Illinois Women's Open notes & footers 1995 • The inaugural 1995 Illinois Women's Open (IWO) was shortened to 36 holes due to cloud-to-ground lightning and torrential rain during the first round. None of the groups had completed nine holes, so the entire round was wiped out.
1996 • The original July 17-19, 1996 Illinois Women's Open was washed out when 16-inch rains flooded the Chicago area. The golf course, built partially on a flood plain, had over five feet of water on seven holes. The IWO was rescheduled for August 14, 15 and 17.
1997 • In
1997 the golf course was blasted with a 110-degree heat index and
tropical humidity for the final round. Amateur Kerry Postillion, the
only player in the field who eschewed use of a roofed power cart, set
an IWO record when with eight holes remaining, owned a whopping
nine-shot lead over her nearest chaser. However, her huge lead quickly
disappeared when she began suffering from heat exhaustion; she and
runner-up Diane Daugherty ended in a tie after 54 holes. Postillion
bounced back to win a three-hole, aggregate-score playoff with a
one-over-par 12 to Daugherty's 13.
2005 • Annika
Wellander of Winnetka became the youngest IWO champion when she won
three days past her 19th birthday. She held off a fierce back-nine
charge from 20-year LPGA Tour veteran Allison Finney (also a Winnetka
native) to win the title by one stroke. Both Welander and Finney's
54-hole scores broke course and tournament records.
2007 • Sarah Johnston is now playing the LPGA Tour under her married name of Sarah Lynn Sargent.
2007 • The 2007 Illinois Women's Open ended with a state-record 10-hole playoff. At the end of regulation amateur Nicole Schachner was tied with professional Jenna Pearson at 1-under 215 (Pearson missed a 15-foot eagle putt on the final hole of regulation for an outright one-stroke victory). After the duo played a four-hole, aggregate-score playoff over holes 1-2-3-3 as determined by the rules and were still tied, the format reverted to sudden-death on Mistwood's 528-yard par-5 third hole. The twosome played the hole five more times with the same result as the first two times through during the four-hole playoff -- seven straight two-putt pars. Finally on the 10th hole of the playoff and sixth of sudden death, Schachner two putted from 13 feet and Pearson missed a 7-footer to extend the playoff. Also notable is both the first and second rounds began with shotgun starts for the first time in tournament history -- necessitated by the presence of severe thunderstorms and cloud-to-ground lightning in the area.
2008 • For the first time the number of entries exceeded the available spots in the field, so a qualifier had to be held, with 18 players going for 9 spots. Also, Neff shot 7-under 65 in the second round -- a Mistwood women's course record (men's is 64) and an IWO record.
Holes-In-One Meg Cavanaugh-LaVarre of Northbrook, 140-yard 17th hole, Odyssey GC using a 6-iron, 1996. Maria Long of Naperville, 148-yard 15th hole, Odyssey GC using a 6-iron, 1996. Edie Sims of Lockport, 131-yard 17th hole at Mistwood GC using a 9-iron, 2000.
Lowest 9-hole score - all par 36 31 Allison Finney, Mistwood GC, back nine of the first round, 2005 32 a-Kerry Postillion, Odyssey GC, front nine of the first round, 1996 32 a-Abby Derman, Mistwood GC, back nine of the first round, 2000 33 Maria Long, Mistwood GC, front nine of the third round, 2002
1995 Champion Diane Daugherty of Carbondale
1996, 1997 & 1999 Champion Kerry Postillion of Burr Ridge
Lowest 18 hole score - all par 72 65 (-7) a-Aimee Neff, Mistwood GC, second round, 2008 *course record 67 (-5) Jennifer Broggi, Mistwood GC, first round, 2006 67 (-5) Marisa Milligan, Mistwood GC, first round, 2006 67 (-5) a-Noriko Nakazaki, Mistwood GC, third round, 2006 67 (-5) a-Annika Welander, Mistwood GC, second round, 2005 67 (-5) Dianne Daugherty, Odyssey GC, second round, 1998 68 (-4) a-Samantha Sloan, Mistwood GC, first round, 2007 68 (-4) a-Michelle Caporusso, Mistwood GC, second round, 2007 68 (-4) a-Sara Brown, Mistwood GC, first & second rounds, 2006 68 (-4) Allison Finney, Mistwood GC, first round, 2006 68 (-4) a-Jenna Pearson, Mistwood GC, second & third rounds, 2006 68 (-4) Sarah Pesavento, Mistwood GC, first round, 2006 68 (-4) a-Christine Zoerlein, Mistwood GC, first round, 2006 68 (-4) Allison Finney, Mistwood GC, first round, 2005 68 (-4) Leanne Smith, Mistwood GC, second round, 2005 68 (-4) Jennifer Broggi, Mistwood GC, first round, 1999
Largest margin of victory 7 strokes, Kerry Postillion-219 over Char McLear-226, Odyssey GC, 1996 6 strokes, Aimee Neff-208 over Seul Ki park-214, Mistwood GC, 2008 5 strokes, Diane Daugherty-139 over Andrea Kellar-144, Odyssey GC, 1995* (inaugural tournament cut to 36 holes) 4 strokes, Emily Gilley-223 over Beth Hermes-227, Mistwood GC, 2001 4 strokes, Sarah Johnston-212 over Beth Hermes-216, Mistwood GC, 2004
Largest lead any time during championship 9 strokes, Kerry Postillion, final round after 64 holes, Odyssey CC, 1997
Youngest winner 19 years, 3 days, Annika Wellander, 2005
Oldest winner Will always remain a secret *wink*
Longest playoff 10 holes*, 2007 (*Illinois state record) At the
end of regulation amateur Nicole Schachner was tied with professional Jenna
Pearson at 1-under 215 (Pearson missed a 15-foot eagle putt on the final hole of
regulation for the outright victory). After the duo played a
four-hole, aggregate-score playoff over holes 1-2-3-3 as determined by the rules
and were still tied, the format reverted to sudden-death on Mistwood's 528-yard
par-5 third hole. The twosome played the hole five more times with the same
result as the first two times through during the four-hole playoff -- seven
straight two-putt pars. Finally, on the 10th hole of the playoff and sixth of
sudden death, Schachner two-putted from 13 feet and Pearson missed a 7-footer that would have
extended the playoff.
