FLOSSMOOR, Ill. – September 24, 2025 – Mike Troy (Zigfield Troy Par 3 Golf Course) won the 2025 Illinois PGA Senior Players Championship at Flossmoor Golf Club on Tuesday, September 24. This serves as Troy’s second career Senior Illinois PGA Major Championship, with his first coming at the 2020 Illinois PGA Senior Match Play Championship.
This year’s Senior Players Championship shifted from its traditional October slot on the Illinois PGA Section calendar to the third week of September. The change proved successful, as the field of 34 players enjoyed calm conditions over both days, with temperatures holding steady in the mid-70s.
The 36-hole championship teed off on Monday with all 34 competitors aiming to be crowned this year’s champion. Several players started strong, with nearly 20% of the field carding birdies on the par-five opening hole at Flossmoor Golf Club. Among them was 2019 Senior Players Champion Roy Biancalana, who posted an even-par, 36 on his outward nine, and ultimately firing a 3-under-par 69. He was later joined atop the leaderboard by Troy, who birdied both the par-five 10th and par-five 18th to close with a 3-under-par 69 in the opening round. John Varner (Beverly Country Club) rounded out the top-three after the opening round with a 2-under-par 70.
The final round, final pairing of Troy, Biancalana, and Varner teed off just after 9 a.m. on Tuesday, facing conditions nearly identical to the opening round. Troy quickly broke free from the tie atop the leaderboard by birdieing the first hole, just as he had in round one. His lead was short-lived, however, as a bogey on the par-three second brought Biancalana and Troy back together at three-under-par. Biancalana closed his outward nine with a 1-over-par 37, while Troy rebounded with a birdie on the par-four fourth and ultimately posted a 1-under-par 35 on the front nine, giving him a two-shot advantage over the field.
The championship remained closely contested as the field turned to the back nine. Troy protected his two-shot lead with steady pars on holes 10 through 14. Scott Baines (Bryn Mawr Country Club) made a push up the leaderboard, carding a one-under-par front nine and adding a birdie on the par-five 10th to pull within one of Troy. But a bogey on the par-four 14th stalled Baines’ momentum, while Troy’s back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 all but sealed the victory. His birdie at 16 came within inches of a hole-out from the fairway, leaving him a simple tap-in to extend his lead.
“I just tried to pick the right club for the right shot and executed it. I hit it a little left of where I wanted it to be, but it ended up being right next to the stick which was nice” said Troy.
A bogey on the par-four 17th proved to be just a speedbump on Troy’s route to victory, who ultimately captured the championship by four.
“I’ve been playing good all summer, not sure why, but I’ve been striking the ball well and have some confidence. It’s nice to come back to a place that I played at as a kid with my father” said Troy.
This marked the first time the Senior Players Championship has been hosted at historic Flossmoor Golf Club.
“The golf course is always incredible. Thank you to George Goich and the members at Flossmoor GC for hosting us. The course is great and it’s such a pleasure to be here” Troy noted.
The Illinois PGA would like to thank long-time partner, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute for their support of the Senior Players Championship.
The Illinois PGA Senior Section calendar now flips to October with the Senior Match Play Championship taking place at Ridge Country Club on October 13-15.
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.ipga.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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CONTACT:
Brandon Seymour
Illinois PGA Communications
330.888.9400 mobile
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bseymour@pgahq.com