Romeoville, Ill. – July 23, 2024 – Professional Lauren Beaudreau (Marco Island, Fla.) captured the 2024 Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open title on Tuesday, July 23 at Mistwood Golf Club. Beaudreau put together rounds of 70 and 71 to win the Championship by one-stroke over Mistwood Golf Club LPGA Professional Nicole Jeray (Romeoville, Ill.) and amateurs Carolina Lopez-Chacarra (Madrid, Spain) and Caroline Smith (Inverness, Ill.). Beaudreau’s birdie on the final hole determined the result of the tournament, with the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish golfer walking away with her first professional win.
Beaudreau, a former Lemont, Ill. native, has had numerous tournament experiences around Mistwood GC, including a win at the 2014 AJGA Midwest Junior Players Junior All-Stars. This prior experience allowed her to come out to a hot start in round one, going 4-under through her first seven holes and eventually firing a first-round 70 after birding her final two holes. Beaudreau found herself sitting two strokes behind amateur Jessica Jolly (Rockford, Mich.) after round one, who led the way firing a 5-under-par 67.
Round two presented a different challenge for the players with increased heat and humidity, as well as a strong southernly breeze. In total, the course played almost two strokes higher in scoring average over round one. These conditions were amplified as the leaders made their way to the back-nine, where six of the nine highest scoring average to par holes stood.
First round leader Jolly played a steady front-nine, firing a 1-over-par, 37 to maintain her two-stroke advantage over the field heading to the back-nine. However, things began to wobble for Jolly, who bogeyed the par-four 13th to bring Smith and Lopez-Chacarra into a tie with Jolly for the championship. The bogeys continued for Jolly on 14 and 15, and she ultimately fell too far back from new co-leaders Smith and Lopez-Chacarra. The par-three 14th turned out to be the pivotal hole of the final round, as the wind blowing off of Kelpies Lake caused a three-group stall on the tee. Stepping up to the 14th tee, Beaudreau found herself one-shot off of the lead.
“I actually three putted 13, so going up to the tee I just wanted to calm myself down” said Beaudreau “It’s quite an intimidating shot over the water, so I just wanted to stay loose.”
Beaudreau made par on the 14th to remain just one-shot off of the lead with four holes to play. A bogey on 16 from Lopez-Chacarra pushed her out of the lead for the moment, until Smith bogeyed both 16 and 17 to once again create a new pair of co-leaders at the top of the leaderboard in Beaudreau and Lopez-Chacarra. A par on 18 from Lopez-Chacarra placed her as the clubhouse leader at 2-under-par. Just one group behind her, however, was fellow co-leader Beaudreau, who had the par-five 18th in front of her with a chance to win the championship.
“I wasn’t planning on going for the green in two on 18, until I hit my drive 304 yards. It felt a little silly to lay-up with an iron in my hands” said Beaudreau. “It was the first time I had ever gone for that green in two.”
That gamble paid off for Beaudreau, who hit a six-iron just off the left side of the green in two to leave herself with a relatively simple up-and-down to win the championship. Her pitch shot ended up just three feet from the hole, and a tap in birdie made her the leader in the clubhouse at 3-under-par.
Smith was all that remained in the way of Beaudreau claiming her first professional career victory. Smith stepped up to the 18th tee two-strokes behind Beaudreau, needing to make eagle on the last to tie. A solid drive and stellar approach shot found Smith just twelve feet away for eagle. As crowds began to gather around the green, the pressure mounted and Smith ultimately pushed her eagle putt just past, solidifying the victory for Beaudreau who was watching intently.
“It means a lot to me. I lived 25 minutes away from here growing up and played in many different tournaments out here. Mistwood is one of my favorite golf courses, and this is a trophy that I wanted my name associated with” said Beaudreau.
First to congratulate Beaudreau as she walked off the 18th green was Greg Kosin, brother of Phil Kosin, who was instrumental in the creation of the Illinois Women’s Open. Phil, publisher of Chicagoland Golf from 1989-2009 and host of a radio show by the same name for 13 years last on The Score 670AM, saw the need for female pros and amateurs to compete in a tournament in Illinois – so when no one else stepped up to provide that opportunity – he did. Phil advocated for making the game of golf accessible to everyone – new players, juniors, and especially women.
Rounding out the leaderboard, Lopez-Chacarra and Smith shared the low amateur honors with their 2-under par 142. Jeray also finished in a tie for second at 2-under par and Jolly rounded out the top-five with a final score of even-par 144.
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