It Ziehms to Me: Malm takes his talents to White Eagle
The best player in the Illinois section of the PGA is moving.
Curtis Malm, the IPGA Player-of-the-Year in 2012 and 2013 while an assistant professional at St. Charles Country Club, has moved to White Eagle in Naperville as the head professional.
Malm, who spent five seasons at St. Charles, won the Illinois Open as an amateur in 2000 and blossomed in the IPGA ranks with back-to-back victories in the section’’s Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes in 2012 and 2013. He was the first player in 25 years to win that title in back-to-back years.
The 2013 season also saw Malm match the Elgin Country Club course record when he shot a 9-under-par 63 in an IPGA stroke play event.
Hinsdale is focus of CDGA centennial
The Chicago District Golf Assn. announced its tournament schedule for its 100th season on Tuesday with Hinsdale Golf Club appropriately in the spotlight during the organization’s centennial campaign.
Hinsdale was the home club of Francis S. Peabody, the first CDGA president and the man credited with getting 25 area clubs together for the purpose of organizing in 1914. Hinsdale will host the CDGA’s oldest event, the Chicago District Amateur, from June 23-26, and also the newest one – the season-ended Centennial Founders Club Championship on Oct. 16. The Founders Club event is a team competition.
The other most notable addition to the expanded 60-event schedule is the CDGA Par-3 Championship, to be held Sept. 8 at Lost Dunes in Bridgman, Mich. The event was held twice as a CDGA Foundation event but is now part of the tournament calendar.
Former IWO champion is retiring
Allison Fouch-Duncan, the Michigan golfer who won the 2010 Illinois Women’s Open at Mistwood, in Romeoville, before moving on to the LPGA Tour, is retiring from the circuit.
She declared herself retired after a press conference to announce that her hometown of Grand Rapids had landed an LPGA tournament. The $1.5 million Meijer LPGA Classic will be played at Blythefield Country Club from Aug. 7-10, 2014. Fouch-Duncan is a member of the LPGA Executive Committee.
Did you know?
The Women’s Western Golf Assn. has set sites for its 2014 championships. The 114th Women’s Western Amateur will be June 23-24 at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club and the 88th Women’s Western Junior will be at Knollwood, in Granger, Ind., from July 28-Aug. 1. Knollwood will host the event for the fifth time. Lancaster, one of the nation’s oldest clubs, was designed by William Flynn. His credits include former U.S. Open venues Merion, Shinnecock Hills and Cherry Hills as well as the Glen View Club, home base of WWGA president Kimberly Shriver and several WWGA directors.
Dan Tully, superintendent at Kemper Lakes the past 14 years, is moving to nearby Twin Orchard in Long Grove and Randy Wahler, the superintendent at Knollwood, in Lake Forest, for 33 years, has announced his retirement.
Emily Fletcher, the Big Ten women’s coach of the year in 2013, has landed two prize recruits from California. Sarah Cho and Hannah Kim are both ranked in the top 10 nationally on the Junior Golf Scoreboard. Cho is also ranked No. 1 in California and Kim is No. 3.
Jeff Perdew, general manager at Chicago Highlands, and two head professionals – Wade Gurysh of Knollwood and Nick Papadakes of Old Elm – have been elected to the IPGA board of directors
