Daniel Stringfellow captured the 106th CDGA Amateur Championship at North Shore Country Club with a 5-and-4 win over Brody McCarthy.Day Four: Thursday, June 25
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After getting over the initial sting that the runner-up finish carried, Stringfellow would turn it into a learning opportunity. Now, the former Auburn Tiger is calling himself a CDGA Amateur champion after winning the event’s 106th iteration on Thursday, 5 and 4, over Brody McCarthy (Homer Glen / Mistwood GC) at North Shore Country Club.
“I was 2-up with two to go at Beverly, so that one stung,” Stringfellow said after his win. “Losing sucks, but sometimes finishing second sucks more. It just freed me up a little bit. If you’re winning, it doesn’t mean you are going to win. I think I got a little comfortable at Beverly, so I tried to never get comfortable out here, especially down the stretch. It just helped me focus a little bit.”
The day certainly began uncomfortably for the eventual champion, as he found himself 2-down through the opening four holes of the 36-hole finale, a deficit that would stand through the opening nine. Back-to-back birdies for McCarthy at Nos. 10 and 11 extended his lead to 4-up.
“Brody was a machine early on, he didn’t miss any putts,” Stringfellow said. “It’s easy to get down on yourself when your opponent is just striping it and making putts, but with it being 36 holes, I felt like I just needed to cut it to one or two before lunch to reset.”
Mission accomplished. Stringfellow found his groove, capturing Nos. 12, 13 and 15, with a near-birdie win at the par-4 14th, to cut it to one. A trade of wins at Nos. 17 and 18 sent the match to a proverbial halftime in a 1-up lead for McCarthy.
While Stringfellow was still chasing, momentum in the match seemed to be shifting for the first time and his mindset remained the same: “Just be aggressive.”
Bogeys quickly became a score of the past on the closing 18 holes, with Stringfellow carding a par win at the first to tie the match for the first time all day. Three pars and two birdies on the ensuing five holes included a trio of wins to not only claim his first lead of the day, but push it to a 3-up advantage in the blink of an eye.
Another par on the lengthy par-3 eighth pushed Stringfellow’s lead to 4-up before McCarthy birdied the ninth to send the match to the final nine holes with a three-hole difference.
“He made a couple of mistakes, so that opened the door for me,” said Stringfellow. “That’s when I started to think, ‘Okay, I think I can win now.’ The first 18, I was a little down on myself, but I just hung in there. The par I made on No. 7 when I was behind the tree - that was a big par that helped propel me to the (final) nine.”
Stringfellow poured in birdie putts on the par-5 12th and par-4 15th to close out his win, 5 and 4. With the triumph, he joined Charlie Waddell as just the second mid-amateur to win the CDGA Amateur Championship in the last decade.
For Stringfellow, life as a mid-am doesn’t hold him back after a run on the professional circuit. In fact, it’s even more enjoyable at times.
“Honestly, I’m just excited,” he said. “I’m 34 (years old), but I don’t feel like I’m 34. I feel like I’m still pretty young, and I hit it just as far as these guys. I probably don’t practice as much now, but I think that freed me up a bit. I just care less and I think I tend to play a little better the less I’m thinking and not always being obsessed with golf. It’s helped me out a little bit - the mid-am life.
“Relieved. Tired. Excited. It’s a long day, but I’m happy I came away with the W.”
If this win was what the 2024 CDGA Player of the Year needed to “free up,” watch out Chicago District.
With the CDGA Amateur Championship in the books, the CDGA Championship slate now sets its sights on the second of two marquee events of the year in the 95th Illinois State Amateur Championship. The test between the top amateurs in the state will head to Bloomington’s Crestwicke Country Club, July 14-16.
Day Three: Wednesday, June 24
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Stringfellow, the event runner-up in 2024 at Beverly Country Club, withstood home-club hopeful Ryan Banas (Winnetka / North Shore CC) in the first extra-hole match of the day. Holding a 1-up lead on the 18th tee, Stringfellow found trouble left off the tee, allowing a win by Banas to head back to the first tee. The former Auburn University Tiger advanced to the Semifinals with a birdie. In the afternoon, he faced off with stroke-play medalist Ryan Andrews (Libertyville / CDGA Member’s Club), where he again fell behind early. And again, Stringfellow held a 1-up lead on North Shore’s finisher. Andrews would push the match to extras with a birdie before falling to Stringfellow’s par on the 19th.
Meanwhile, McCarthy battled Will Caronchi (Willow Springs / Cog Hill G&CC) in the morning matches. Neither player held more than a 1-up lead before McCarthy, the rising senior at Bradley University, won Nos. 17 and 18 to take the match, 1 up. Conner McCall (Vandalia / CDGA Member’s Club) was waiting for a Semifinal matchup, where the two were tied for a majority of the back nine. Extra holes were required yet again, with McCarthy emerging with a birdie on the par-4 first.
