By Rick Armstrong rarmstrong@stmedianetwork.com July 27, 2013 5:48PM
Curtis Malm of Aurora tees off last July during the Illinois Open During this year's open, the St. Charles club pro missed a three-way playoff by a stroke. | Sun-Times Media File
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Updated: July 28, 2013 6:05PM
There?s something to be said for experience. Curtis Malm just sounded like a man marveling at how fast he?s accumulated it.
?It?s amazing how people keep getting younger and I keep getting older,? the St. Charles Country Club pro said Wednesday, shortly after shooting 69 to tie for the best round of the day in the final 18 holes of the 64th Illinois Open Championship.
?I?m 35 now. This is my 18th Illinois Open. I missed qualifying one year and didn?t enter one year, so out of the 20 I had a chance to play, I?ve played in 18.?
Wednesday?s round proved why the event?s 2000 winner has a lot more good showings left in him.
Malm had struggled with his putter and opened with a 1-over 73 in Monday?s first round but hung around with a 70 in Tuesday?s second round. That left him tied for 14th entering the finale.
?There were some woulda, coulda, shouldas out there, but for the way I?ve been playing this year after (winning the state match play title in May for the second straight year), this felt pretty good. I haven?t played very well since. It was nice to get back on that way.?
In between, Malm didn?t make the cut in the PGA Professionals National Championship.
Wednesday, though, things began to turn. He made two birdies and seven pars on the front nine.
?I figured if I could get three or four (birdies) on the front, I?d have something for (the leaders) to look at, but then I bogeyed 11 and birdied 13 and 14, with a real good look at eagle on 14 from about 10 feet, but I missed,? he said.
?I just missed (birdies) on 15 and 16 and then bogeyed 17 (to drop to 3-under par). Then, I took the best shot of the week on 18, knocked (his second on the par 5) on the green and had about 30 feet for eagle. I thought if I could get to 5-under I had a chance.?
That thought proved prophetic, as three players tied for 5-under and had a cumulative three-hole playoff to decide the championship.
?My (eagle) putt was about a foot-and-a-half short and then made birdie to reach (minus) 4.
?But it was a very fun week. I love being out here. It?s a good course.?
He earned $5,800 for his trouble and was comforted by the fact that he?ll return to try again.
?If they keep the past champ status (as an exempted entrant each year), I?ll be here forever,? said Malm. ?This tournament breeds a lot of good players, if you look at past champions. There?s a lot of tour representation ? PGA and web.com ? out there.?
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