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| 11855 Archer Avenue | (630) 685-2324 |
| Lemont, IL 60439 | crichards@cdga.org |
| Contact: Tim Merrick | |
| (630) 685-2302 | |
| tmerrick@cdga.org | |
| Contact: Jacob Bomeli | |
| (630) 685-2345 | |
| jbomeli@cdga.org |
| For Immediate Release | August 18, 2026 |
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| HEADLINE-GRABBING HOLTZ CLAIMS 34TH ILLINOIS STATE MID-AM TITLE AT EDGEWOOD VALLEY | |
| Tuesday, August 18, 2026 - BURR RIDGE, Ill. - The story in recent weeks across the Chicago District has been the rain. Golf courses have taken the brunt of these stressful times, with maintenance crews working overtime to clean up downed trees and limbs in order to restore playability. While Edgewood Valley Country Club, host of the 34th Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship, was in great condition for the state’s top golfers age 25 and older, down south, Brandon Holtz (Bloomington) has been dealing with a flooded basement. The stress at home would certainly be enough to make a phone call and withdraw from the event. And after an eventful summer schedule of travel and golf, who could blame him? But that’s not Holtz, who left Central Illinois at 4 a.m. on Monday to compete this week. “And actually, after having 20 inches of water in my basement, this is a tournament that I was like, ‘Well, maybe I better not show up to this’,” admitted the 39-year-old. “But you just gotta keep going. You can’t give up - keep playing and keep riding.” Holtz’s ‘can-do’ mentality proved fruitful on Tuesday afternoon, as he hoisted the Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship Trophy following a third-round even-par 72. He finished an eye-popping six shots clear of Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park) and Daniel Stringfellow (Chicago). The margin of victory breaks the former record of four strokes (Todd Mitchell (Bloomington) in 2013, Greg Bauman (Village of Lakewood) in 2017) and Holtz’s 10-under-par finish is believed to be the lowest 54-hole score to par in Illinois State Mid-Am history. For the reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion, who has competed across the country in a multitude of elite amateur and professional events over the last 12 months, including the U.S. Amateur last week in Pennsylvania, Holtz proved he has finally hit his stride. “It was good; I played solid pretty much all day today,” said Holtz after the win. “I had a couple of really bad mental mistakes, and compounded them with a bad shot on top of it. I just had to battle through that for a few holes. I had a couple of good shots coming in and found something.” Holtz started the final 18-hole day with a four-stroke advantage over Stringfellow and Scott Ten Broeck (Yorkville). On the outward nine, he practiced “patience and just taking it one shot at a time,” as he notched birdies on Nos. 2 and 8. Gusty conditions caused problems elsewhere, as Holtz’s chasers failed to keep pace. By the halfway point, he had built a six-shot lead, and it looked as if that might even grow larger. Despite the separation, Holtz kept a keen eye on the leaderboard. “I’m always looking, just to stay in it,” said Holtz of checking scores at the turn. “I’m sure I’m always going to look, competition-wise, just to see how aggressive or not aggressive we need to be.” The aggression quickly evoked trouble, as Holtz’s “pin-hunting” approach on No. 11 sailed over the green, leaving a difficult and unsuccessful up-and-down that ultimately ended in a double bogey. He then amplified his problems when a powerful putt left a testy four-foot par save on No. 12. He would walk away with a bogey, as well as some self-talk. “I really wanted to make that [putt],” said Holtz. “And after that, I just had that little talk with myself, like, ‘What are we doing? Just calm down. Hit a good shot.’” Despite his slip, nobody seized the opportunity to take a run at the leader. After a birdie on the par-5 14th to steady the ship, Holtz would ride pars on the final four holes to an even-par 72 and a state championship title. Much has been written and said about Holtz’s schedule since his U.S. Mid-Amateur victory last September in Arizona. Invitations have come from all over. Planning travel has become a common routine. And for the former Illinois State basketball walk-on, while bearing the fruits of his victory has been a fun ride, it hasn’t come without its difficulties. Ones you don’t see on social media - such as a flooded basement. “I guess I’m still learning a little bit,” said Holtz of the last year. “The logistics and the travel is nuts. And I think it’s just that grit, that determination to keep on, not to give up.” While he’s performed well in these new competitions, Holtz claims he has been searching for his game all year. He hasn’t won since he emerged victorious at Troon Country Club almost a year ago. And so Tuesday’s victory, in his home state, may very well prove to be the confidence needed to kick his amateur career into high gear. “It’s kind of like the start to the new, I guess, golf career in Illinois,” said Holtz. “I was always a basketball player. Didn’t really play in any events. I mean, the Mid-Am was my first USGA event last year. So now, getting to play in these, it’s just fun.” The CDGA Championship calendar rolls on with another Illinois State championship next up on the docket - the 40th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship. The Maun-Nah-Tee-See Club in Rockford will welcome the state’s top players age 55 and older, Sept. 14-16. BY THE NUMBERS:
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| Chicago District Golf Association The Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) is authorized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) as the governing body for amateur golf in our region. The CDGA is a membership organization consisting of more than 119,000 individual golfers and 400 clubs in Illinois and parts of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Golfers receive member offers, a Handicap Index® from the USGA® and competitive playing opportunities, while clubs receive Course Rating™ and Slope Rating™ measuring services, turfgrass diagnostics and educational seminars. The CDGA also creates opportunities for everyone to experience the benefits of the game through therapeutic and recreational Sunshine Programs, with an emphasis on serving individuals with disabilities, youth and veterans. For more information visit CDGA.org. | |
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