The long week continues on Thursday, as 36 holes await the Finalists. The Championship Match will begin at 7:30 a.m., as Stringfellow and McCarthy will vie for their name to be etched on the Joseph G. Davis Trophy, as well as their own moment amongst North Shore Country Club’s extensive tournament history. See the listing below for a more in-depth look at these prestigious events:
1928 WESTERN OPEN - ABE ESPINOSA
The first high-level event North Shore hosted was the 1928 Western Open, featuring an elite field of players that included Chick Evans and Johnny Farrell. Farrell’s appearance came on the heels of a comeback playoff victory over the notable Bobby Jones earlier that summer. While the stars shared the initial headlines, brothers Abe and Al Espinosa would battle it out for the title. Abe emerged victorious, pairing this title with the Chicago Open Championship in 1928. He would later go on to spend time at Medinah Country Club.
1933 U.S. OPEN - JOHNNY GOODMAN
Following its initial success in welcoming premier golf tournaments, the United States Open visited Chicago’s North Shore in 1933. The top players of the era - Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Tommy Armour and Horton Smith - were on-site for the National Open. History would be made, however, as famed amateur Johnny Goodman would claim the title by week’s end. Goodman’s triumph would become the fifth and final U.S. Open win by an amateur. The victor would later capture the 1937 U.S. Amateur.
1939 U.S. AMATEUR - BUD WARD
Speaking of amateurs, the 43rd iteration of the U.S. Amateur was initially highlighted by Thomas Sheehan Jr. setting the then-record of 139 for stroke-play qualifying. Meanwhile, Marvin “Bud” Ward stormed the field in match play. Ward played 170 holes in 11-under par and one-putted 29 greens across his last two matches. He would go on to defeat Ray Billows, 7 & 5, to claim the Havemeyer Trophy.
1983 U.S. AMATEUR - JAY SIGEL
The USGA returned to North Shore nearly half a century later, with the club hosting the 1983 U.S. Amateur. Venerable amateur Jay Sigel, much older than the rest of the field at 39 years old, would best the field to capture his second-straight U.S. Amateur title. Riding the momentum from that win, he would go on to claim the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club outside Denver. He’s the only player to win both events in the same year.
2011 WESTERN AMATEUR - ETHAN TRACY
With its headquarters just north of North Shore, the Western Golf Association (WGA) brought the Western Amateur to the C.H. Alison design in 2011. A loaded field of future professionals made the trip to the Chicago District, including Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Emiliano Grillo and Russell Henley. While Cantlay, then at UCLA, would make his way to the Final, he eventually fell to Ethan Tracy, then an Arkansas Razorback. Tracy drained a crucial putt on the 18th green to win.
2023 WESTERN AMATEUR - KAZUMI KABORI
The most recent elite nationwide tournament to trek to North Shore was the 2023 Western Amateur. An all international Final would pit Kazumi Kabori of New Zealand against Christiaan Maas of South Africa. Kabori went on to topple Maas, 1 up, to become the third player from New Zealand to claim the George R. Thorne trophy.
Related Links: (Results) / (Photo Gallery) / (Instagram Reel)
See below to meet the players looking to secure a pair of wins Wednesday to continue their quests for the Joseph G. Davis Trophy:
Andrews
Day One: Monday, June 22
See the list below for five key things to know following 36 holes of Stroke Play Qualifying on Monday:
Related Links: (Match Play Tree) / (Photo Gallery) / (Instagram Reel)
A Wind-Riddled Challenge
The month of June has brought numerous severe storms to the Chicago District. After more showers on the eve of the Am on Sunday, the area featured 20-plus mph wind gusts during the 36-hole day on Monday, creating quite the challenge for the talented field. The par-72 track played at just over 7,000 yards, with a scoring average of 76.97 during stroke-play qualifying. The 231-yard par-3 eighth conceded just five birdies throughout the day while playing to a 3.51 scoring average. While both playing over par, the front- and back-nine scoring averages were relatively consistent at 38.40 and 38.57, respectively.
Andrews’ Revenge
One year after missing the cut by five shots at Briarwood Country Club, the 19-year-old Andrews was one of just two players to post a pair of rounds at even par or better en route to earning medalist honors. Andrews carded a combined 10 birdies and an eagle in his two rounds to best 2023 medalist Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / The Grove CC) and Dominic Lucchesi (Chicago / CDGA Member’s Club) by two strokes. Lucchesi was the other of the two contestants at even par or better in both rounds with a 2-under 70 followed up by an even-par 72 in the afternoon. It will be Lucchesi’s first trip to match play.
