Lake Forest native wins three-hole playoff over Marcus Smith of Rockford
Photographs by Ron Johnson
This article appeared in the August 2024 edition of Chicago District Golfer.
To read more Chicago District Golfer stories, head to our article archive.
With his victory in the Illinois State Amateur, Pierce Grieve of Lake Forest earned a spot in the U.S. Amateur, Aug. 12-18, at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.
How is a golf champion made? In some cases, success comes like a thunderbolt, announcing its presence with a sudden series of birdies and eagles, vanquishing the competition. That nearly happened at this year’s Illinois State Amateur Championship at Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois in Urbana, when Marcus Smith of Rockford made two eagles and a birdie in the final round to tie Pierce Grieve of Lake Forest at 9-under par 279 and force a playoff.
Smith then opened with a birdie on the first hole (No. 7) of the three-hole aggregate playoff but made double bogey on the next two (Nos. 8 and 9). Meanwhile, Grieve, a lefty who will be a senior at West Virginia, made three pars, finishing in 11 strokes to 14 for Smith, a rising senior at Howard University. Thus, Grieve won the 93rd edition of the state amateur championship and earned a spot in the U.S. Amateur, Aug. 12-18, at Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minnesota.
Grieve’s steadiness – reflected in his scores of 70-70-70-69 in regulation – is a microcosm of his career to date. “The tortoise wins the race,” Grieve said. “I was patient, trusted my process.”
At 6-foot-6, Grieve generates enormous power with his lanky frame but also has a master craftsman’s touch on approaches. Neither he nor observers could remember a missed green in his final 36 holes on a breezy day where an uncharacteristic north wind gusted to at least 21 miles per hour at times. But his precision approach game and a putter generating 18 birdies over four rounds, including 10 on the 36-hole final day, served him well. Even while Smith was posting eagles on the par-5 sixth and 11th and was 8-under through 14 holes en route to a 7-under 65 in his final round and brief lead, Grieve was plodding along.
At one stage, Grieve had a four-stroke lead on the field, and a parade seemed ready to organize. Then, while threats T.J. Barger, Quinn Clifford and Justin Schwab, deadlocked with Smith for second, faded, Smith surged. (Barger and Jake Wiktor tied for third, seven strokes in arrears at 2-under 286. Only seven players finished under par.) It became a two-man race, Grieve and Smith stylishly driving at 10-under, seven strokes clear of the field, with four holes to play.
Smith, two groups ahead, bogeyed the par-3 17th, but so did Grieve, three-putting from about 50 feet, his second from 12 feet a cruel horseshoe lip out. Extra holes loomed.
“I took it as another opportunity to compete,” Grieve said. “You only get to play so many tournaments in your life, especially amateur events. It might as well have been the cherry on the top.”
The last three holes of the front nine were used for the playoff, with Smith running down an 18-footer for birdie on the par-4 seventh while Grieve two-putted for par from 20 feet. Then it went haywire for Smith. A pulled tee shot into the tall grass on the par-4 eighth cascaded into a double-bogey, while Grieve parred to pull ahead. The par-3 ninth went just as poorly for Smith, with a pushed tee shot into a bunker and then three putts from about six feet, while Grieve parred out.
All day Thursday, Grieve had been watching the leaderboard, and then eyeballed Smith, two twosomes ahead, down the stretch, while trying to keep the importance of the struggle out of mind.
“It’s kind of hard,” Grieve said. “I knew what those putts meant down the stretch. I was stressed but blessed to get it done in the end. I was pretty nervous about the playoff. Those one-footers look like seven-foot snappers.”
Grieve’s rise to the top in state amateur golf is the culmination of steady improvement. He’d won a handful of age-group titles in Illinois Junior Golf Association play and was part of Lake Forest’s winning team in the IHSA’s Class 3A championship in the fall of 2019. Then it was off to Louisville, where he was a Cardinal for two years before deciding, in his words, “It didn’t seem like the right fit.” West Virginia has been a much better fit, as the Mountaineers advanced to the NCAA Championship this year.
“We definitely put ‘em on the map this year,” Grieve said.
For his part, Smith, who shot rounds of 68-73-73-65, was an integral member of Howard’s golf team, which won the Northeast Conference championship for the first time this year.
