GOLF, Ill. – January 22, 2024 – The Illinois PGA has announced its tournament schedule for the 2024 season. This season will feature over 50 Illinois PGA Section events. The types of events will vary each week. The 2024 schedule will showcase the Illinois PGA Major Championships, the Illinois Open Series, Illinois Open Qualifiers, single-day Stroke Play Events, Pro-Special Events, and Pro-Am Events.
2024 Illinois PGA Major Championships:
The 2024 Illinois PGA tournament schedule is highlighted by the Illinois PGA Major Championships; the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship presented by Harris Golf Cars, the 75th Illinois Open Championship, the Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship, and the E-Z-GO Illinois PGA Players Championship.
The Illinois PGA Majors kick off with the Illinois PGA Match Play presented by Harris Golf Cars. This event will return to Bull Valley Golf Club for the third time in four years. The Match Play Championship will be returning to a 128-player maximum field format. Seeding will be determined by the 2023 Bernardi Illinois PGA Player of the Year points list, with last year’s Champion securing the number one seed. All players who did not receive Bernardi Player of the Year points in 2023 will be randomly seeded by the Illinois PGA Staff at the bottom of the field. If a full field of 128 is not reached, top seeds will receive first round byes. The Match Play Championship will take place from May 6-9. The defending Champion of this event is Chris French, PGA (Aldeen Golf Club).
The Illinois Open Championship is returning to Flossmoor Golf Club for the second straight season to host the 75th iteration of the Illinois State Championship of Golf. Vince India (Chicago, IL) is the defending Champion of this event.
There will be eight Illinois Open qualifiers throughout the state in June and July. The registration deadline for all qualifiers is Friday, June 21. The full list of qualifying sites and dates is listed below:
- Illinois Open Qualifier #1 – Deerfield Golf Club – June 26, 2024
- Illinois Open Qualifier #2 – Maple Meadows Golf Club – July 2, 2024
- Illinois Open Qualifier #3 – Atkins Golf Club – July 10, 2024
- Illinois Open Qualifier #4 – Sunset Valley Golf Club – July 15, 2024
- Illinois Open Qualifier #5 – Blackberry Oaks Golf Club – July 18, 2024
- Illinois Open Qualifier #6 – Springbrook Golf Club – July 24, 2024
- Illinois Open Last Chance Qualifier – Countryside Golf Club (Prairie) – July 31, 2024
Not included in the Illinois Open qualifier list is the Illinois PGA Professional only qualifier, which will be held in conjunction with the Illinois PGA Stroke Play #3 at Glen Flora Country Club on June 24. This qualifier comes as a result of reducing the Illinois PGA Professional exemption number from the top 35 players on the previous year’s points list to the top 30 players. This qualifier will allow the top 5 players and ties that are not previously exempt for the championship to qualify. Illinois PGA Members and Associates must register separately for this qualifier.
The Illinois Open will once again be accompanied by the Illinois Open Pro-Am, which will take place Sunday, August 4 at Flossmoor Golf Club on the eve of the 75th Illinois Open. Teams can register for this event at ipga.com. A competitor from the field will be assigned as the pro to each team that participates in this event.
The Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship will be contested at Elgin Country Club for the first time in event history on August 26-28. Mike Small, PGA (University of Illinois) captured his record setting 14th Illinois PGA Professional Championship title in 2023. As in years past the Section Championship also serves as the qualifier for the National PGA Professional Championship. There will nine qualifying spots for the National Championship in 2025 at this event.
The Glen View Club will play host to the E-Z-GO Illinois PGA Players Championship on September 30 – October 1. The Illinois PGA Players Championship has returned to its traditional form of allowing any Class-A Illinois PGA Member or Associate to register for the event. Brian Carroll, PGA (The Hawk Country Club) is the defending Players Champion.
2024 Illinois Senior Major Championships:
In addition to the regular division Major Championships, the Illinois PGA will also administer four Senior Major Championships in 2024.
The XXIO Illinois Senior Open Championship will be contested at a new site for the first time in two years. Hawthorn Woods Country Club will play host to the 2024 XXIO Illinois Senior Open Championship. This event is open to any legal resident (professional or amateur) of the State of Illinois who has reached the age of 50 by June 26. All amateurs must carry a verified handicap index of 10.0 or less. Small is the defending Champion of the XXIO Illinois Senior Open Championship.
The Nadler Golf Cars Illinois Senior PGA Professional Championship is the premier Senior event on the Illinois PGA schedule and will serve as the national qualifier for the Senior PGA Professional Championship. This event’s location has been moved to The Grove Country Club and will also be contested on July 1 -2 rather than its traditional timing of early August. Small is the defending Champion of this event.
