August 2025PGA_Section_News

9120 E. 59th Street, Lawrence, IN 46216Email: indiana@indianagolf.org Website: Indiana Office: (317) 738-9696Executive Director:
Mike David
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mdavid@indianagolf.org

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Bienz Battles Back to Win 110th Indiana Open Championship

Indiana Professional Golf Association, Muncie, IN (July 16) –

Over three scorching days of competition, the 110th PGA Indiana Open Championship delivered elite play, a tie-breaking rally, and a dramatic final stretch at Delaware Country Club in Muncie. Emerging from a field of the state’s best amateur and professional golfers, Nick Bienz of Noblesville held off a strong charge from Michael Davan to secure the 2025 title — his second Indiana Open victory.

Bienz wasted no time making a statement in Monday’s opening round, firing an incredible 8-under-par 62 to tie the Delaware Country Club course record. That round vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard and kept him in solo lead status through all three days.

As the field adjusted to changing conditions and rising pressure, Michael Davan mounted a strong rally in Tuesday’s second round, shooting into the final pairing at 7-under-par. Joining him and Bienz was Peyton Snoeberger of West Lafayette, who made his second consecutive appearance in the Open’s final group — a testament to his consistency and rising presence on the Indiana circuit.

The final group began at 9:48 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16, under overcast skies and humid summer conditions. With the course playing noticeably firmer and faster than the previous two rounds, players faced a different challenge in the final 18.

While Bienz struggled to find early rhythm, failing to card a birdie through the front nine, Davan capitalized. By the time the final group reached hole 13, Davan had erased the deficit and then surged ahead with a birdie, as Bienz stumbled with a bogey.

With pars on 14 and 16, and clutch birdies on holes 15 and 17, he reclaimed a one-shot lead heading into the 18th hole. Davan, who remained steady down the stretch, gave himself a solid chance to birdie 18, but his putt slid by. That left Bienz needing just a two-putt par to win.

He calmly tapped in, sealing his place in Indiana Golf history as the 110th PGA Indiana Open Champion.

