Taylorville`s Dave Ryan captured his third CDGA Senior Amateur title (2014, 2015) Wednesday at Medinah Country Club.
20th CDGA Senior Amateur Championship May 23-26 • Medinah Country Club - Course Two (Medinah)
Day Three: Wednesday, May 25
RYAN REIGNS AGAIN, SECURES 20TH CDGA SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
MEDINAH, Ill. - His resume precedes himself. Dave Ryan (Taylorville / Illini CC) has been a staple of golf in the Chicago District for the last decade and is no stranger to accruing tournament victories and accolades. The robust list includes - seven CDGA Senior Player of the Year honors, four Illinois State Senior Amateur Championships (2009, 2013, 2015, 2016), two CDGA Senior Amateur Championships (2014, 2015) and the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur title.
Those victories, while plentiful, haven`t been a reality for Ryan recently. Doubts began to creep into his mind if those winning ways would return.
"To be honest with you, I haven`t won a golf tournament since 2016 and I was starting to feel like I wouldn`t win one again," said Ryan. "When you get to my age, I`m 68, you think `Oh boy, it`s never going to happen again?`"
His pessimistic thoughts were quelled Thursday at Medinah Country Club, as Ryan re-entered the winner`s circle, defeating 2021 Illinois State Senior Amateur champion David Feder (Lincolnshire / Conway Farms GC), 4 and 3, to claim the 20th CDGA Senior Amateur Championship crown.
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Championship Match
(12) Dave Ryan def. (1) David Feder, 4 and 3
Day Three: Wednesday, May 25
FEDER, RYAN SET FOR 20TH CDGA SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
MEDINAH, Ill. – The stage is set at Medinah Country Club, as 2021 Illinois State Senior Amateur champion, David Feder (Lincolnshire / Conway Farms GC), and two-time CDGA Senior Amateur Championship victor Dave Ryan (Taylorville / Illini CC) advanced from Wednesday afternoon’s Semifinal matches.
Taking to the first tee at 1:30 p.m. on Medinah’s Course Two, Feder hit the ground running in his win over Dan Caporusso (Mt. Prospect / Old Orchard CC). A hole-winning par at No. 1, followed by a birdie on the par-3 third, served as a springboard for Feder’s triumph. His first of two blunders on the round came in the form of a bogey at the par-5 4th, a hole he made eagle on during the Round of 16. A string of three wins in five holes around the turn brought the match to a screeching halt with Feder 4 up through 10 holes, as inclement weather besieged the area.
Feder, whose birdie tally through three matches now reaches 16, sunk the eventual match-winning birdie putt at No. 12 in response to a loss the hole prior. The 59-year-old is yet to have a match reach the 16th tee, with wins of 4 and 3, 5 and 4, and 4 and 3 thus far.
Ryan, a seven-time CDGA Senior Player of the Year recipient, bested Gregory Seelinger (Downers Grove / Village Links of Glen Ellyn), 3 and 2, in the second Semifinal match. Also notching a victory at the first, Ryan battled with Seelinger through the turn with neither player gaining more than a one-hole advantage. After waiting out the 40-minute weather delay with the match tied through the outward nine, Ryan tallied a trio of wins on hole Nos. 11, 13 and 16 to clinch the 3-and-2 defeat of Seelinger.
The 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur champion will now return to his first CDGA Senior Am Final since his back-to-back wins in 2014 and ’15. Ryan lost to last year’s eventual champion, Tim Sheppard, in the Semifinal round at Merit Club.
Set to face one another for the first time in a CDGA Senior Amateur match-play bracket, Feder and Ryan will shift to Medinah’s world-renowned Course Three for Thursday’s Final. The match is set to tee off at 7:30 a.m.
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Semifinal Matches
(1) David Feder def. (5) Dan Caporusso, 4 and 3
(15) Dave Ryan def. (6) Gregory Seelinger, 3 and 2
Day Two: Tuesday, May 24
MEDALIST FEDER, SENIOR MAVEN RYAN AMONG CDGA SENIOR AMATEUR SEMIFINALISTS
MEDINAH, Ill. – Reigning Illinois State Senior Amateur champion David Feder (Lincolnshire / Conway Farms GC) and seven-time CDGA Senior Player of the Year Dave Ryan (Taylorville / Illini CC) were among the four individuals to withstand two matches Tuesday on Medinah Country Club’s Course Two.
Feder, who earned the event’s top-seed following his performance in Monday’s stroke-play round, didn’t reach the 16th hole on Tuesday. He topped Daniel Moore (Chicago / Chicago Park District GC) in the morning Round of 16 tilt, 4 and 3, before besting John Madden (Deer Park / Medinah CC), 5 and 4, in the afternoon Quarterfinals.
Feder’s future Semifinal opponent, Dan Caporusso (Mt. Prospect / Old Orchard CC), was equally as dominant on Tuesday. He never trailed en route to defeating Steve Daly (Wheaton / Chicago GC), 8 and 6, and Jeff Ott (Dunlap / Coyote Creek GC), 4 and 3.
In contrast, Ryan’s route to the Semifinals was arduous. Seeking his third title in this event, Ryan outlasted Steven Jacobs (Highland Park / Pine Meadow GC) in the Round of 16, 1 up, before surging past Mike Karney (Crystal Lake / Crystal Lake CC) in the Quarterfinals by winning the final four holes to emerge victorious, 2 up.
