77th Illinois Open Championship Results
NORTH BARRINGTON, Ill. – August 12, 2026 – Charlie Nikitas (Glenview, Ill.) solidified his place in Illinois Open history Wednesday, winning his second career Illinois Open Championship and completing one of the most historic scoring performances in the event’s 77-year history.
Nikitas, the 2024 champion, added the 2026 title to become the 16th multiple-time winner in Illinois Open history and the 12th player to win the championship twice. Along the way, he established new 36-hole and 54-hole scoring records.
“This is so cool,” said Nikitas. “To win this again is just so cool. I love this event and everything involved. It hasn’t really set in yet.”
It was a fitting finish to a week defined by history from the start. Nikitas opened the championship by setting the course record at The Club at Wynstone in the first round before matching that mark in the second round.
Despite Nikitas’ record-setting pace, the final round was far from a runaway.
Beginning the final round with a four-shot advantage, Nikitas remained steady on the front nine. He birdied both par 5s and made just his second bogey of the championship on the eighth hole. Even with the dropped shot, Nikitas reached the turn with a three-shot lead.
His closest pursuer early on was playing partner Pierce Grieve (Lake Forest, Ill.), who tied Nikitas’ course record in the second round to earn a spot in the final pairing.
Grieve’s putter kept the pressure on Nikitas throughout the front nine. He converted birdie putts of more than 12 feet on Nos. 5 and 8 and took advantage of strong approach shots on Nos. 7 and 9 to add two more birdies. Grieve turned at 17-under-par, just three shots behind Nikitas.
The championship tightened further early on the back nine.
Both Nikitas and Grieve were forced to take penalty strokes off the tee on hole 12, resulting in bogeys. On No. 13, Grieve converted another lengthy putt to save par and put the pressure back on the leader. Nikitas answered, rolling in his par putt on the final rotation to maintain a two-shot advantage.
The par-3 14th proved to be the decisive hole.
Nikitas played first and found the center of the green, but his tee shot failed to cover the shelf and rolled back toward the front portion of the putting surface. He calmly lagged his birdie attempt close and converted the par to remain at 19-under-par.
Grieve, meanwhile, drew a difficult lie in the greenside bunker. His second shot carried over the green, and the ensuing trouble resulted in a double bogey that dropped him to 15-under-par.
Other contenders had made their moves, but Nikitas still held a three-shot advantage.
From there, it was cruise control for Nikitas. He made par on each of the next three holes before slamming the door on No. 18, making his 23rd birdie of the championship to set the 54-hole scoring record at 20-under-par 196 and claim his second Illinois Open Championship.
“I made birdie on 10, which was my first birdie on that hole all week. That one felt really important,” said Nikitas. “Then I made a par putt on 13 that also felt very important. On the last three or four holes, I just kind of let it loose. I said I wasn’t going to guide it around. I knew where I was at, and I just figured if I let it loose, I’d be all right.”
Wednesday’s victory carried similarities to Nikitas’ 2024 win at Flossmoor Golf Club. Much like this week, that championship was disrupted by delays before Nikitas emerged with the title.
“I think maybe this one was harder,” said Nikitas. “Mainly because I had to sleep with the lead. I didn’t eat today. I was hungry, but I couldn’t eat. This place is stressful. I don’t know which one was harder. They’re both hard.”
The struggles continued for Grieve following the 14th hole. He made bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 before capping off a strong week with a birdie on No. 18 to finish tied for fourth place at 13-under-par.
Luke Gannon (Monticello, Ill.) once again found himself near the top of the leaderboard at the Illinois Open Championship. A final-round 69 moved Gannon up two spots into solo second place at 16-under-par 200. The 2026 championship marked the second time Gannon has recorded the best 54-hole score by a runner-up in Illinois Open history. He previously finished second at the 2021 Illinois Open with a 14-under-par total.
Tommy Kuhl (Morton, Ill.) carded the low round of the final round, firing a 5-under-par 67 to move into solo third place at 15-under-par 201.
Timmy Crawford (Arlington Heights, Ill.) joined Grieve near the top of the leaderboard following a 3-under-par 69 in the final round. Crawford finished tied for fourth at 13-under-par, marking the best Illinois Open finish of his career.
Dujuan Snyman (a) (Champaign, Ill.) claimed the Low Amateur Award in his first Illinois Open appearance. Snyman posted rounds of 64, 68 and 72 to finish solo sixth at 12-under-par 204.
“This event was really cool,” said Snyman. “I’m really glad I played, and I will definitely be playing again next year. This week, I focused on my breathing, something I’ve been working on lately, and it was probably the most enjoyable rounds of golf I’ve ever played.”
Three players finished tied for seventh at 11-under-par 205. Daniel Hudson (Scottsdale, Ariz.), the 2021 Illinois Open champion; Tee-K Kelly (Wheaton, Ill.); and Michael Davan (Zionsville, Ind.) shared seventh place.
Kelly followed an eighth-place finish in 2025 with another top-10 showing and has now recorded seven top-15 finishes in his last eight Illinois Open appearances. Hudson extended his run of strong finishes with his fourth consecutive top-20 result, while Davan recorded the best finish of his career in just his second Illinois Open start.
Rounding out the top 10 were Jimmy Morton (Aurora, Ill.), Danny Fisher (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Aidan Lafferty (Downers Grove, Ill.), who each finished at 10-under-par 206.
The final award presented Wednesday evening was the Low Illinois PGA Professional Award. Vince India (Chicago, Ill.) claimed the honor after finishing at 7-under-par 209. India saved his best round of the championship for the final round, closing with a 4-under-par 68. He entered the PGA Program in March and currently serves as an Assistant PGA Associate at North Shore Country Club.
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