2026 Illinois Senior Open Championship Results
HAWTHORN WOODS, Ill. – June 16, 2026 – Mike Small (University of Illinois) won the 2026 Illinois Senior Open presented by Troon on Tuesday with a two-day total of 3-under-par 141 at Hawthorn Woods Country Club. With the victory, Small further cemented his legacy in Illinois golf, capturing his fourth Illinois Senior Open title and his fourth victory in the championship over the last five years.
“It’s fun to compete. It’s fun to compete against the best players over 50 in the state of Illinois,” said Small. “There are a lot of great amateurs in this state and a lot of great fellow PGA Professionals. Just coming out here and competing is enjoyable for us. It’s a distraction from life and our jobs, and it’s an opportunity to test yourself. It’s not always pleasant, and it’s not always perfect out there. There’s some anxiety when you aren’t playing as well as you’d like, but when you hit good shots and execute, it feels really good.”
The win places Small atop the record book at yet another Illinois PGA major championship. Already the winningest player in Illinois PGA Professional Championship history with 15 titles, Small now ties PGA Member Mike Harrigan for the most Illinois Senior Open victories with four. Small also ranks second all-time in Illinois PGA Senior Professional Championship victories with seven, trailing only Gary Groh’s 10 titles.
“This course is difficult,” said Small. “If you try to guide the ball around here, the golf course becomes very hard. If you start worrying about the trouble, it only gets more difficult. I remember losing two Illinois Opens here, but to come back and win here last year and now again this year, while playing solid golf, makes me feel a lot better.”
The 2026 Illinois Senior Open once again tested the field with difficult scoring conditions, as only five players finished under par during the opening round. Small was one of them, carding a 2-under-par 70. He reached 3-under through his opening nine holes before surrendering three strokes with a bogey on the par-5 13th and a double bogey on the par-4 14th. Small recovered with birdies on his last two holes to earn a share of the overnight lead alongside amateur Scot Frankenreider (Peoria, Illinois).
The final round appeared destined to be another test of patience as strong winds made scoring difficult throughout the morning. Small, however, quickly separated himself from the field. After opening with a bogey on the second hole, he responded with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 6, 7, and 8 to build a four-stroke advantage through nine holes.
Small briefly opened the door to the field on the back nine. After building a four-shot lead through nine holes, he carded three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 10, 11, and 12, allowing his advantage to shrink to just one stroke.
Meanwhile, Doug Bauman (Village of Lakewood, Illinois) mounted a charge from ahead in the field. Bauman closed his round in dramatic fashion, holing a birdie putt from off the green on the 18th hole to post a 4-under-par 68, the lowest round of the championship. The finish moved him to even par for the tournament and within striking distance of the lead.
Small quickly regained control of the championship. He answered with a birdie on the par-5 13th hole to restore a two-shot advantage. The decisive moment came on the second par-5 of the back nine (hole 17), where Small converted another birdie to reach 3-under par for the tournament and extend his lead to three strokes over Bauman, effectively sealing his fourth Illinois Senior Open title.
“I made three bogeys in a row on Nos. 10, 11, and 12. That wasn’t much fun,” said Small. “I had some trouble getting focused this week. For whatever reason, I’ve had a little trouble narrowing my focus with everything I have going on. That made things difficult at times. I was trying to slow down, take a little more time, and figure things out. Hopefully, the more I continue to play, the more comfortable and settled I’ll feel out there.”
Bauman finished alone in second place after his impressive final-round 68 vaulted him 25 spots up the leaderboard.
Amateurs Rick Stewart (Park Ridge, Illinois) and John Ehrgott (Edwards, Illinois) shared low amateur honors, finishing tied for third place at 2-over-par 146.
Rounding out the top five were John Varner, Robert Sullivan, and two-time Illinois Senior Open champion David Paeglow. The trio finished the championship tied for fifth place at 4-over-par 148.
The players closest to Small entering the final round were Frankenreider and Ed Slattery (Normal, Illinois). Frankenreider fell out of contention after posting a front-nine 44 in the final round, while Slattery remained a close challenger as the championship reached its final stages. In the end, Slattery finished T8 after carding rounds of 71 and 78. Despite Frankenreider’s final round struggles, he still finished tied for 10th at 6-over-par.
The Illinois PGA would to thank Presenting Sponsor, Troon, as well as Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, and XXIO for their support of this event. The Illinois PGA circuit now returns the Illinois PGA Stroke Play Series, with Stroke Play #3 at Naperville Country Club on Monday, June 22.
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:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
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kbquinn@pgahq.com