LINCOLNWOOD, Ill. – June 9, 2025 – Kyle Donovan of Oak Park Country Club delivered a commanding performance to win the 2025 Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship, held at Bryn Mawr Country Club on June 9. With a stunning two-round total of 10-under-par 134, Donovan secured the title by an impressive seven strokes, earning him a spot in the upcoming National Assistant PGA Professional Championship.
The 36-hole championship not only crowned an Assistant Section Champion but also served as the qualifier for the 2025 National Assistant PGA Professional Championship, scheduled for November 13–16 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“This is a tough one. Thirty-six holes in one day is always tough,” said Donovan. “I haven’t had a ton of success in this event in the past. You just hope that you can find something while you are out on the golf course and make something happen.”
Donovan began the day with a solid first round, taking a narrow one-stroke lead into the final 18 holes. In the afternoon round, he shifted into high gear, distancing himself from the field.
Following the conclusion of the first round, the Championship seemed to be a two-man race with Donovan leading Ethan Hildebrandt (Biltmore Country Club) by one stroke. Both players came out strong and continued their excellent play on the front nine of the final round.
Donovan birdied holes one and three to reach 7-under-par for the Championship, while Hildebrandt carded birdies on holes two and three to keep pace at 6-under-par. Donovan remained steady throughout the front nine, bouncing back from a double bogey on the par-4 fourth hole with birdies on holes five and nine. He made the turn at 7-under-par and held a three-stroke lead over Hildebrandt, who bogeyed holes four and eight to fall back to 4-under-par.
The final nine holes of the Championship are where Donovan separated himself from the pack. After a bogey on the par-3 10th hole, which played as the second hardest hole of the Championship, Donovan carded four birdies in his last eight holes to secure the victory.
“I got off to a strong start this morning,” said Donovan. “I was trying to take advantage of the par-5s out here. With there being five of them, you have to take advantage of them.”
With the victory, Donovan captures his first Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship title and his second Illinois PGA Major Championship, having won the Assistant Match Play Championship in 2023.
“It feels great to win this one,” said Donovan. “It feels great to finally qualify for the National Assistant Championship, but it feels even better to get the win and do it in a strong fashion.”
Hildebrandt struggled down the stretch, recording three double bogeys on the back nine, but did well to hang in the round, making birdies on holes 15 and 18 to finish in a tie for third place.
“Ethan (Hildebrandt) is a great guy and player,” said Donovan. “He got off to a good start on the front there in round two. He was matching me shot for shot. It seemed like every time I hit a good shot, he was hitting one just as good. I just tried to stay in my head and play my game. If you start thinking about other people out there, you can start to play yourself out of the tournament.”
Crimson Callahan of Conway Farms Golf Club, a new addition to the Illinois PGA Section as of February, made an impressive run to finish in solo second at 3-under-par 141. Starting the final round three strokes back of Donovan, Callahan struggled to get anything going on the front nine but carded three consecutive birdies on holes 13, 14, and 15 to offset a double bogey on the 11th. His strong finish earned him a qualifying spot for the national stage.
Hildebrandt rounds out the trio of national qualifiers, finishing in a tie for third with a score of 1-over-par 145. He shared the position with Joey Watts (The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club), Kyle Irlbacker (Kemper Lakes Golf Club), and Brian Kirhofer (Rich Harvest Farms). However, due to PGA of America eligibility rules, Watts, Irlbacker, and Kirhofer were not eligible to advance to the National Championship, making Hildebrandt the third and final qualifier from Illinois.
National Championship Bound
Donovan, Callahan, and Hildebrandt will represent the Illinois Section at the 2025 National Assistant PGA Professional Championship this fall in Florida. The annual event brings together the country’s top Assistant Professionals, offering a chance to compete for national recognition and further professional development.
“I’ve had some good history at the PGA Golf Club over the years,” said Donovan. “It’s nice to be able to return there with some experience and hopefully make a run at it.”
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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 associates, 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
708.336.1294 mobile
kbquinn@pgahq.com