••••••Madeleine May clinches 2025 PGA Women’s Open with playoff finishIndiana Professional Golf Association, MUNCIE, IN (June 26) – Under scorching summer skies and amid one of the tightest leaderboards in recent memory, Madeleine May emerged victorious at the 2025 PGA Women’s Open, held June 25–26 at Delaware Country Club in Muncie, Indiana.With temperatures soaring past 90 degrees on both days, the field faced difficult conditions and tricky pin placements. After Round 1, the leaderboard was locked in a three-way tie at even par between Lauren Tibbets, Julia Potter-Bobb, and Taylor Larkins, all of whom secured spots in the final pairing for Thursday’s championship round.But as the second round unfolded, the leaderboard shifted constantly, with as many as seven players within just one or two strokes of each other. Then, a two-hour weather delay cooled the course—but not the competition—as the final group returned to play their last seven holes.In the final stretch, Taylor Larkins carded a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Madeleine May, both finishing the tournament at one-over-par.Larkins, a standout high school player, was chasing history, she would have become only the second high schooler to win the PGA Women’s Open since Brittany Kelly did so in 2006.The playoff began on hole 10, where both players made par. On the second playoff hole, back on 18, Larkins faltered after her second shot, while May played steady, leaving herself a two-putt for victory. When she rolled in her second, May captured her first PGA Women’s Open title.“I kind of figured I was getting close to the top,” May said. “The course played a little tougher today, and some of the pin placements were tricky. I knew I had a good round going and was making some really good up-and-downs when I got out of position.”For May, the win marks a significant career milestone. “It’s probably one of my best wins since my junior career,” she shared. “I haven’t had the college career I hoped for, so this is a really good starting place for my rising senior year.”Her game plan? “Just to have fun,” May said with a smile. “I’ve been talking with my assistant coach about enjoying the game again. We’re so fortunate to be able to play this sport all summer, and I just wanted to embrace that.”The playoff added even more drama to the day, especially after May dodged elimination on the first playoff hole. “I really didn’t think I’d keep going,” she said. “But once I got that lifeline, I knew I had to take advantage of it on 18—and I got it done.”Her sharp short game proved critical throughout the round. “I was making some up-and-downs when I got out of position,” she said. “And I got a few lucky breaks too—like a chip that hit the pin.”CoverAntigua Digital ADAntigua Digital Lookbook 1Antigua Digital Lookbook 2Antigua Digital Lookbook 3OAKLEY ADMOTOCADDY ADPUKKA ADSUMMIT BRANDS 2 AD SPREADTOPTRACER ADGOLF GENIUS SOFTWARE ADCOASTAL NETTING/TEX-NET ADPresident’s MessageREVO ADCERTIFRESH CIGAR ADSUMMIT BRANDS 3 AD SPREADBIOESQUE SOLUTIONS ADContents 1GOLF PRIDE ADContents 2GALVIN GREEN ADContents 3COVER THE TEES ADContents 4E-Z GO ADAVENDRA ADThe BuzzSWING CONTROL ADShort Game 1YRI ADGOLF RANGE NETTING ADShort Game 2TRUE TEMPER ADWITTEK ADShort Game 3GHURKA ADCOLLARS & CO ADShort Game 4STROKES GAINED ADPRESTWICK GOLF GROUP ADBy The Numbers 1UST/MAMIYA ADBy The Numbers 2TAGMARSHAL ADPro to Pro 1RAPSODO ADSIGNS BY THE SEA ADPro to Pro 2SALSBURY INDUSTRIES ADBELYN KEY ADCAP PATROL ADPro to Pro 3SHADE HEADWEAR ADSYNTHETIC TURF ADGOLFZON ADInclusionANTIGUA ADHealth & WellnessANTIGUA 2 ADMedia WatchBAUER INTERNATIONAL ADRecommended ReadingORANGE WHIP ADCover Story 1FAIRWAY IQ ADFAIRWAY IQ 2 ADFAIRWAY IQ 3 ADCover Story 2ASHWORTH ADCover Story 3FITNESS LIFESTYLES ADCover Story 4GOLF WEB DESIGN ADCover Story 5SELECTpi ADTHE GLENEAGLES HOTEL ADCover Story 6PGA.com ADCover Story 7STERLING CUT GLASS ADTECHNOGYM AD 1TECHNOGYM AD 2PGA VP Nathan CharnesKPMG Women’s PGA Preview 1KPMG Women’s PGA Preview 2KPMG Women’s PGA Preview 3PATRIOT PROFILE ADVERTORIALPGA PSA #1 [REACH]Coaching CoachesPlayer EngagementEPICUREA ADEquipment: Hot TrendEquipment: Golf BagsEquipment: New EquipmentPGA PSA #1 AD [Lifelong Learning]Retailing: SpotlightAHEAD ADRetailing: 5 QuestionsRetailing: T&OPGA PSA #4 AD [Deferred Comp]Retailing: AGMCASA DE CAMPO ADFrom the FieldPGA PSA #4 [ExecuSearch]MembershipTEE COMMERCE ADGOLF TOURISM SOLUTIONS ADPartners 1Partners 2Partners 3Partners 4Partners 5Partners 6Section News AnnouncementPGA PSA #3 AD [ADM/PGA.coach]PGA Section News TOCPGA_Section_News_Alabama-NW_FloridaPGA_Section_News_AlohaPGA_Section_News_CarolinasPGA_Section_News_Central_New_YorkPGA_Section_News_ColoradoPGA_Section_News_ConnecticutPGA_Section_News_GatewayPGA_Section_News_GeorgiaPGA_Section_News_Gulf_StatesPGA_Section_News_IllinoisPGA_Section_News_IndianaPGA_Section_News_IowaPGA_Section_News_KentuckyPGA_Section_News_Metropolitan NYPGA_Section_News_MichiganPGA_Section_News_Middle AtlanticPGA_Section_News_MidwestPGA_Section_News_MinnesotaPGA_Section_News_NebraskaPGA_Section_News_New EnglandPGA_Section_News_New JerseyPGA_Section_News_North FloridaPGA_Section_News_Northeastern New YorkPGA_Section_News_Northern CaliforniaPGA_Section_News_Northern OhioPGA_Section_News_Northern TexasPGA_Section_News_Pacific NorthwestPGA_Section_News_PhiladephiaPGA_Section_News_Rocky MountainPGA_Section_News_South CentralPGA_Section_News_South FloridaPGA_Section_News_Southern CaliforniaPGA_Section_News_Southern OhioPGA_Section_News_Southern TexasPGA_Section_News_SouthwestPGA_Section_News_Sun CountryPGA_Section_News_TennesseePGA_Section_News_Tri-StatePGA_Section_News_UtahPGA_Section_News_Western New YorkPGA_Section_News_WisconsinPGA ProfileGHOST GOLF ADSUMMIT BRANDS AD #1