Kellen Carries Narrow Advantage into Final Round at Illinois PGA Professional Championship

BEVERLY, Ill. – August 25, 2025 – Jeff Kellen (North Shore Country Club) holds the clubhouse lead at the 2025 Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship after a steady round of 3-under-par 68, giving him a one-shot advantage with just 18 holes remaining at Beverly Country Club.

The 2025 Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship is being contested at Beverly Country Club for the first time in the event’s 104-year history. This year also marks the return of the 36-hole format for the first time since 1972, replacing the traditional 54-hole setup. In addition to crowning the Illinois PGA Section champion, the tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2026 PGA Professional Championship, scheduled for April 26-29 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The Illinois PGA has nine qualifying spots, in addition to Andy Svoboda of Butler National Golf Club, who is already exempt.

Kellen got off to a slow start in round one, turning in 1-over-par on his front nine, but caught fire after the turn with a bogey-free back nine. He eagled the par-5 11th to move into red figures, then added birdies at the par-4 15th and par-5 18th to finish at 3-under-par, good enough to take the early lead in the clubhouse.

“The momentum started on 10,” said Kellen. “I hit a horrible tee shot right and got up and down from the cart path. I hit a good tee shot on 11, had about 290 to the flag, and hit it to two feet. I hit a bunch of good shots down the stretch. I just kept giving myself opportunities. I just tried to take the easy ones when I could, and I knocked in a nice putt on 18 and called it a day.”

Kellen, a two-time Illinois PGA Major champion, is no stranger to strong play at the Section Championship. Since 2020, he has finished inside the top 25 in each of his appearances, including two top-five finishes. On Tuesday, he will have his chance to claim his first Section Championship title.

“The game plan will be the same tomorrow,” said Kellen. “I’m not going to try and make too much happen, and take the easy ones and see what happens. Beverly is always in great shape. They have great greens, and the greens’ speeds are always great. So you kind of expect that when you come out to Beverly Country Club. It’s such a privilege to come play a place like this. If they said it was a seven-hole championship, I would still come out and play.”

Eric Hoff (Bryn Mawr Country Club)  posted a 2-under-par 69 in Monday’s opening round. He sits in solo second place and just one back of the lead. Starting on the back nine, Hoff birdied two of his first four holes to grab an early share of the lead and added another birdie at the par-4 16th. He dropped shots at the par-3 17th and par-3 third, slipping back to 1-under, which at the time was part of a six-way tie for first. Hoff added a birdie on the par-4 fifth and finished at 2-under.

Host PGA Professional John Varner carded a 1-under-par 70 to finish in a tie for third, and is in contention at the Illinois PGA Professional Championship. After an up-and-down front nine that included one birdie and back-to-back bogeys on holes four and five, Varner settled in on the back side. He birdied the par-5 11th to get back to even par, then rebounded from a bogey at No. 15 with the shot of the day—an eagle on the par-4 16th, where he holed out from 150 yards with an eight-iron. The eagle lifted him into a six-way tie for first at the time, and he closed with steady pars on 17 and 18.

“16 was great,” said Varner. “I wish I could say that I flushed it, but it was a half chunk that just caught enough over spin and went in. It’s going to be a fun walk around this place just being in contention.”

Varner, who has qualified for two PGA Professional Championships, is bidding to become the first Illinois PGA Professional to win the Section Championship at his home facility since 1975.

“In a weird way, hosting took some of the anxiety away from playing,” said Varner. “I was more concerned about the operations and making sure everything was the way we wanted it to be so that we had a perfect Section Championship. I’m not thinking about winning. To have this place at our home course here at Beverly, a place I’ve been at for 29 years, and being in contention with a chance to make it to Bandon Dunes, it’s a little surreal. Win or lose, it’s going to be amazing.”

Chris Boyle of CB Golf Performance fired a 1-under-par 70 to join John Varner in a tie for third. Boyle got off to a blistering start with an eagle on the par-5 11th and added two birdies to reach 4-under and take the solo lead. But a bogey at No. 15 and a double bogey at No. 17 slowed his momentum, dropping him back to 1-under. An even-par front nine (his back nine) closed out his round, leaving him two shots off the lead.

2019 Illinois PGA Professional Champion, Travis Johns (Medinah Country Club), Samuel Norbom (Country Club of Peoria), Kyle Donovan (Oak Park Country Club), Roy Biancalana (The Hawk Country Club), and Paul Schlimm (Chicago Highlands Club) round out the top five after the first round, carding rounds of even-par 71.

Two time Illinois PGA Professional Champion Brian Carroll (The Hawk Country Club), Mike Troy (Zigfield Troy Par 3 Golf Course), Matt Slowinski (Hinsdale Golf Club), Jamie Nieto (Royal Fox Country Club), Seth Terpstra (SMART Golf & Fitness), and Kevin Flack (Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club) are currently T10 and fighting for the final qualifying spots after rounds of 1-over-par 72. Andy Svoboda (Butler National Golf Club) is also tied for 10th with this group, but is already exempt into the PGA Professional Championship.

The 2025 Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship will conclude Tuesday at Beverly Country Club. Final-round tee times begin at 7:30 a.m., with the leaders set to tee off at 2:00 p.m. At day’s end, the Illinois PGA Professional Champion will be crowned, along with nine qualifiers for the 2026 PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.