76TH ILLINOIS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD
KILDEER, Ill. – August 4, 2025 – The 76th Illinois Open presented by Troon kicked off with a stern reminder of Kemper Lakes Golf Club’s championship pedigree. On a day when the storied venue stretched beyond 7,000 yards and bared its teeth, only six players managed to break par. Kemper Lakes, which famously hosted the 1989 PGA Championship and has long been revered for its demanding layout and penal finishing stretch, delivered a classic test of championship golf during the first round of the 76th Illinois Open Championship.
Travis Johns (Oswego, Ill.), Director of Instruction at Medinah Country Club, emerged as the pace-setter. Johns carded a steady 4-under-par 68, seizing the 18-hole lead and becoming the first PGA Professional to top the leaderboard after Round 1 since Dakun Chang and Andy Mickelson shared the honor in 2018.
“I was hitting it pretty good today,” said Johns. “I haven’t been playing a lot of golf lately, so I was kind of trying to figure things out there for a little. I think my expectations for the day were pretty low. I always want to try and play my best. It was to get out there and concentrate on golf for a little bit. This is a championship golf course, and you have to hit the right shots. I remember playing the Illinois PGA Match Play here when we used to have it here, and it’s always a blast coming out to Kemper Lakes.”
Johns got the day started with a birdie on the second hole. Despite having some good looks on the front nine, Johns was unable to convert another birdie and dropped back to even par after a bogey on the sixth hole. He hung in the round and made his move on the back nine, making an eagle on the par-5 11th hole, just the second eagle on that hole all round. He then recorded back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15, and closed out the tough finishing stretch at Kemper Lakes with three straight pars.
“On the front nine, the wind was pretty low. The flags are tucked pretty good out here, but on the starting four holes, there were some good opportunities for birdies,” said Johns. “I made an early birdie on the second hole, which got things going. I had a good look on the fourth hole as well, but wasn’t able to get that one to fall. I just kind of hung in there through some of the harder holes. The wind picked up on my back nine. The 11th hole is a tough one. I hit my second shot to the back of the green and made the putt for eagle. The final three holes out here are tough, but I struck it well through the finishing holes.”
Just one shot back is Varun Chopra (Champaign, Ill.), who carded a solid 3-under-par 69 in his return to the Illinois Open after a one-year hiatus. Chopra is no stranger to the Illinois Open spotlight. Since 2021, he has collected three top-10 finishes, including his best finish, a solo second place at the 73rd Illinois Open held at White Eagle Golf Club in 2022.
“I think this golf course gets a little overshadowed by some of the other courses here,” said Chopra. “There are so many good courses in Illinois, but this course is great. It’s a great challenge, it’s in great shape, and it’s perfect for this event. You can’t change your game plan on this golf course. It’s tough enough out here. You just have to keep executing.”
Chopra, who started on the back nine, carded a bogey on his opening hole. He quickly turned things around, birdieing four of the next five holes. He then got through the infamous gauntlet (holes 16-18) with three consecutive pars. Chopra got to 5-under-par after birdies on holes three and four, but surrendered two strokes on the difficult par-4 fifth hole. He closed his round out with two great up-and-downs on eight and nine, including a sand save on the ninth hole.
“I got off to a bit of a shaky start,” said Chopra. “I bogeyed my first hole (the 10th hole). From then on, I played the back nine pretty well. That back nine is tough. There are a lot of hard holes, especially those last three. It felt good to bounce back from that bogey. I went on to birdie 11, 12, 14, and 15. I just told myself to stay patient. I actually laid up on 11. I was in between clubs there. I told myself to forget about the bogey and just hit the shot like any other shot. It was nice to make the right decision and get rewarded. So, I just tried to stay patient and hung in there.”
Tied for third at 2-under-par 70 are Dylan Meyer (Evansville, Ind.) and Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park, Ill.) (a). For Meyer, the strong start is a redemption arc in motion. Forced to withdraw from the 75th Illinois Open at Flossmoor a year ago, Meyer returns to a familiar position on the leaderboard. In his debut at the event in 2023, he finished runner-up to Vince India in a dramatic playoff.
Slutzky, a highly accomplished amateur, is making his first Illinois Open appearance since 2009, where he missed the cut at Hawthorn Woods Country Club. His opening-round performance has him not only in the hunt for low amateur honors but also firmly positioned as a contender for the overall championship.
Brian Ohr (Northbrook, Ill.) and Mike Small (Champaign, Ill.) rounded out the group of six players to finish under par on a demanding opening day at Kemper Lakes, each posting a 1-under-par 71.
Small, the most decorated Illinois Open competitor in the field and second all-time in victories, is chasing history this week. With four titles already to his name, the Illinois Golf Hall of Famer is eyeing a record-tying fifth victory, which would place him alongside fellow Illinois Golf Hall of Famer Gary Pinns atop the all-time win list.
For Ohr, Monday’s round marks a promising start in his quest for a career-best finish at the Illinois Open. Despite eight previous appearances, he has cracked the top 20 just twice. His opening 71 positions him well to make a deeper run this year at one of the state’s most prestigious championships.
Six players are tied for seventh at even-par 72, rounding out the top 10 after the opening round. Among the notables in that group is Andy Svoboda (Oak Brook, Ill.), Head PGA Professional at Butler National Golf Club, who finished as the low PGA Professional at last year’s Illinois Open.
Other notables at even par are Michael Feagles (Scottsdale, Ariz.), a regular contender in state championships; Grant Rosich (a) (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), one of several amateurs making an early statement; and Jimmy Morton (Sugar Grove, Ill.), who continues to build on a solid Illinois Open resume.
With 36 holes to play, the Illinois Open is shaping up to be a battle of attrition. The 76th Illinois Open continues tomorrow at Kemper Lakes Golf Club. Following the conclusion of tomorrow’s round, the field will be cut to the low 50 players and ties.
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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 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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Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
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