Dave Ryan of Taylorville now has five Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship titles.
39th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship September 15-17 • Bloomington Country Club (Bloomington)
Day Three: Wednesday, September 17
‘SWEET LIKE WINE’: RYAN CAPTURES 39TH ILLINOIS STATE SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Bloomington, Ill. - A lot has occurred since the year 2009. Many born that year are even securing their driver's licenses before the calendar turns to January in a few months.
For Dave Ryan (Taylorville), 2009 marked the start of his dominance within the senior amateur circuit around the Chicago District and beyond with his first Illinois State Senior Amateur victory at age 55. Since then, Ryan has captured a U.S. Senior Amateur title, three CDGA Senior Amateur crowns and now four additional State Senior Ams following his win in the 39th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship at Bloomington Country Club on Wednesday.
Ryan’s longevity is one that is surely envied by most and, as he put it, must make him “sweet like wine.”
Even with a three-shot lead heading into the final round, Ryan’s eventual victory didn’t come without its challenges, as the 6,500-yard Bloomington Country Club again provided a stiff test for many of the state’s top amateurs. The 71-year-old carded rounds of 70, 75 and 76 to finish at 8-over par and two shots clear of second-place finisher Ted Pecora (Winnekta).
“It’s a golf course where you don’t make a lot of birdies. I mean, this golf course, you can get in trouble and make a double in a heartbeat because the greens are tough to putt on. It’s a tough test of golf – that’s why they’ve had all these state events here,” Ryan said following the final round.
His three-stroke advantage remained that or better throughout the front nine. Ryan carded seven pars and two bogeys to post a 38. With Pecora concurrently reaching +10, it was Greg Seelinger (Downers Grove) at 8 over and two-time event winner Scot Frankenreider (Peoria) at +9 chasing the closest behind.
“I made some good putts and stuff like that, but I didn’t hit the ball very good today,” Ryan said of his front nine. “My nerves, you know, at my age, I didn’t realize it did this to you, but when you get this old, it’s just tough to do it.”
Those nerves likely subsided for a short while, as Ryan neutralized a bogey at No. 10 with a birdie at the par-4 11th to push his lead over the field to four shots.
A trend was set, however, as the now-five-time champion went on a proverbial roller coaster ride on the inward nine: Ryan carded one eagle, two birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey. Two of those bogeys came at Nos. 12 and 13 to shrink his advantage to just two, then over Pecora yet again.
The eagle, which ended up being the difference in the championship, was as timely as it gets to push those growing nerves to the side once again.
“Well, I hit a perfect drive and it’s a short par-5, so I hit five iron to about six feet, which is, you know, if you go a little bit further right, you’re in the water,” said Ryan. “I hit a great shot and I made the putt, so that kind of calmed my nerves down a bit.”
His lead was up to four strokes once more.
A bogey-birdie stretch at Nos. 15 and 16 had the advantage up to six shots for Ryan, with Pecora, who was now the only other competitor within arm’s reach, carding back-to-back bogeys.
The pressure was applied one last time with Pecora posting a birdie at No. 17 while Ryan, whose tee shot found the penalty area, scrambled to save his double bogey and cut the lead in half. Ryan went on to do all he needed to on the 54th and final hole, sinking his bogey putt for the win.
The victory was not only Ryan’s fifth in the event, but also his second at Bloomington. He won the last time the championship was contested along Route 9 in 2016, the same year he went on to capture the U.S. Senior Am.
“Winning breeds confidence,” Ryan said. “If you can win, it helps out once you get in a situation, it helps you get through it. These things are hard to win. I mean, they’re tough, you’ve got to play good and it’s just very difficult.”
Challenge accepted, and defeated. Now, Ryan gets to add another trophy to his already crowded mantle. And enjoy a well-earned glass of that sweet, aged wine.
Up next, the 2025 CDGA championship schedule concludes with the 10th CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club Sept. 29 - Oct. 2.
Day Two: Tuesday, September 16
RYAN CARRIES THREE-SHOT LEAD INTO FINAL ROUND OF 39TH ILLINOIS STATE SENIOR AMATEUR
Bloomington, Ill. - History is repeating itself at Bloomington Country Club, as Dave Ryan (Taylorville) and Ted Pecora (Winnetka) find themselves atop the leaderboard ahead of the final round of the 39th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship. The two also comprised two-thirds of the final group nine years ago at Bloomington, an event Ryan went on to win by nine strokes.
Ryan, who held a four-shot advantage through 36 holes in 2016, maintains a three-stroke lead at 3-over par this year following rounds of 70 and 75 during the opening two days. He began his Tuesday by carding back-to-back pars on Nos. 10 and 11 before a double bogey at the par-3 12th stunted his growing advantage. The 71-year-old posted five-straight pars to right the ship before a birdie at the par-4 18th sent him to the second nine with a commanding lead.
A second-nine 39 consisting of six pars and a trio of bogeys concluded Ryan’s round of 75.
