Roan returning to broadcasting with Golf 360 on Marquee

For 38 years Dan Roan was a respected sports anchor and reporter at WGN-TV. He retired three years ago, but now he’s back on the airwaves.

Roan was coaxed back to the broadcast world by Dave Lockhart, producer of the Golf 360 TV show, which debuted its 10th season this week on Marquee Sports Network, the home of the Cubs.

“It’s only four shows — not time-consuming at all,” Roan said, but it might seem like more than that. Each show will be broadcast several times each month during the golf season. The broadcast times will be posted on the Golf 360 website.

“For the first show my role was minimal. Dave did a lot of research for it,” Roan said. “But I’m always excited to talk about golf in Chicagoland and beyond. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Roan will host the show with Patrick Mannelly, the former Bears’ center who has been a Golf 360 regular since 2017. Billy Fitzgerald, director of instruction at Beverly Country Club, is also part of the program.

“Dan brings professionalism and passion for the game of golf that truly comes through on the screen,” Lockhart said. “His fans from the WGN days will be happy lo see him back on the air.”

Roan played golf and basketball at Illinois State University. While he “didn’t play much,” he was a college golf teammate of D.A. Weibring, a three-time winner of the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic and the designer of the course it’s played on — TPC Deere Run in Silvis.

Now 72, the longtime Elmhurst resident remains a regular at Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course and brings two of his four grandchildren out with him.

“When I retired I expected to play more,” Roan said. “My handicap is skyrocketing, so I’m trying to figure that out right now.”

That handicap was 0.2 last summer and is now up to 3.7. That doesn’t detract from a memorable round Roan shot in 2017 at Chicago Highlands with Mike Munro, who also has a broad background in local golf. Roan had a 63, which included a hole in one en route to a 30 on the back nine. “It was pretty crazy at the time,” Roan said.

Since retirement Roan has stayed involved in the game in more than a playing capacity. He was named a director for the Chicago District Golf Association and was part of the crew at last summer’s Chicago Adaptive Open.

JOHN DEERE CLASSIC: John Deere, sponsor of Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, has signed an extension to continue as title sponsor through 2030. The JDC sponsorship started in 1998. This year’s event will be played July 3-6.

Tournament officials, meanwhile, announced three sponsor exemptions — NCAA champion Michael La Sasso of Mississippi, No. 2-ranked amateur Jackson Koivun of Auburn and No. 3-ranked Ben James of Virginia.

U.S. OPEN: Monday was the last qualifier for this month’s U.S. Open, with 36-hole eliminations at 10 sites. Only University of Illinois golfer Jackson Buchanan, who tied for first in the qualifier in Atlanta, survived among the Illinois-connected players. He was 18-under-par at Piedmont Driving Club. PGA regular Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights might make the field at Oakmont in Pennsylvania. He was the last man out in a seven-for-one playoff for the last of seven Open berths on May 19 in Dallas and could advance as the first alternate.

HERE AND THERE: Brad Kay of Arlington Heights qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, to be played June 26-29 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Kay was the defending champion in the 23rd Chicago District Senior Amateur, which concludes its four-day run on Thursday at Briar Ridge in Schererville, Ind.

University of Illinois sophomore Max Herendeen has been named to Team USA for this week’s Palmer Cup matches in South Carolina. The Illini women’s team has landed transfer Tavia Burgess, who just completed her freshman year at Morehead State.

The Illinois PGA’s 36-hole Assistants Championship will be decided Monday at Bryn Mawr in Chicago.