Defending Champion, Shannyn Vogler of Moline is the 2020 Illinois State Junior Girls’ Champion, shooting a 7 under par, two-day total of 137 (68-69) at Hickory Point Golf Club in Forsyth.  Shannyn is only the second in the 41 year history of this championship to win back-to-back titles. Shannyn will be a junior at Rivermont Collegiate HS.  Runner-up is Sunbi Kwon of Orland Park with a two-day, two under par total of 142.  Vogler’s 68 on day-one was the low-round of the championship.

Sarah Arnold prevailed on the 18^th hole to be crowned the 2019 Women’s State Amateur Champion.

This year the IWGA recognizes two outstanding graduating high school seniors with $2000 awards in memory of Julia H Dodds and in honor of Helen Spencer.  Criteria for both awards include: Character, Scholarship, Leadership and Sportsmanship.  The 29th Julia Dodds Scholarship winner is Lexi Onsrud a graduate of University High School in Normal.  The 1st Helen Spencer Scholarship winner is Emma Thorman of Macomb and a graduate of Macomb High School.  Both girls will be attending Illinois Wesleyan and will be golf teammates.

Jan Bowers of Lincoln successfully defended her title for the fifth time in the last six years. Jan shot a final round 75 for a three day total of 229. 

The IWGA has lost one of its most loved supporters.  Helen Spencer passed away on October 13, 2020 at the age of 95.  She was an avid golfer and played in the IWGA State Amateur and Senior Amateur Championships for 36 years running. When she was no longer able to play, she still attended championships when they were within travel distance and was always a welcome site to players and IWGA board members.

As we begin a new decade, the IWGA continues to make changes to address the current golfing environment.  We will be implementing a new format for the State Amateur Championship. We feel this change will benefit players and bring a high-quality field to Pine Meadow in June. In recent years our Junior Championship has been outstanding. We are happy to be able to alternate between two fine venues for this tournament in Aldeen (Rockford) and this year’s site, Hickory Point in Decatur. Our Senior tournament is returning to Soangetaha Country Club in Galesburg, which has proved in the past to be a perfect course for this championship.

The IWGA is pleased to announce the establishment of the Helen Spencer Junior Girls Award to annually honor an outstanding graduating high school senior with a financial contribution to her future education in the amount of $2000.  The first award will be announced in May of 2020.