After John Deere Classic, more local golf on the horizon
Sunday’s conclusion to the John Deere Classic triggered the end of the PGA Tour’s season in Illinois. The JDC is the circuit’s only annual stop in the state, and recently-crowned champion Brian Campbell headed a group of this year’s leading competitors on to a charter flight to Ireland a few hours after the last putt dropped at TPC Deere Run. They’ll play in this week’s Irish Open.
So, what’s next?
The PGA returns to Illinois twice in 2026, for the 55th playing of the JDC and the late-in-the-year Presidents Cup team event at Medinah. There are still two national professional tours staging events in the Chicago area this year, though.
A Western Golf Association event, the NV5 Invitational, is July 24-27 at The Glen Club in Glenview. It’s part of the Korn Ferry Tour which provides its players with a path to the PGA Tour. Scottie Scheffler, now world No. 1, was the first winner of its Chicago area stop and four past champions including last year’s winner, Thomas Rosenmueller, are playing on the PGA Tour now.
An interesting sidelight to this event is the free daily grounds admission provided by Big Ten Network. You have to register to get your tickets. Check the WGA website (www.wgaesf.org) for details.
Bigger name players will be coming to the fourth playing of LIV/Chicago Aug. 8-10 at Bolingbrook Golf Club. The Saudi-backed circuit features such stars as Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
LIV is playing this week at Valderrama in Spain and in the United Kingdom July 25-27 before coming to Chicago. The Bolingbrook event will be the first of three back-to-back tournaments to climax the LIV season.
Bolingbook hosted for the first time last year in the LIV Individual Championship. Rahm edged Chile’s Joaquin Niemann for the title.
CHARITABLE SIDE: One of Chicago’s longest standing golf fundraisers, the Chicago Baseball Children’s Charities outing, returns July 17 to Twin Orchard in Long Grove. First held in 1970, the event has raised over $18 million for cancer patient care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital and Camp One Step, a program that provides educational, social and physical developmental services to children with cancer.
The CBCC was founded by Marv Samuel. Former White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce was one of the first celebrity participants. After Pierce’s roommate of 11 seasons with the Sox, Nelly Fox, died of cancer, Pierce joined the organization’s board. Other retired baseball players and Chicago sports and media members have joined in over the years.
HERE AND THERE: Brian Campbell’s winning score of 218 at the John Deere Classic was the highest winning number since Bryson DeChambeau won with the same number in 2018.
Brandon Wessel of Sunset Ridge in Northfield won last week’s Illinois PGA Senior Championship at The Grove in Long Grove. He posted a 7-under-par 137 for 36 holes.
The 94th Illinois State Amateur begins its three-day run on Tuesday at Stonebridge in Aurora. The WGA’s Women’s Western Amateur tees off on Monday at Red Run in Michigan.
The fourth event of the Illinois PGA’s new Open Series is Monday at Elgin Country Club.