“It’s a tricky golf course,” Ryan said. “You have to hit your irons shots in the right spots and if you don’t, you’re going to have trouble – it’s tough.
“The last time I played (here), it was in 2016 and I was fortunate to win it. It gave me the confidence to go down and play in St. Louis and I won the U.S. Senior Amateur, so that was a pretty cool deal to do.”
Ryan also earned Low Super Senior honors with his play in the first two rounds.
Pecora, the man chasing closest behind Ryan at +6, was in a similar spot in 2016 but this time finds himself one shot closer following rounds of 75 and 73. His two-over-par second round included four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey. The four holes in red figures were tied for the most in the field.
A trio of competitors sit in a tie for third, as two-time State Senior Amateur winner Scot Frankenreider (Peoria), 2002 Illinois State Mid-Amateur victor Curt Minkel (Pekin) and Steven Jacobs (Highland Park) all look to gain ground from their posts at 7-over par. Minkel will play with Ryan and Pecora as a part of the last group off on Wednesday morning.
Defending champion Rick Stewart (Park Ridge) also remains within striking distance at T7 following rounds of 74 and 77.
In total, 37 competitors made the cut at +18 or better. Wednesday’s final round is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., with the leaders going off at 9:48.
Day One: Monday, September 15
TAYLORVILLE’S RYAN CARDS ONLY UNDER-PAR ROUND, HOLDS 39TH STATE SENIOR AM DAY ONE LEAD AT BLOOMINGTON
Bloomington, Ill. - Bloomington Country Club, a staple on the CDGA-administered event schedule for decades, welcomed the state’s top amateurs age 55 and older Monday for the first round of the 39th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship. The tree-lined property with crafty greens only yielded one under-par first-round score, as Dave Ryan (Taylorville) fired a 1-under 70 to sit atop the leaderboard at day’s end. The 71-year-old looks to add a fifth Earl R. Liff Trophy to his mantle, and his first in more than a decade, as he sits one clear of Mike Karney (Crystal Lake) and Greg Seelinger (Downers Grove).
Ryan, a six-time CDGA Senior Player of the Year award winner, began his opening nine with a string of three straight pars before dropping shots in the form of a double bogey on the par-4 fourth and bogey on the par-4 seventh. He bounced back, however, stringing together three red figures in a row around the turn. Two more birdies on Nos. 12 and 16 sandwiched a bogey five on No. 13 as his back-nine 33 rounded out his 1-under 70. It may come as no shock to find Ryan atop the leaderboard at Bloomington, as his 2016 triumph came the last time the Illinois State Senior Am was contested at the Central Illinois layout.
Meanwhile, the 64-year-old Karney went out in 2-under 36, notching three birdies to one bogey, before a back-nine 37 flipped the script with three bogeys to one birdie. Seelinger, who won the 2024 CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship alongside Glenn Przybylski (Frankfort) last fall, saw similar symmetry. The 58-year-old began on Bloomington’s back nine and paired three birdies with three bogeys to sit alongside Karney in a tie for second.
Along with Ryan’s championship pedigree, a host of notable competitors are within striking distance heading into the second round. Defending champion Rick Stewart (Park Ridge) fired a 3-over 74 as he looks to be the first to go back-to-back since Scot Frankenreider (Peoria) in 2022-23. Speaking of Frankenreider, the 58-year-old shot a 4-over 75 on Monday, well within reach of Ryan. A two-time winner in his own right, Tim Sheppard (East Peoria) maneuvered his way to a first-round 6-over 77.
Tuesday will see the entire field returning to Bloomington for another 18-hole round, with tee times commencing at 8 a.m. The field will then be cut to the low 35 and ties, with a Low Super Senior honor being awarded following play. The final 18 holes will be contested on Wednesday.
Preview
The 2025 CDGA Championship slate heads to Central Illinois next week, as the 39th Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship will be contested at Bloomington Country Club, Sept. 15-17. The penultimate championship on the 2025 calendar will feature the state's top amateurs age 55 and older vying for the Earl R. Liff Trophy as they compete across three rounds of stroke play.
Schedule
Monday, Sept. 15 The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play in the morning.
Tuesday, Sept. 16 The entire field will return to play another 18 holes of stroke play. A cut to the low 35 and ties will be made, with those players advancing to Wednesday. The Low Super Senior honor will also be handed out following play on Tuesday.
Wednesday, Sept. 17 The low 35 and ties from a Tuesday will play the final 18 holes to determine the winner of the Earl R. Liff Trophy.
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The Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship, conducted annually by the Chicago District Golf Association, was first held in 1987. The Championship is open to Illinois residents age 55 and older. It is a 54-hole event, with the entire field playing 36 holes over the course of two days and the low 35 and ties playing the final 18 on the third day. The winner of the Championship is the recipient of the Earl R. Liff Trophy, which was claimed by Rick Stewart just days after his 55th birthday in 2024 at Itasca Country Club.
Dave Ryan of Taylorville now has five Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship titles.
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