Both PGA Tour events with ties to the Chicago District were formally recognized for historic and successful 2024 iterations.
The BMW Championship, conducted by the Glenview-based Western Golf Association, was named the PGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year. More than 138,000 spectators saw Keegan Bradley capture the FedExCup Playoff tournament Aug. 22-25 at Castle Pines Golf Club outside Denver. Additionally, the event raised a record $10.2 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards more than 340 full housing and tuition scholarships to caddies across the country every year. The 2025 rendition will return to Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore Aug. 14-17.
The John Deere Classic (JDC), Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, continued to thrive. The Quad Cities staple was awarded the Tour’s Best Sponsor Integration honor for the third time and Most Engaged Community designation for the ninth time. The event’s Birdies for Charity program raised a record $15.9 million that will benefit 476 local and regional charities. Georgian Davis Thompson (pictured) claimed his maiden Tour victory in the 2024 event. The 2025 JDC will again be contested over the Fourth of July weekend, July 3-6, at TPC Deere Run in Silvis.
In December the USGA released the 2024 Golf Scorecard, the organization’s first data report that highlights domestic golfer participation trends using information from scores posted under the World Handicap System™ (WHS). Highlights from the report include:
The full report can be viewed at USGA.org.
The “CDGA Golf Show” presented by Glenview Park Golf Club will continue its run on the ESPN 1000 airwaves in 2025. Beginning Feb. 22 and concluding with a Ryder Cup-centric episode on Sept. 27, the show’s fourth season will air every Saturday morning from 9-11 a.m. The second episode of the season will be a live broadcast from the Chicago Golf Show® on Saturday, March 1 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. ESPN 1000 personality Tyler Aki and the CDGA’s Mike Gilligan return as hosts for the show, which will continue to feature insightful interviews, news updates about the PGA Tour and other major golf events, interaction between the hosts and listeners, contest opportunities and more. In addition to on ESPN 1000, the show can be accessed via the ESPN Chicago App, Twitch and YouTube.
One of the most popular benefits of CDGA membership, CDGA Fantasy Golf presented by Tour Edge, will consist of seven opportunities for members to win great prizes throughout 2025. Starting with The Players Championship in March and finishing with the AIG Women’s British Open in August, the free, member-exclusive contest will offer up prizes including equipment, rounds of golf, apparel, accessories and more. The Majors Challenge software will power the game for a third-consecutive year. The 2024 campaign, the first featuring women’s events, saw record participation, with more than 7,000 unique and 21,000 total entrants. Visit CDGA.org/FantasyGolf for more information.
