GLENVIEW, Ill. – December 16, 2021 – Roy Biancalana (Blackberry Oaks Golf Club) has won the 2021 Illinois PGA Errie Ball Senior Player of the Year Award. This marks the third time he has won this honor in four years (2018, 2019, 2021).
"I am very pleased with my play this year,” said Biancalana. “Two things really stand out. The first is that Kevin Marion, the head golf professional at Old Elm Club, introduced me to the Autoflex shaft and my driving distance increased 20-25 yards. That has been truly life-changing. The second thing is my work with top-50 teacher, Todd Sones, at White Deer Run Golf Club. We worked on my swing, of course, but where I really saw improvement was in my putting. 2021 was the best putting year I've had in at least 20 years. So, it was a great year, and I can't wait for 2022."
Errie Ball Senior Player of the Year points are earned against other eligible players competing in the Senior Division at Illinois PGA Stroke Play events, the Illinois PGA Senior Match Play Championship, the Illinois PGA Senior Championship, the Senior Illinois PGA Players Championship, the Illinois Senior Open Championship, the Senior PGA Professional Championship and the Senior PGA Championship. Only Class-A members over the age of 50 are eligible for Errie Ball Senior Player of the Year points. Points are allocated to players based on their finish against the entire field. Points are weighted based on the strength and size of the field.
“We have a lot of great senior competitors in the Illinois Section,” said Carrie Williams, Executive Director of the Illinois PGA Section. “The Senior Player of the Year Award is difficult to win, and Roy showcased some great golf throughout the season, performing well at every event he participated in and having a shot to win both Player of the Year Award honors.”
Biancalana appeared in 12 Illinois PGA events in 2021 and participated in both the Main Division and Senior Division at each event. He finished inside the top 10 in the Senior Division 11 times and finished inside the top 10 in the Main Division six times this year. His 2021 season was highlighted by three Senior victories. He won the Senior Division at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at The Hawk Country Club and at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Oak Park Country Club. His final win of the year came at the Illinois PGA Senior Match Play Championship at Shorearces, which clinched the 2021 Senior Player of the Year honor for Biancalana.
In addition to his wins, Biancalana also finished second in the Senior Division at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at ThunderHawk Golf Club, and had a pair of third-place finishes at the Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship and XXIO Illinois Senior Open Championship.
Biancalana also recorded two victories in the Main Division in 2021. Both victories were in addition to his Senior Division victories at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play at the Hawk Country Club and Illinois PGA Stroke Play at Oak Park Country Club. Biancalana finished third in the Illinois PGA Bernardi Player of the Year points race, which serves as the Main Division Player of the Year honor. He also won the Illinois Super Senior Open for the second year in a row.
In October, Biancalana finished T29 at the 33rd Senior PGA Professional Championship to qualify for the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Biancalana had also qualified for the 2020 Senior PGA Championship, but the event was canceled due to the pandemic.
This award is named after Errie Ball. Ball served and contributed to the game of golf for over forty-four years as the Head PGA Professional at Oak Park Country Club. He was a tremendous player, qualifying for the U.S. Open 20 times, the PGA Championship eight times and winning the Illinois PGA Professional Championship three times (1949, 1955, 1965). He was also named the first Director of Golf at Butler National Golf Club in 1972 and was elected into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in 1990.
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
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kbquinn@pgahq.com