Could this be the last year for the Rust-Oleum Championship at Ivanhoe?
Professional golfers - and fans who follow the sport - will converge on the Ivanhoe Club near Mundelein this week for the third annual Rust-Oleum Championship.
Whether there will be a fourth annual tournament, however, has yet to be determined.
The Vernon Hills paint and coating company's sponsorship deal with the PGA Tour expires this year, and a new pact hasn't yet been inked.
"Discussions between Rust-Oleum and the PGA Tour regarding a sponsorship extension are ongoing, but currently we have no announcement to make," tournament director Scott Cassin said.
The tournament has been held since 2016 at the private Ivanhoe Club, which is in a gated community off Route 176 west of Route 60/83.
But it has moved before - and it's had a different name. The tournament previously was played in Ohio as the Cleveland Open.
Three-year sponsorship deals are standard, Cassin said, and three-year renewals are common.
The fairly secluded Ivanhoe Club has greatly benefited from the international exposure the tournament has provided, said Michael Strain, the club's general manager and chief operating officer.
The club has climbed Golf Digest's list of top Illinois courses, he said, and membership has grown during the last two years.
"I would be saddened to see it leave," Strain said. "We have fun with it."
The Rust-Oleum tournament is part of the Web.com Tour, a developmental program for the PGA Tour consisting of 23 regular and four playoff events.
Players who finish in the Top 50 of the money list at the end of the year are given PGA Tour memberships for the next season.
At the Rust-Oleum Championship, 156 golfers will compete for $600,000 in prize money. Among them will be several golfers with suburban roots.
Nick Hardy, a University of Illinois star from Northbrook, makes his pro debut this week. Also set to play are Tee-K Kelly of Wheaton, Carlos Sainz Jr. of Elgin, Brad Hopfinger of Lake Forest and Deerfield native Vince India.
Activities start today and conclude Sunday. Championship play is Thursday through Sunday.
Today's event is a pro-am match with a noon start.
On Tuesday, professionals will have practice rounds throughout the day.
Wednesday will feature a second pro-am match, with starts at 7 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. It will team each of the top 52 players in the tournament field with three amateurs. Also Wednesday, a charity shootout is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The first of four daily championship rounds will start at 7 a.m. Thursday. Segments of all four rounds will be televised live on the Golf Channel. Friday's play also begins at 7 a.m., while tee times are set for 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets for the week are $20 and available online at rustoleumchampionship.com/purchase-tickets. Fans under 18 get in free.
A daily ticket to the hospitality pavilion on the 18th hole costs $100.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go to charities including Rust-Oleum Cares, the United Way of Lake County and the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association.