Oak Brook, IL – The DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is pleased to announce the return of the Chicago Open to Cantigny Park in DuPage County for the second consecutive year on October 5 – 7. This is an especially momentous occasion, because 2014 is both the 100th anniversary year of the first Chicago Open and the 25th anniversary of Wheaton’s Cantigny Golf. Spectators are welcome.
The Chicago Open boasts a Hall of Fame roster of champions that includes such golf icons as Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson. PGA Tour star and former World Number One golfer Luke Donald is a Chicago area resident and won the event in 2000 as an amateur playing for Northwestern.
The championship is again being conducted by and for the benefit of the Illinois Junior Golf Association (IJGA). IJGA is the second-largest junior golf program in the nation, serving 2,800 golfers between the ages of eight and 18, and managing more than 100 separate events throughout Illinois. The IJGA also is the umbrella organization for the Mid-American Junior Golf Tour (MAJGT), which specializes in conducting tournaments for higher-level junior players, particularly those seeking exposure to college golf coaches.
In 2013, the event drew a field of top amateur and professional golfers from 18 states and three countries, and served as a tune-up to the fall’s PGA Tour Qualifying School competition. The 2013 champion was Carlos Sainz, Jr., an Elgin native, former IJGA member and former Cantigny Golf employee. Sainz is now fully exempt on the PGA’s Web.com Tour and plans to return to defend his title.
“In reviving the Chicago Open, our goal was to provide an opportunity for aspiring tour pros and top amateurs to compete at a high level as they make their way toward their ultimate goal of playing on the PGA Tour,” said Marty Schiene, immediate past president of the IJGA and a former touring pro. “Playing in a competition with such a rich history can make the event that much more meaningful to the contestants.”
IJGA executive director Carrie Williams said they undertook the event in order to utilize the organization’s expertise in tournament operations to raise much needed funds: “Administering tournaments is a core competency of the Illinois Junior Golf Association,” according to Williams. “Reviving the Chicago Open has allowed us to put those skills to work for the betterment of the game at multiple levels.”
Professional and highly accomplished amateur golfers will have the opportunity to qualify for or earn exemptions into this year’s $50,000 54-hole tournament on specified dates from August 29 and September 23 at sites in Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois – including the Village Links of Glen Ellyn in DuPage County on Monday, September 8.
Qualifiers are open to professional golfers and to amateurs with a handicap index of 10.0 or less. Those interested in registering for a qualifying event – or in obtaining more information – may do so online by visiting www.thechicagoopen.com.
Follow @TheChicagoOpen on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-date news and special promotions for these events.
To learn more about opportunities to host your next sports event in DuPage County, visit DiscoverDuPage.com or contact Angela Rauen, Sales Manager at the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau at 630.575.8070, extension 221, or angela@discoverdupage.com.
About DuPage County
DuPage County is the second most populous county in Illinois after Cook County, which borders it to the north and east. Together, the two counties account for half of the state’s population. One of the nation’s wealthiest counties, DuPage is rich in many types of commerce and is second only to Cook in tourism revenue. With its well-developed highway and mass transit system, DuPage is easily accessible from O’Hare and Midway Airports, as well as the City of Chicago.
About DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau
The DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau was established through the efforts of a coalition of
DuPage area hotel executives and business representatives in 1987, and was formally certified in 1989 by the State of Illinois. It remains the official agency for promoting the county’s multibillion dollar tourism industry and market DuPage County as an enticing destination for leisure and business travelers, meeting planners, groups and conventions, in order to enhance the economic development of the area.