Fresh off the heels of his 55th birthday, Park Ridge's Rick Stewart claimed the 38th Illinois State Senior Am Wednesday at Itasca Country Club.
38th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship September 16-18 • Itasca Country Club (Itasca)
Day Three: Wednesday, September 18
NEWLY ELIGIBLE STEWART SHINES IN STATE SENIOR DEBUT
Itasca, Ill. - The 38th playing of the Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship could not have been scheduled at a more perfect time for Rick Stewart (Park Ridge). One week prior, and the eventual victor of this week’s championship at Itasca Country Club would have been ineligible, as he turned 55 just two days ahead of the event. Stewart carded rounds of 71, 72 and 69 to win by two shots Wednesday over John Wright (Oswego).
“I feel great,” Stewart said following the win. “It was an excellent experience. I had great playing partners for all three days and am really glad to finally get a win; I've had a couple close events, but this feels great.”
As steady as they came throughout the week, Stewart was one of three competitors to play all three rounds at even par or better. He opened his title quest with a 1-under 71 on Monday. The round included an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys. His second round was a near carbon copy of the day prior, with a closing bogey the only difference, to earn Stewart a spot in the penultimate group, as he sat four shots behind the then-leader Tim Sheppard (East Peoria).
With Sheppard carding a 4-over 40 on Wednesday’s opening nine, Stewart’s consistency began to pay dividends, as an outward 36 earned him a share of the lead. A birdie at the par-3 10th, his second of the day, gave Stewart the solo lead for the first time all week.
SHEPPARD IN FAMILIAR SPOT, HOLDS LEAD HEADING INTO FINAL ROUND OF 38TH ILLINOIS STATE SENIOR
Itasca, Ill. - Tim Sheppard (East Peoria) has been a stalwart in the CDGA senior circuit since he became age-eligible in 2016. Since then, he’s amassed a resume that includes three CDGA Senior Player of the Year awards, two CDGA Senior Amateur titles, four CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball crowns (alongside partner Tom Kearfott) and an Illinois State Senior Amateur victory.
Even with all of that hardware, it’s been almost two years since he won a CDGA-administered event - the 2022 CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball - and more than three since his last individual triumph in the 2021 CDGA Senior Amateur Championship at Merit Club. A long time for a player of his pedigree.
Despite the time passed, the 63-year-old has put himself in a position to add another Earl R. Liff Trophy to his trophy case as he sits alone atop the 38th Illinois Senior Amateur Championship leaderboard. Sheppard’s 1-under 71 on Tuesday at Itasca Country Club, paired with his first-round 4-under 66, gives him a three-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round. Ted Pecora (Winnetka), the winner of the 2023 CDGA Senior Amateur, lurks in second at 2 under following rounds of 72-70, while 2024 CDGA Senior Amateur champion Brad Kay (Arlington Heights) and Rick Stewart (Park Ridge) round out those in red figures at 1 under.
Sheppard, who has a tough history of physical ailments, suffered from double vision just 15 minutes before he teed off on Tuesday morning.
“I've been battling my C6, C7 [vertebrae] and double vision,” he admitted following his round. “I was trying to battle through it.”
Starting on Itasca’s back nine, Sheppard carded bogeys on Nos. 10 and 12. He righted the momentum with a trio of red figures on Nos. 13, 15 and 16. A bogey on the par-3 seventeenth was negated by a birdie on No. 18 to turn at 1 under. Two bogeys paired with two birdies on his back nine maintained the 1-under 71 finish. Despite the under-par round, Sheppard voiced some frustrations about the limitations he faced on the course due to his physical issues.
“Today was just, I made six birdies and shot 71,” said Sheppard. “I just missed three greens and had two three-putts. I missed three greens and I missed four or five footers on each one. It was pretty solid overall, especially the way I feel.”
