Chicago, Illinois – July 29, 2013 – Professional and highly accomplished amateur golfers will have five more opportunities to qualify for this year’s $50,000 54-hole Chicago Open, Oct. 7-9, at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, Ill.
Players may qualify at the following sites:
• Tuesday, September 3, Brown Deer Park GC, Milwaukee, Wis.
• Monday, September 16, Flossmoor Country Club, Flossmoor, Ill.
• Monday, September 23, Country Club of Old Vincennes, Ind.
• Monday, September 23, Lake Michigan Hills Golf Club, Benton Harbor, Mich.
• Thursday, September 26, Makray Memorial Golf Club, North Barrington, Ill.
Qualifiers are open to professional golfers and to amateurs with a handicap index of 10.0 or less. The fee for the qualifier is $250 for professionals and $100 for amateurs with an additional $200 fee for successful qualifiers. Players may compete in one qualifier and also in the “second chance qualifier” at Makray Memorial Golf Club, which will be open to first-and-second attempt qualifiers.
Those interested in registering for a qualifying event – or in obtaining more information – may do so online by visiting thechicagoopen.com.
The Chicago Open boasts a Hall-of-Fame roster of champions that includes such golf icons as Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson. PGA TOUR star and recent World No. 1 golfer Luke Donald, a Chicago-area resident, won the event in 2000 as amateur playing for Northwestern.
The championship is being conducted for the first time since 2001 by and for the benefit of the Illinois Junior Golf Association. It has been scheduled Oct. 7-9 during the Illinois high school golf season because the IJGA does not conduct events during the season.
“In reviving the Chicago Open, our goal is to provide an opportunity for aspiring tour pros and top amateurs to compete at a high level as they make their way toward their ultimate goal of playing on the PGA TOUR,” said Marty Schiene, president of the Illinois Junior Golf Association and a former touring pro. “Playing in a competition with such a rich history can make the event that much more meaningful to the contestants.” Admission is free.
IJGA executive director Carrie Williams said the IJGA undertook the event in order to utilize the organization’s expertise in tournament operations to raise much-needed funds.
“Administering tournaments is a core competency of the Illinois Junior Golf Association,” Williams said. “Reviving the Chicago Open is a way for us to put those skills to work for the betterment of the game at multiple levels.”
IJGA is the second-largest junior golf program in the nation, serving 2,800 golfers between the ages of eight and 18, and managing more than 100 separate events throughout Illinois. The IJGA also is the umbrella organization for the Mid-American Junior Golf Tour (MAJGT), which specializes in conducting tournaments for higher-level junior players, particularly those seeking exposure to college golf coaches.
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The Chicago Open
October 7 – 9, Cantigny Golf, Wheaton, IL
About IJGA
The Illinois Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing playing opportunities for its members ages 8-18, conducting educational clinics and events, and serving as a junior golf informational clearinghouse.
About Cantigny Golf
Cantigny Golf, part of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, opened for play in 1989. That year, Golf Digest magazine named it the “Best New Public Course in America.” Cantigny hosted the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and this year will host the 2013 Chicago Open (Oct. 7-9). In addition, the Illinois State Amateur returns to Cantigny for the fourth time in 2014. The 300-acre Cantigny Golf complex includes 27 scenic holes, the year-round Cantigny Golf Academy, the 9-hole Cantigny Youth Links and a full-service clubhouse with dining and banquet facilities.
Contact:
Carrie Williams
Executive Director
Office: 630-257-9806
Mobile: 224-595-5428
or
Barry Cronin, IJGA Board Member
Cronin Communications, Inc.
Office: 847-698-1801
Mobile: 847-867-3032