It had been a while since Grieve had slept on a lead and then finished off the work. He’d last chased his state amateur dream in 2022, at Westmoreland Country Club, and missed the cut.
This time, the dream came true. He’s the first Lake Forest resident to win the state’s biggest amateur title since Brad Hopfinger, who triumphed at Glen Oak Country Club in 2011.
The bonus to go with the glory was an exemption into the U.S. Amateur, which meant even more to Grieve as his father’s side of the family hails from Minnesota.
“That’s going to be special to see them and for them to have a chance to watch me play, but getting to call myself an Illinois State Am champ is pretty cool too,” Grieve said before posing for photographs.
“Kiss the trophy,” a photographer implored, looking for a throwback shot to round out a collection of celebration photos.
The trophy was kissed. Like the grind that produces a champion, that never gets old.
Tim Cronin has written a dozen books on golf.
Bloomington’s T.J. Barger entered the State Am with high hopes following his solo second placing in 2023 at Bloomington Country Club. Adding to his confidence was his familiarity with the Atkins layout, as the Illinois-turned-Illinois State golfer considers it “one of [his] home tracks.”
The 2023 CDGA Co-Player of the Year showed flashes of brilliance throughout the week, including birdieing five of his first six holes in Wednesday’s second round. However, entering Thursday’s 36-hole finale one stroke behind eventual champion Pierce Grieve, an inconsistent final two 18s resulted in a T-3 finish at -2.
“I came here to win obviously, but I put myself in a hole early,” Barger said. “I was just focusing on battling the last few holes and I did the best I could.”
• • • • •
The 2024 iteration of the Illinois State Amateur Championship represented the 50th anniversary of Bloomington native Mike Milligan’s triumph at Urbana Country Club in 1974. Playing on a lifetime exemption, the 71-year-old cancer survivor bested three others in the field, shooting 89-85 in what he deemed his State Am swansong.
“This will be my last State Amateur,” Milligan said. “Fifty years since I’ve won it, so they said, ‘Well why don’t you play in your 50th anniversary?’ So, I’m here. It’s tough…these kids hit 100-125 yards past me or more. I just love the game. It’s just a great game and I enjoy playing.”
• • • • •
For the second-consecutive year, Justin Schwab of Beach Park was the lowest-placing mid-amateur (age 25 and up). Following a T7 placing at Bloomington Country Club in 2023, the 29-year-old finished at 1-under overall at Atkins and in a tie for fifth.
“I just haven’t been playing too well all year, but I focused on making fairways and greens this week and got the rock rolling early,” Schwab said.
Back-to-back Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship winner Scot Frankenreider was the low senior, as the Peoria native placed T16 at +4.
“It’s been a goal of mine the last few years to make the State Am and then make the cut, which is hard to do for a guy my age,” said Frankenreider, 57. “I put together some good rounds and hung in there.
• • • • •
The new “Better Through Birdies” Series continued with the State Am, as the event raised more than $2,600 for CDGA Veterans Programs via pledges to competitors. The top fundraiser was Michael Horvatic of Palos Heights, as the 40-year-old U of I grad sought to make the most out of his “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
“I was very proud and excited just to qualify for this tournament,” Horvatic said.
“My appreciation for veterans is just as strong as my appreciation for golf. My grandpa is a World War II veteran and an avid golfer. My uncles, cousins and friends all served. Knowing the hard work and sacrifice they went through, this is the least I could do.”
• • • • •
The scoring average rounded out at 76.07 over the three days, with the second round on Wednesday being the most difficult at 76.77. The last round of the tournament was most susceptible to scoring, averaging 73.55.
The 424-yard par-4 16th was the hardest hole on the golf course throughout the four rounds, with a scoring average 4.62. A mere nine birdies were recorded by competitors over the course of four rounds.
The easiest hole on the golf course was the par-5 sixth, measuring out at 559 yards and averaging under par at 4.89. In total, 92 birdies were tallied, along with six eagles.
• • • • •
Twenty three players (the low 20 and ties) earned exemptions into the 94th Illinois State Amateur Championship, set to be contested at Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora.
—Casey Richards