16-year-old shares lead at Illinois Open

It's quite a pair sitting atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Illinois Open at Hawthorn Woods Country Club.

Sharing the top spot are the last player to win the tournament as an amateur, Curtis Malm of Aurora, and the youngest player in the field - 16-year-old Blake Biddle of St. Charles, who was in the gallery when Malm won the event at Royal Fox in 2000.

Biddle, playing in his first Illinois Open, carded 6 birdies, an eagle, 2 bogeys and a double bogey.

"My main goal coming in was to make the cut," Biddle said. "I didn't want to put high expectations on myself.

"I'm hitting it really good and putting it well."

Malm, 30, is trying to become the fourth person to win the Illinois Open as both an amateur and a professional - a feat accomplished by Gary Hallberg, Gary Pinns, and Rick TenBroeck.

"I birdied the seventh, eighth and ninth holes to come in, which is always a good way to finish," said Malm. "To capture the title again would really validate my win in 2000."

Just a shot back of the top pair is amateur Joe Emerich of Palatine.

Defending champion Mike Small (69) is tied in fourth. Small arrived in Chicago late Sunday night from Colorado where he finished tied for second after losing in a playoff in the Colorado Open.

"The main reason I went to play in the Colorado Open was to get ready for the Illinois Open," Small said. "I didn't hit it as good as I could have today. I got off to a pretty good start. I didn't do anything spectacular but I didn't do anything poorly either."

Joining Small in the group at 2 under is Michael Schachner of Libertyville, amateur Kyle English of Bloomington and Justin Ahasic of Sugar Grove.

The three-round event continues today with the lowest 50 players plus ties making the cut.