Ridge Country Club will return as the host of the third Illinois Senior Major Championship in 2024. The Illinois PGA Match Play Championship will be contested on October 7-9 at Ridge Country Club. Roy Biancalana, PGA (The Hawk Country Club) is the defending Champion of this event.
The final Senior Major Championship for 2024 is the Illinois PGA Senior Players Championship. The Senior Players Championship is returning to Twin Orchard Country Club for the first time since 2020. The E-Z-GO Illinois PGA Players Championship was held at Twin Orchard Country Club in 2023. The Illinois PGA will use both the White and Red courses at Twin Orchard for this event. The Illinois Senior Players Championship is open to all senior Illinois PGA Members and Associates. David Hannon, PGA (Links and Tees) is the defending Illinois PGA Senior Players Champion.
The Illinois Super Senior Open will return to its traditional site of Pine Meadow Golf Club from August 20 – 21. Biancalana is the defending Champion of this event.
2024 Assistant Major Championships:
There are two Illinois PGA Assistant Major Championships on the 2024 schedule. The National Car Rental Illinois Assistant PGA Professional Championship will take place on June 10 at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club and serve as the national qualifier for the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Cameron Beeler, PGA (Oak Park Country Club) is the defending Champion of this event.
The second Illinois PGA Assistant Major Championship is the season-long Assistant Match Play Championship. Matches will be played from May 1 – September 19. Players who register for this event will be responsible for scheduling their matches with their opponents throughout the season. The Illinois PGA will provide match deadline dates for each round for which all players must complete their matches by. Kyle Donovan, PGA (Oak Park Country Club ) is the defending Illinois PGA Assistant Match Play Champion.
2024 Illinois PGA Stroke Play Schedule:
The Illinois PGA Stroke Play series is back in full force for the 2024 season. There will be six Illinois PGA Stroke Play events in 2024. The full Stroke Play calendar is listed below:
- Illinois PGA Stroke Play #1 – Schaumburg Golf Club – May 13, 2024
- Illinois PGA Stroke Play #2 – Merit Club – May 28, 2024
- Illinois PGA Stroke Play #3 – Glen Flora Country Club – June 24, 2024
- Illinois PGA Stroke Play #4 – Oak Park Country Club – July 8, 2024
- Illinois PGA Stroke Play #5 – Crystal Lake Country Club – August 19, 2024
- Illinois PGA Stroke Play #6 – Mt. Hawley Country Club – September 16, 2024
2024 will mirror the previous three seasons for all Assistants and Senior Stroke Play divisions. The Illinois PGA no longer holds individual Assistant Stroke Plays or Senior Stroke Plays. Instead, there will be Assistant and Senior divisions within all Stroke Play events.
2024 Illinois PGA Pro-Am Events
In addition to the Illinois Open Pro-Am, the Illinois PGA will administer five Pro-Ams in 2024. Three Pro-Ams will be Illinois PGA Section events, and the other two will support the Illinois PGA Foundation.
The Las Vegas Pro-Am will take place on March 10-14 at DragonRidge Country Club, Cascata, and TPC Las Vegas. The Illinois PGA Spring Travel and Fall Travel Pro-Ams will also return in 2024. The dates and locations for these events are still to be determined. Updates will be provided by the Illinois PGA on ipga.com.
2024 Illinois PGA Foundation Pro-Am Events:
The Illinois PGA will once again partner with SWAG Golf to host the Illinois PGA Foundation/SWAG Golf Pro-Am. The Meyer Brown Miller Invitational Pro-Am will return this fall to the Pinehurst area. Final details on these events will be communicated at a later time.
Illinois PGA Foundation Birdies for Charity Event:
The Illinois PGA’s Birdies for Charity event will be celebrating its 14th Anniversary in 2024. This annual fundraising event will take place on Tuesday, September 3 at River Forest Country Club
Annual Team Events:
Three annual team events will return to the Illinois PGA schedule in 2024. The 62nd Radix Cup, which features the top 11 Illinois PGA Professionals playing as two-man teams against the top 11 Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) amateurs, will be played at Oak Park Country Club on June 13. A player associated with Oak Park Country Club will be added to each team as the 12th team member. The Thompson Cup Matches are a match play team event between the top CDGA Senior amateurs and the top Illinois PGA Senior Professionals. This event will be played at Ridge Country Club on May 30. The Royal Cup Matches are set to return to the Chicagoland area. The date and location of this event are to be determined. The Royal Cup Matches are a team event featuring Wisconsin Assistant PGA Professionals and Illinois Assistant PGA Professionals.
The Illinois PGA’s full schedule for 2024 can be seen at ipga.com.
About the Illinois PGA/Illinois PGA Foundation
The Illinois Section of the PGA of America is a professional organization serving men and women golf professionals in northern and central Illinois who are 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 760 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, PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere), Illinois PGA Birdies for Charity, 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