While he looks to win another State Senior Amateur title, Pecora looks to add his first, despite close calls in recent years. At 69, Pecora also earned Low Super Senior honors following play on Tuesday. Coming off a round that featured three birdies and just one bogey, Pecora is excited to be in position to finally claim the victory, but knows it won’t be an easy task.
“I hit it really well, I missed one fairway and no greens,” said Pecora. “Being 69 years old, it would be great [to win]. Beating Shep[pard], though, is hard. He’s a good player and he hits it a mile. If I can make some putts up, I'll be alright. I'm hitting it good.”
The two-round cut line fell at +9 overall, with 36 players advancing to Wednesday’s final round. Tee times are set to commence at 8 a.m., with the final trio of Sheppard, Pecora and Kay slated to tee off at 9:50 a.m.
Day One: Monday, September 16
SHEPPARD, SMALL CARD 4-UNDER 68s, SHARE LEAD AT 38TH ILLINOIS STATE SENIOR AM AT ITASCA
Itasca, Ill. - With sunny skies and perfect weather, the 38th iteration of the Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship kicked off Monday morning. Hosted by the James Foulis Jr.-designed Itasca Country Club, the state’s best golfers aged 55 and up traversed the tree-lined fairways and sloped, undulating greens. Two-time State Senior Am champion Tim Sheppard (East Peoria) and Mark Small (Frankfort) led the field, as both fired rounds of 4-under 68. Sheppard and Small were two of only six players who ended the day under par.
Sheppard’s quest for a third title began with a quick bogey on No. 1, but he bounced back with a birdie on No. 2, followed by three consecutive birdies on Nos. 7, 8, and 9. The back nine started with a lost stroke on No. 10, but Sheppard responded well again with birdies on Nos. 12 and 14, followed by a lost stroke on 15. A birdie on the 484-yard par-5 16th put Sheppard back on track along with two more pars to end his round.
Joining the two-time champion at the top of the leaderboard was 2024 CDGA Senior Amateur runner-up Small, who fired off five pars in a row followed by three birdies in four holes to finish his front nine at 3-under 33. The final nine holes were more of the same for Small, as No. 14 was the lone bogey on the card for the co-leader at 4-under.
Sitting one back of the lead, John Cullen (Northbrook) carded a 3-under 69 that included four birdies and a bogey-less back nine. A trio of players round out the golfers who finished under par, including 2024 CDGA Senior Am champion Brad Key (Arlington Heights), Rick Stewart (Park Ridge) and John Wright (Oswego).
Another 18-hole stroke-play round of the Championship will start with tee times commencing at 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The field will be cut to the low 35 and ties after the round, with a Low Super Senior honor also awarded after play. The final 18 holes will be contested on Wednesday.
Preview
The penultimate championship on the 2024 CDGA calendar will be contested next week, as the 38th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship heads to Itasca Country Club in Itasca, Sept. 16-18. Three rounds of stroke play await a field featuring 81 of the state's top amateurs age 55 and up.
Schedule
Monday, Sept. 16 The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play in the morning.
Tuesday, Sept. 17 The entire field will return to play another 18 holes of stroke play. A cut to the low 35 and ties will be made, with those players advancing to Wednesday. The Low Super Senior honor will also be handed out following play on Tuesday.
Wednesday, Sept. 18 The low 35 and ties from a Tuesday will play the final 18 holes to determine the winner of the Earl R. Liff Trophy.
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The Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship, conducted annually by the Chicago District Golf Association, was first held in 1987. The Championship is open to Illinois residents age 55 and older. It is a 54-hole event, with the entire field playing 36 holes over the course of two days and the low 35 and ties playing the final 18 on the third day. The winner of the Championship is the recipient of the Earl R. Liff Trophy, which was claimed by Scot Frankenreider for the second-consecutive year in 2023 at Rockford Country Club.
Fresh off the heels of his 55th birthday, Park Ridge's Rick Stewart claimed the 38th Illinois State Senior Am Wednesday at Itasca Country Club.
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