Nadler Golf Illinois PGA Professional Championship Leaderboard
ELGIN, Ill. – August 24, 2026 – Andy Svoboda (Elevation Golf) fired a 6-under-par 66 Monday at Elgin Country Club to take a three-stroke lead following the opening round of the Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship.
The 36-hole championship, being contested Aug. 24-25, returns to Elgin Country Club for the first time since 2024. In addition to determining the Illinois PGA Section Champion, the event serves as the Illinois PGA’s qualifier for the PGA Professional Championship. The Illinois PGA has been allocated eight qualifying spots into the national championship.
Svoboda put together a steady opening nine before catching fire after the turn. He opened his round with a birdie on the par-5 first hole before giving the stroke back with his lone bogey of the day at No. 3, making the turn at even-par 35. His round changed quickly on the par-5 10th, where he hit a pitching wedge into the green and converted the opportunity for an eagle. Svoboda followed with birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, the latter coming on a chip-in, before getting up and down for par at No. 13. Consecutive birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 pushed him to 6-under for the championship, and he closed with three straight pars to post a back-nine 31.
“It was a great day. The course is tough, and you really have to control your wedges and your game,” Svoboda said. “The greens are very slippery and have a lot of break. I played really well on the back nine. I eagled 10, birdied 11, chipped in on 12 and had a great par save on 13. Then I birdied 14 and 15. The back nine was really where I scored well.”
Svoboda joined the Illinois PGA Section in 2024 and is seeking his first Illinois PGA Professional Championship title. In his first two appearances in the championship, he finished tied for third and tied for 18th. Svoboda has already captured one Illinois PGA Major this season, winning the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship for his first Section Major victory. A win Tuesday would make him the first first-time champion of the Illinois PGA Professional Championship since 2022.
Three shots behind Svoboda are 2021 champion Andy Mickelson (Mistwood Golf Club) and Mike Troy (Zigfield Troy Par 3 Golf Course), who each opened with rounds of 3-under-par 69.
Mickelson got off to a fast start with an eagle on the par-5 first and added birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 to make the turn in 3-under-par 32. He played the back nine in even par, offsetting a birdie at No. 11 with a bogey at No. 17 to remain at 3-under for the championship.
Troy also did the majority of his scoring on the opening nine, making birdies on Nos. 1, 2, 5 and 8 for a bogey-free, 4-under-par 31. He moved to 5-under with a birdie on No. 10 before encountering trouble with a double bogey at No. 12 and a bogey at No. 15. A birdie at No. 17 helped Troy finish with a 69 and secure a share of second place.
A trio of players with considerable experience in the championship and at Elgin Country Club are tied for fourth at 2-under-par 70. The group includes 2019 champion Travis Johns (Medinah Country Club), Jeff Kellen (North Shore Country Club) and host PGA Professional Jon Duppler (Elgin Country Club).
Kellen continues his pursuit of a first Illinois PGA Professional Championship after several close calls in recent years. He finished runner-up in 2025, tied for second in 2023 and third in 2022. Duppler finished tied for 10th when the championship was last held at Elgin Country Club in 2024 and has previously found success on his home course, winning the 2020 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Elgin.
Three more accomplished Illinois PGA Professionals are tied for seventh at 1-under-par 71. Three-time champion and two-time defending champion Brian Carroll (The Hawk Country Club), 2012 champion Steve Orrick (Bloomington Country Club), and Garrett Chaussard (Skokie Country Club) are tied for seventh entering Tuesday’s final round.
Carroll will attempt to become the first player to win three consecutive Illinois PGA Professional Championship titles since Mike Small accomplished the feat from 2003-05. Small’s three-peat came during his record run of eight consecutive victories in the championship.
Chaussard is seeking his first Illinois PGA Professional Championship victory but has enjoyed extensive success in Illinois PGA Major competition. A two-time Illinois PGA Match Play champion, Chaussard advanced to the championship match three consecutive years, including in 2020 at Elgin Country Club, where he fell to Duppler in the final.
Rounding out the top 10 are Kyle Bauer (Glen View Club), Matthew Rion (Briarwood Country Club), Mike Small (University of Illinois Golf Course), Reece Bartelt (SMART Golf & Fitness Instruction – Lombard), and Kevin Flack (The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club), who sit at even-par 72.
Small brings an unmatched résumé in the Illinois PGA Professional Championship into Tuesday’s final round. The 14-time champion holds the record for the most victories in championship history, as well as the most top-five finishes with 19. He has also recorded 23 top-10 finishes, the second-most in the history of the event.
Flack is also searching for his first Illinois PGA Professional Championship title and has championship experience at Elgin Country Club. He won the Illinois PGA Assistant Championship at the venue in 2019.
The final round of the Nadler Golf Cars Illinois PGA Professional Championship will be contested Tuesday at Elgin Country Club, with the top eight finishers earning spots in the PGA Professional Championship.
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 mission of the Illinois PGA Foundation is to improve lives and positively impact communities through the game of golf. 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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