2023 Illinois PGA Errie Ball Senior Player of the Year Results
GOLF, Ill. – November 9, 2023 – Roy Biancalana (The Hawk Country Club) has won the 2023 Illinois PGA Errie Ball Senior Player of the Year Award. Biancalana has now won this honor in three consecutive years and five times in his career (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023).
“It feels good to win the Senior Player of the Year. I’ve done well the last 10 years across both the Senior Division and Main Division so that’s exciting,” said Biancalana. “I work extremely hard on my game and with so many really good senior players in the Illinois Section, winning the Senior Player of the Year is special and something I will always treasure.”
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 also showcased his talent with some nice finishes in the Main Divisions as well.”
Biancalana appeared in 11 Senior Division/Senior-only events in 2023. He finished inside the top 10 at all 10 of these events including three victories. His 2023 season was highlighted by his wins at the Illinois PGA Stroke Play #5 at Oak Park Country Club, and at the Illinois PGA Senior Match Play Championship at Ridge Country Club. Biancalana has now won the Illinois PGA Senior Match Play three years in a row.
In addition to the Illinois PGA Senior Match Play Championship, Biancalana also finished third at the Nalder Golf Cars Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship at Merit Club, T3 at the XXIO Illinois Senior Open at the Preserve at Oak Meadows, and T5 at the Illinois PGA Senior Players Championship, giving him top-five finishes at all four Illinois PGA Senior Majors in 2023.
Biancalana is also one of a handful of seniors in the Illinois PGA Section that participates in the Main Division in addition to the Senior Division. In 2023, he finished T12 at the Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship, third at the Illinois PGA Players Championship, and T38 at the Illinois Open. He also won the Illinois PGA Super Senior Open for the third time in his career.
“I think the highlight of the year was the Senior Match Play Championship,” said Biancalana. “I defeated David Paeglow in the Championship Match, and I think that kind of secured the Player of the Year race. Dave is one of my good friends out here, which made for a fun match. It felt good to play well at this event again.”
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.ipga.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
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kbquinn@pgahq.com