76TH ILLINOIS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD
KILDEER, Ill. – August 5, 2025 – The championship pedigree of Kemper Lakes Golf Club was on full display during the second round of the 2025 Illinois Open, and Brian Ohr proved he was more than up to the challenge. The 28-year-old carded a 3-under-par 69—tied for the lowest round of the day—to build a commanding four-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round.
“I played really solid today,” said Ohr. “The conditions have been tough. I knew going into today that the guys who played yesterday afternoon had to face some tough conditions. So I was expecting to face something similar. I just stayed steady and patient. At times, I had to play very conservative golf to avoid the big numbers that can happen at this course.”
On a difficult day when only five players managed to break par, Ohr’s steady play stood out. Backing up his strong opening round with another composed performance, he became the only player in the field under par through 36 holes. Now sitting atop the leaderboard, Ohr has positioned himself as the man to beat with 18 holes to play.
Ohr began his second round on the back nine of Kemper Lakes, looking to back up his 1-under-par 71 from Monday. He took advantage of the difficult par-5 11th hole, making his first birdie of the day, then backed it up with another birdie on the 12th hole.
Sitting at 3-under-par for the tournament, Ohr remained steady throughout his opening nine holes, making six straight pars, including on holes 16 through 18—a stretch often referred to as the toughest on the course.
After making his seventh consecutive par on the par-4 first hole (his 10th of the day), Ohr capitalized on the short par-4 second hole, which was moved up to play just 285 yards, making birdie to move to 4-under-par. He added another birdie at the par-4 fifth hole to reach 5-under, before his bogey-free streak ended with a dropped shot on the par-3 sixth.
Ohr finished with a birdie-bogey stretch on holes eight and nine, ultimately carding a 3-under-par 69. That effort moved him to 4-under for the tournament and gave him a commanding four-shot lead heading into the final round, searching for his first solo professional win.
“The game plan is going to stay pretty similar to the first two rounds,” said Ohr. “ I’m expecting it to be another tough challenge tomorrow. I can’t try and beat the golf course. I’m going to try and go with the flow, take the opportunities when they come, and maybe play conservative when I need to. Some of the holes out there can be nerve-racking, but I’ve enjoyed it so far, and I’m grateful to be in this position. It’s going to be a fun day tomorrow.”
Matching Ohr shot-for-shot was Timmy Crawford of Arlington Heights, Illinois, who made a major move up the leaderboard with a stellar second round. Crawford began the day seven shots back after opening with a 3-over-par 75, but quickly started gaining ground.
“I played pretty well today,” said Crawford. “I chipped and putted well, and I also didn’t get into any trouble off the tee. I didn’t hit as many fairways as I would like, especially on the back nine, but I kept it in front of me and made a couple of key putts; overall, it was a good day.”
He took advantage of the shortened par-4 second hole, recording his first birdie of the day, though the momentum was short-lived with a bogey on the very next hole. A birdie on the reachable par-5 seventh hole got him back into red figures for the round, but another bogey on the 10th returned him to even par.
From there, Crawford’s round took off. He birdied the par-5 11th, then followed it with a spectacular hole-out eagle on the par-4 12th—the only eagle recorded on that hole so far this week. He closed his round with six straight pars, tying Ohr for the low round of the day at 3-under-par 69.
“I holed out on 12,” said Crawford. “I hit it in the first cut off the right. I was blocked out by trees and didn’t really have much. I hit an 8 iron from under the tree. I was just trying to get it rolling to the front edge and maybe get back to the pin. It rolled perfectly to the middle of the green and took a hard left turn, and went in on its last roll.”
The strong finish vaulted Crawford 19 spots up the leaderboard, putting him in a tie for second heading into the final round in search of his first professional win.
“I’ve only been a professional for two years,” said Crawford. “It’s been difficult. There are a lot of ups and downs, but I’ve had a lot of fun with it so far. My game plan definitely doesn’t change going into tomorrow. Especially at this course. You have to take every shot for what it is. You just have to try and find the fairway, then hit the green.”
First-round leader Travis Johns (Oswego, IL) faced the full challenge of Kemper Lakes Golf Club in round two, carding a 4-over-par 76 that saw him relinquish his 18-hole lead. Starting on the back nine, Johns struggled early, recording four bogeys and a double bogey on his opening nine holes, which dropped him to 2-over-par for the tournament.
However, he would recover nicely on the front side. He found momentum with back-to-back birdies on holes three and four, and added another birdie on the par-5 seventh. A bogey on the eighth hole would be his final blemish of the day, as he finished with a 76, slipping just one spot into a tie for second place.
Despite the setback, Johns remains firmly in contention. A strong final round could put him in position to claim his first career Illinois Open title, which would also earn him the prestigious Illinois PGA Career Grand Slam—having already won the IPGA Match Play Championship (2010, 2024), IPGA Professional Championship (2019), and IPGA Players Championship (2014, 2019).
Four-time Illinois Open Champion Mike Small (Champaign, IL) and Andy Svoboda (Oak Brook, IL) are both tied for fourth place at 1-over-par, sitting five shots back of the lead heading into the final round.
An Illinois PGA Professional has not finished inside the top five at the Illinois Open since Frank Hohenadel in 2019, but that could change this year. With Johns, Svoboda, and Small all currently inside the top five, the Illinois PGA is well-positioned to make a strong showing in the final 18 holes.
There’s a strong group tied for sixth place at 2-over-par, all within striking distance heading into the final round. Bobby Beaubien (Mount Pleasant, SC) has put together an impressive performance over the first two days, while familiar faces Dylan Meyer (Evansville, IN) and Michael Feagles (Scottsdale, AZ) are also in the mix. All three sit six shots off the lead, well within contention with 18 holes to play.
Rounding out the top 10 in a tie for ninth are two past Illinois Open champions—Bryce Emory (Aurora, IL) and Tee-k Kelly (Wheaton, IL)—alongside a pair of low amateur contenders, Billy Gneiser (Darien, IL) and Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park, IL). Also in that group is Varun Chopra (Champaign, IL), who entered the day in second place after an impressive opening round.
The final round of the 76th Illinois Open Championship will take place tomorrow at Kemper Lakes Golf Club. The first group will tee off at 7:30 a.m. off the first tee.
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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