Familiar Faces
While the name at the top is a newcomer, much of the match play bracket features players who have been there and done that. The aforementioned Slutzky was the medalist two seasons ago at Beverly Country Club, an event that was the first of two-consecutive trips to the Quarterfinals for the 49-year-old. The fourth of four competitors under par is Daniel Stringfellow (Chicago / Medinah CC), who advanced to the Finals in the 2024 rendition at Beverly, eventually falling in 39 holes. Reaching the Final match in 2022, Zach Mulhearn (Wheaton / Glen Oak CC) will make a run for the title for the first time since his near-win at Glen Flora Country Club. Home-club hopeful Ryan Banas (Winnetka / North Shore CC) is also back in match play after a run to the Quarterfinals a year ago. Will Caronchi (Willow Springs / Cog Hill G&CC), Nicholas Feinberg (Chicago / Olympia Fields CC), Patrick Raupp (Arlington Heights / CDGA Member’s Club) and Justin Schwab (Beach Park / CDGA Member’s Club) each return to the Round of 16 after all making the cut in recent seasons. Rounding out the group is the lone past event champion remaining in Jordan Less (Lombard / Blackberry Oaks GC), who claimed the Joseph G. Davis Trophy in 2019 at Glen View Club.
A Historic Host
Set on Chicago’s north shore since 1900, and as its current 18-hole layout for more than 100 years, North Shore Country Club has served as host of elite competition numerous times since its inception. First, it was the Western Open in 1928, won in a playoff by Abe Espinosa over his brother, Al. Five years later, the USGA ventured to North Shore for its first of three stops and lone U.S. Open (the U.S. Amateur was also contested on the Glenview-based track in 1939 and 1983). Most recently, the Western Amateur was held in 2011 and 2023, with now-PGA Tour pro Patrick Cantlay finishing as the runner-up to Ethan Tracy in the first of two editions.
Looking Ahead
Tuesday will feature the Round of 16 matches, which are set to commence at 7:30 a.m. A marathon-Wednesday is set to feature both the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds. The 36-hole title tilt is slated for Thursday at 7:30 a.m., with the winner adding their name to a list of champions that includes Chick Evans, David Ogrin, Joel Hirsch and more.
Preview
The CDGA's oldest championship heads back to Chicago's North Shore, as the 106th CDGA Amateur Championship will be contested June 22-25 at North Shore Country Club in Glenview. The entire field will compete in 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying to determine the low 16 who will advance to match play. Four rounds of matches, including a 36-hole finale, stand in the way of hoisting the Joseph G. Davis Trophy.
Schedule
Monday, June 22
The entire field will play 36 holes of stroke play to determine the low 16 who will advance to match play.
Tuesday, June 23
The Round of 16 matches will take place, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 24
The Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches are slated for the morning and afternoon, respectively.
Thursday, June 25
The 36-hole Championship match will commence at 7:30 a.m.
CLICK HERE or the image for a full preview and notes package.
Related Links: (Full Preview) / (Stroke Play Tee Times) / (Field) / (2025 Recap) / (Event History)
Championship Information
One of the oldest amateur competitions in the Midwest, the CDGA Amateur Championship was first played in 1914 at Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood. Golf great Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr. won the tournament that year. In 1935, invitations were issued nationally, and in 1941, the event became known as the Great Lakes Amateur Championship. In 1955, the CDGA board of directors decided to make the championship an association event again and to limit the field to players who were CDGA members. Currently, the Championship is open to any CDGA member with a Handicap Index of 7.4 or under. Since 2003, qualifying golfers play 36 holes of stroke play on the first day of the championship. From there, 16 individuals advance to match play. The eight quarterfinalists from the previous year’s championship are exempt into the 36-hole qualifying. Pierce Grieve took home the hardware in 2025 at Briarwood Country Club in Deerfield to become just the 12th player to claim both the CDGA Amateur and Illinois State Amateur Championships.
Qualifying
You must satisfy the age requirement on or before 6/22/2026 to be eligible.
If you qualify for the Championship, there is no additional fee.
Exempt Players must register through the Exemptions link.
Players will need to complete the registration process to be placed on the waitlist. The credit card used during registration will NOT be charged until you are confirmed into the event.
You must satisfy the age requirement on or before 6/22/2026 to be eligible.
If you qualify for the Championship, there is no additional fee.
Exempt Players must register through the Exemptions link.
Players will need to complete the registration process to be placed on the waitlist. The credit card used during registration will NOT be charged until you are confirmed into the event.
You must satisfy the age requirement on or before 6/22/2026 to be eligible.
If you qualify for the Championship, there is no additional fee.
Exempt Players must register through the Exemptions link.
Players will need to complete the registration process to be placed on the waitlist. The credit card used during registration will NOT be charged until you are confirmed into the event.
You must satisfy the age requirement on or before 6/22/2026 to be eligible.
If you qualify for the Championship, there is no additional fee.
Exempt Players must register through the Exemptions link.
Players will need to complete the registration process to be placed on the waitlist. The credit card used during registration will NOT be charged until you are confirmed into the event.
You must satisfy the age requirement on or before 6/22/2026 to be eligible.
If you qualify for the Championship, there is no additional fee.
Exempt Players must register through the Exemptions link.
Players will need to complete the registration process to be placed on the waitlist. The credit card used during registration will NOT be charged until you are confirmed into the event.
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