CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLF ASSOCIATION

If those circumstances do unfold, however, it’s beneficial to have that playoff hole be one you “normally play pretty well” - with “normally” equating to thousands of times as a 20-year member of the course.

This is the situation Jerry White (Hawthorn Woods / Hawthorn Woods CC) found himself in during the Final match of the 24th CDGA Senior Amateur Championship Thursday morning at Hawthorn Woods Country Club. A par on the dogleg left opener wound up being enough to claim victory over Mike Henry (Bloomington / Weibring GC at ISU).

The win makes it one-for-one in CDGA Senior Am appearances for the 60-year-old White, who did not play competitive high school or college golf and sporadically participates in non-club events. He learned of his ability to claim the host club exemption as the reigning senior club champion thanks to a heads-up from his brother, Jeff.

“I’m super happy and ecstatic,” said White following the triumph. “It’s a great win for me. It was fun.”

White - who joined the club as a charter member when it was founded in 2006 and lives off the 15th green - put his home course advantage to use not only against Henry, but throughout the entire week. He survived a 4-for-3 playoff on Monday to earn the 16th and final spot in match play before riding a hot putter to defeat medalist Scot Frankenreider (Peoria / Arrowhead CC) in the Round of 16 on Tuesday. His familiarity on and around the greens was amplified by fast playing surfaces and demanding weather conditions as he topped two more senior stalwarts, David Feder (Chicago / Conway Farms GC) and Glenn Przybylski (Frankfort / The Sanctuary GC), to set up the title tilt against Henry.

“I think it helps knowing the greens and knowing the slight undulations - especially when they’re as fast as they are,” White explained. “I’ve played with them this fast before - they’re always like this for club championships and member guests.”

With a handful of Hawthorn Woods staff and fellow members in tow as spectators, White got off to a hot start in the decider, surging to a 3-up advantage through four holes.

“It made me feel a little more comfortable and settled me down a little bit,” White said of the early advantage. “That was very important for me to get in that position.”

The match mostly stagnated from there, with White stepping to the 17th tee needing to just tie one of the final two holes to secure victory.

Henry, however, had other ideas. He birdied the par-5 17th, blasting a fairway metal approach to just over the green and getting up and down for 4. Then, a piercing Henry drive on the finisher caused White to re-think his club selection. He switched from 3-wood to driver - a club that admittedly “wasn’t working well the whole tournament” - before hitting his tee shot right of the hole onto the driving range. He was able to find his ball and gave himself an opportunity to close out the match with a 15-footer for par, but watched it slide just past the hole.

White admitted to being “nervous” as Henry began to mount his charge. However, the trip back to the first provided an opportunity for him to reset and focus in on a hole he had great familiarity with.

“I was just like, okay - let’s go to No. 1,” White said of his mindset.

White found the fairway off the tee, while Henry’s ball ended up in the right rough. Henry’s approach landed right of the green and kicked forward with pace, crucially causing it to roll past the cup and up a slope to about 50 feet. White, meanwhile, knew exactly where to leave his second. Remember - familiarity.

“I just tried to take an easy swing and hit it up there short or on the green, because I know it’s a lot easier, especially with where that hole location was,” White explained. “It was right at the bottom of a ridge, and that makes it really tough."

He executed his plan to perfection, as the approach landed just short of the green and rolled out to about 12 feet short of the hole. Henry, aware of the finesse needed, left his first putt short of the ridge. His next roll stayed right of the hole, White sidled his putt up to a foot, and the two shook hands - cementing White’s unlikely achievement.

“I didn’t really expect the win, but I came out to compete and everything worked out,” White said after hoisting the Charles Morgan Auld Cup.

The conclusion of the event marked two events in two weeks as the 2026 CDGA Championship Schedule began with a frenzy. The slate pauses for Memorial Day week before returning with the 93rd Illinois State Women’s Amateur Championship, June 1-3 at Elgin Country Club.