A birdie on the 18th hole secured a 1-up Round-of-16 victory for Gregory Seelinger (Downers Grove / Village Links of Glen Ellyn) over Thomas Peterson (Lake Forest / Prairie Isle GC). In the afternoon, Seelinger defeated Ted Pecora (Winnetka / Bob O’Link GC), 3 and 2).
The Feder / Caporusso Semifinal will tee off at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with Ryan and Seelinger teeing off at 1:39. The winners will square off for the title on Thursday.
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Round of 16 Matches
(1) David Feder def. (16) Daniel Moore, 4 and 3
(9) John Madden def. (8) Tom Kearfott, 3 and 2
(5) Dan Caporusso def. (12) Steve Daly, 8 and 6
(4) Jeff Ott def. (13) Mark Roche, 5 and 3
(15) Dave Ryan def. (2) Steven Jacobs, 1 up
(10) Mike Karney def. (7) David Passaglia, 3 and 2
(6) Gregory Seelinger def. (11) Thomas Peterson, 1 up
(3) Ted Pecora def. (14) Paul Schlimm, Sr., 1 up
Quarterfinal Matches
(1) David Feder def. (9) John Madden, 5 and 4
(5) Dan Caporusso def. (4) Jeff Ott, 4 and 3
(15) Dave Ryan def. (10) Mike Karney, 2 up
(6) Gregory Seelinger def. (3) Ted Pecora, 3 and 2
Day One: Monday, May 23
FEDER MEDALS AT MEDINAH IN 20TH CDGA SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
MEDINAH, Ill. – The 20th CDGA Senior Amateur Championship is underway at Medinah Country Club, as 78 golfer age 55-and-older competed Monday for a spot in the 16-person match-play bracket. 2021 Illinois State Senior Amateur Champion David Feder`s (Lincolnshire / Conway Farms GC) bogey-free 68 proved to be the best of the bunch en route to earning medalist honors. The 59-year-old turned in the lone under-par round of the day with four birdies on hole Nos. 3, 7, 9 and 12.
Joining Feder in Tuesday morning’s Round of 16 matches is 2021 CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball runner up Steven Jacobs (Highland Park / Pine Meadow GC) following his even-par 72. Jacobs carded three birdies and three bogeys on Medinah’s Course Two to earn the No. 2 seed.
Among others set to be featured in the match-play bracket are two-time Champion of Champions victor, Ted Pecora (Winnetka / Bob O’Link), 2019 Illinois State Senior Amateur champion, Jeff Ott (Dunlap / Coyote Creek GC), 2017 Illinois State Senior Amateur and four-time CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball champion, Tom Kearfott (El Paso / El Paso GC) and seven-time CDGA Senior Amateur Player of the Year, Dave Ryan (Taylorville / Illini CC).
The Round of 16 matches are slated to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Medinah Country Club. The Quarterfinals will follow in the afternoon, with Semifinals scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The Championship match will be contested on Thursday morning.
Round of 16 Matches
(1) David Feder vs. (16) Daniel Moore
(8) Tom Kearfott vs. (9) John Madden
(5) Dan Caporusso vs. (12) Steve Daly
(4) Jeff Ott vs. (13) Mark Roche
(2) Steven Jacobs vs. (15) Dave Ryan
(7) David Passaglia vs. (10) Mike Karney
(6) Gregory Seelinger vs. (11) Thomas Peterson
(3) Ted Pecora vs. (14) Paul Schlimm, Sr.
MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB SET TO HOST CHICAGO DISTRICT`S TOP SENIOR AMATEURS
LEMONT, Ill. - After waiting more than two calendar years to defend his 2019 CDGA Senior Amateur Championship title, East Peoria`s Tim Sheppard retained the Charles Morgan Auld Cup a year ago at Merit Club in Libertyville. Having won back-to-back iterations of the event, Sheppard is set to again defend his crown against the top seniors in the Chicago District when the CDGA Senior Amateur Championship returns for its 20th playing at Medinah Country Club, May 23-26.
A field of 78 amateurs age 55 and older are set to embark upon Medinah`s Course Two for the club`s first time hosting a CDGA-administered event since the 92nd CDGA Amateur Championship in 2011.
FORMAT
The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play on the morning of Monday, May 23, with the low 16 advancing to match play. The first round of matches will be contested on the morning of Tuesday, May 24, with the Quarterfinals that afternoon. The following day is set to hold the Semifinal matches just after the lunch hour, before a champion is crowned Thursday, May 26.
ABOUT THE FIELD
Registration was open to all CDGA members age 55 and older with a Handicap Index® from the USGA® of 10.4 or below. Nearly 230 individuals signed up for the event, with exemptions and two qualifiers earlier this spring at Bloomingdale Golf Club and Makray Memorial Golf Club determining the final field.
Created in 2002, the CDGA Senior Amateur Championship is a match play tournament for golfers age 55 and up. In 2019, the maximum handicap limit was increased to 10.4. The event begins with an 18-hole qualifier for the entire field, with the low 16 players advancing to match play. The champion of this tournament is the recipient of the Charles Morgan Auld Cup. East Peoria`s Tim Sheppard is the back-to-back defending champion of the event following his win in 2021 at Merit Club in Libertyville.
Qualifying
Chicago District Golf Association 11855 Archer Avenue Lemont, IL 60439
Taylorville`s Dave Ryan captured his third CDGA Senior Amateur title (2014, 2015) Wednesday at Medinah Country Club.
