LEMONT, Ill. - The top amateur golfers age 55 and older from around the state of Illinois are set to embark upon Riverside Golf Club in North Riverside for the 36th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship Sept. 19-21. The Earl R. Liff Trophy will be awarded to the champion of the event, which was first contested at Pine Meadow Golf Club in 1987.

FORMAT

The entire 88-golfer field will play 18 holes of stroke play on both Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20. Low super senior honors (65 and older) will be awarded following Tuesday's second round. The low 35 and ties will then advance to the 18-hole finale on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

ABOUT THE FIELD

A total of 205 individuals registered for the event, which was open to Illinois residents age 55 and up with a Handicap Index® of 10.4 or below. The field for Riverside was determined through 25 exemptions and three qualifiers held at Lincoln Elks Club, Glenwoodie Golf Club and Blackberry Oaks Golf Course.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

David Feder (Chicago) is the defending Illinois State Senior Amateur champion, having won at The Preserve at Oak Meadows in 2021 after finishing in third a year prior. Feder enters his title defense in strong form, as he reached the Final match of the 20th CDGA Senior Amateur Championship at Medinah Country Club in May.

Brad Kay (Arlington Heights) is a two-time CDGA-administered event champion, winning the 2018 CDGA Senior Amateur and 2019 CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships. Kay's consistent presence among the top of the leaderboards in the senior circuit is seen through top-seven finishes in each of the last four State Seniors.

Tom Kearfott (El Paso) is a regular within the winner's circle at CDGA-administered senior events. Kearfott emerged victorious in the 2017 Illinois State Senior Amateur, as well as four CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships (2016, '18, '20 and '21).

Jeff Ott (Dunlap) won the 2019 Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship at Westmoreland Country Club. Since winning his title, Ott has finished T6 at Mt. Hawley Country Club in 2020 and T3 at The Preserve at Oak Meadows in 2021. The 2019 champ also reached the Quarterfinal round of the CDGA Senior Am earlier this season.

Tim Sheppard (East Peoria) is a two-time champion of the Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship, having won in 2018 and '20. A stalwart among the Chicago District's senior golfers, Sheppard has won eight of 14 CDGA-administered senior events he has participated in, including the 2016, '18, '20 and 2021 CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships and the 2019 and '21 CDGA Senior Amateurs.

Mark Small (Frankfort) is the reigning CDGA Senior Player of the Year after a strong 2021 season that included a second-place finish in the State Senior Am and a trip to the match-play portion of the U.S. Senior Am at Country Club of Detroit. The 1996 Illinois State Amateur champion is looking to become just the second player to win both the Illinois State and State Senior Amateurs.

OTHERS TO WATCH

Vance Antoniou (North Barrington) won the 2016 CDGA Senior Amateur Championship at The Club at Wynstone in North Barrington.

Mark Hannon (Bolingbrook) has put together back-to-back strong showings in the State Senior Amateur, finishing fourth in 2020 and T3 in 2021.

Mike Karney (Crystal Lake) has had a strong 2022 season amongst the seniors, as he reached the Quarterfinals in the CDGA Senior Am and played in the U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club in June.

John Madden (Deer Park) is looking to capture his first CDGA-administered title after finishing in seventh in the 2021 State Senior Am and reaching the Quarterfinals in each of the last two CDGA Senior Ams.

Ted Pecora (Winnetka) was the overall gross champion in the 2020 CDGA Super Senior Championship at Glenview Park Golf Club and has won a pair of Champion of Champions titles (2012 and '19).

David Serafin (Beecher) and Mark Spielmann (Lena) earned co-medalist honors at the Aug. 24 qualifier at Glenwoodie Golf Club following 1-over 73s.

Brian Silvers (Byron) and John Vernasco (Libertyville) were co-medalists at the Lincoln Elks Club qualifier on Aug. 23.

Ralph Spevere (Oswego) was the medalist at the Blackberry Oaks Golf Course qualifier on Aug. 29 after firing a 3-under 69.

Ted Zurkowski (Chicago) earned low super senior honors in the 2021 playing of the Illinois State Senior Am at The Preserve at Oak Meadows.

RIVERSIDE GOLF CLUB

Initially opening as a five-hole track in 1893 before expanding to nine by 1897, Riverside Golf Club is one of the eldest golf clubs in the United States. Riverside is believed to be one of William Langford's first projects, as the world-renowned golf course architect expanded the course to 18 holes between 1917 and 1919. After various additions and redesigns throughout the 1900s, Riverside underwent a large-scale renovation in 2015 by Chicago-based architect, and 2020 Illinois State Senior top-10 finisher, Dave Esler, who returned all bunkers to their original grass-faced, Langford style and expanded some greens, among other modifications. The club is a founding member of the Western Golf Association and has awarded 121 Evans Scholarships in its 129-year history.

LAST YEAR`S CHAMPIONSHIP

After initially opening in 1923 as Elmhurst Country Club, The Preserve at Oak Meadows underwent a three-year, extensive renovation by Greg Martin from 2015-2017 to transform the 27-hole venue into an 18-hole championship layout. The track provided a strong test for the state's top senior amateurs in 2021, as champion David Feder was the lone participant to finish the 35th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship under par. Feder's 3-under 69 in the final round tied Vance Antoniou for the lowest round of the day and the Championship to push the now 59-year-old one shot clear of 1996 Illinois State Am champion Mark Small.