at Onwentsia Club, Illinois PGA Stroke Play #6 at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club (Dubsdread) and at the Illinois PGA Players Championship at Crystal Tree Golf and Country Club.

In addition to his wins, French also had a pair of second place finishes in 2019. His initial second place finish came at the Illinois PGA Assistant Championship at Elgin Country Club, and the other came at the Illinois PGA Assistant Stroke Play #2 at Kishwaukee Country Club.

French also finished T5 at the Illinois PGA Professional Championship at Ruth Lake Country Club, which qualified him for the 53rd PGA Professional Championship set to take place April 26-29, 2020 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas.

French’s low round of the year was 68, a score he carded three times in 2019 (Assistant Stroke Play #1, Stroke Play #6 and the Illinois PGA Players Championship). The last time French was the Illinois PGA Assistant Player of the Year was in 2017.

Don Drasler Assistant Player of the Year points are awarded at the Assistant Stroke Play events, the Illinois PGA Assistant Championship, the Assistant Match Play, the Illinois PGA Players Championship and the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Players earn points based on their finish against the entire field. Points are also weighted based of the strength and size of the field.   
 
The Illinois PGA Assistant Player of the Year is named after Don Drasler. Drasler was a PGA Professional from 1965-2007 and served as the Assistant Professional at Old Elm Club for over 33 years. He was the consummate golf professional and a fixture at the Old Elm Club in Highland Park, Illinois. Don loved the game of golf and made it not only his life’s work, but also his passion.   

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.
 

# # #

CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
708.336.1294 mobile
847.729.4102 office
kbquinn@pgahq.com