Flossmoor Golf Club Hosts 75th Illinois Open

The Illinois Open returned to Flossmoor Golf Club for the 75th edition of this celebrated championship. Chicago’s own Vince India is attempting to defend the title he won last year at Flossmoor when he became just the 15th player to win multiple Illinois Open Championships.

Flossmoor Golf Club has been the site of many significant golf events featuring some of the game’s greatest players. Since the early 1900s, this storied venue has hosted numerous historic tournaments. Among these prestigious events is the Illinois Open, which has a rich history at Flossmoor Golf Club. 

The Illinois Open first debuted in 1950, and by 1955, the Illinois State Championship of Golf had made its way to Flossmoor Golf Club. That year, Bob Harris claimed victory in the fifth Illinois Open. Although the club has undergone many changes since then, it has consistently remained a championship-caliber course.

After a gap following the 1955 event, Flossmoor Golf Club reappeared on the Illinois Open schedule in 1984. Lance Ten Broeck emerged as the champion that year, and Nick Zambole set a new course record, breaking Bobby Jones’ previous mark with a first-round score of 66.

Vince India

In a dramatic finish last year, Vince India defeated Dylan Meyer in a playoff to secure the title, marking the first playoff in the event since 2012. India also became the 15th multi-time winner of the Illinois Open, having previously won in 2018.

The upcoming 75th Illinois Open Championship will be notably different from the previous events held at Flossmoor Golf Club. The course has undergone two significant renovations, enhancing its green complexes, bunkering, and overall length.

While the course played at 6,700 yards in 1955, it will challenge players with nearly 7,200 yards in 2024. The tournament has also evolved, shifting to a two-site format in 2015 before returning to a single-site format in 2020. In 1955, the winner at Flossmoor Golf Club took home $500, while the champion in 2024 is expected to earn more than $20,000, continuing the trend of increased purses in recent years.

Flossmoor’s Legacy

Flossmoor Golf Club’s rich history of championship golf is a testament to its enduring legacy. The course, designed by Herbert Tweedie and opened in 1900, first gained national attention in 1906 when it hosted the Western Open, considered on par with the U.S. Open at the time. Alex Smith won that event, securing one of his two Western Open titles.

In 1909, the Western Golf Association returned to Flossmoor for the Western Amateur, where Chick Evans claimed his first of eight titles in the event. In 1911, then-club president Harry Collis took charge of the course’s maintenance, becoming an accomplished agronomist and developing the renowned Flossmoor Bent Grass, still popular on putting greens today. Collis’ contributions were honored with his induction into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame in 2023.

During World War I, Flossmoor Golf Club hosted Red Cross Matches in 1917 and 1918, featuring stars like Robert Garner, Chick Evans, Perry Adair, and Bobby Jones. The club continued to attract prestigious events, including the third annual PGA Championship in 1920, won by Illinois native Jock Hutchison. The U.S. Amateur followed in 1923, with a field that included Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, and eventual champion Max Marston.

The upcoming 75th Illinois Open will draw upon Flossmoor’s storied past, incorporating elements from Tweedie’s original design, Collis’ green complexes, and Raymond Hearn’s 2006 bunker redesigns. The event will also feature a strong field, including nine of the top 10 finishers from the 2023 Illinois Open, five of the last six champions, and several current PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour players.

75th Illinois Open Championship

August 5 – August 7, 2024
Flossmoor Golf Club, Flossmoor, IL

Past Champions in Field

Nine (9) – Vince India, 35 of Chicago, Ill., (2023, 2018), David Perkins, 26, of East Peoria, Ill., (2022), Tee-k Kelly, 30, of Wheaton, Ill., (2021), Bryce Emory, 33, of Aurora, Ill. (2020), Philip Arouca (a), 39, of Lake Forest, Ill., (2011), Mike Small, 58, of Champaign, Ill., (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007), Joe Emerich (a), 37, of Aurora, Ill. (2008), Curtis Malm, 45, of Aurora, Ill., (2000-a), Roy Biancalana, 63, of St. Charles, Ill., (1987, 2001).

Format

The 75th Illinois Open Championship is a 54-hole stroke play event with a 156 player field size limit. The field is comprised of place-winners in the qualifying events and those players exempted from qualifying. Players will complete all three rounds at Flossmoor Golf Club. Following 36 holes of play, the field will be cut to the low 50 scorers plus ties. In the case of a tie for the Championship, a three (3) hole aggregate playoff will take place following the posting of the final score. If the tie has not been broken after three holes, the playoff will continue at sudden death.

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