2019 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship Results
Kildeer, Ill. – May 9, 2019 – Garrett Chaussard (Skokie CC) won his second straight Illinois PGA Match Championship on Thursday at Kemper Lakes Golf Club. Chaussard defeated Brian Carroll (The Hawk CC) 2 and 1 in the final match. With the win, Chaussard becomes just the fourth player to win back-to-back Illinois PGA Match Play Championships.
“Having not played much this year, it was a little surprising to come out striking the ball as well as I did,” said Chaussard. “I was able to get into good rhythms in each match. Even when I hit a few poor shots, I was able to refocus and get a handle on things. Especially in that last match, even though Brian put a little pressure on me, I was able to stay patient and wait for good shots to happen.”
The final match featured a back and forth showdown between Chaussard and Carroll in which only three holes were tied.
Chaussard got off to an early lead, winning the first hole of the match. The next six holes featured back and forth wins between the two players. Chaussard won the eighth and ninth holes to make the turn with a 2up lead.
After relinquishing his 2 up lead on holes Nos. 10-11, Chaussard bounced back to win Nos. 13-14 to regain a 1up lead. Chaussard would go on to win the par-4 16th hole and tied the par-3 17th hole to secure the victory.
Chaussard played six matches this week after earning the No. 1 seed due to his victory in 2018. Last year’s win earned him a bye into the second round of this year’s event.
Following the first-round bye, Chaussard defeated Brian Vaisnoras (Willow Crest GC) in the second round 5 and 3. Chaussard went on to defeat Julian Thompson (Ravinia Green CC) 4 and 3 and Steve Gillie (Randall Oaks GC) 3 and 1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Chaussard faced eighth seeded Matt Slowinski (Hinsdale GC) in his quarterfinal match. Chaussard took a 2up lead on the par-4 14th hole and never looked back as he defeated Slowinski 2 and 1 to advance to the semifinals.
The semifinals proved to be more of the same for Chaussard, who defeated fourth seeded Dakun Chang (Twin Orchard CC) 6 and 5 and moved on to his second straight Match Play Championship.
2019 IPGA Match Play Championship/p. 2
Chaussard now joins Bill Ogden, Bob Ackerman and Curtis Malm as the only players to win back-to-back Illinois PGA Match Play Championships. He will look to join Ogden and Malm as the third player to win three consecutive Illinois PGA Match Play Championships with a win in 2020.
“I think winning last year definitely helped me this year,” said Chaussard. “As the matches went along I knew that if I was patient good things would happen.”
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.
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CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
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