Lake Forest's Hopfinger Tames Glen Oak For Illinois State Amateur Title

There was no denying Brad Hopfinger on Thursday in Glen Ellyn.

The Lake Forest High School graduate, who helped the University to Iowa to a top-10 finish at the NCAA national finals last spring during his final collegiate campaign, left the amateur ranks in style.

Hopfinger birdied eight holes during his morning round at Glen Oak Country Club in missing the course record by one shot with a 7-under par 64.

, and then cruised to the championship of the three-day, 72-hole tournament with an equally stellar 69 in afternoon action.

Hopfinger was challenged by Iowa teammate Chris Brant down the stretch of the 36-hole finale, but the Lake Forest native more than offset two dropped shots the entire day with 11 birdies.

Hopfinger, playing in his final amateur tournament before turning professional on Monday, fired a cumulative 272, which translated into 12-under for the tournament.

Brant, who suffered a disastrous double-bogey on his 34th hole of the day, was second at 276. The Edwardsville resident and Hopfinger played in the second and third slots for Iowa this past spring.

Vince India, a third Illinois-based teammate for Iowa last spring, was the defending champion of the tournament.

“It says a lot about our (college) team,” Hopfinger said.

Mitchell would have tied Brant for runner-up, but he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

“That whole first round I was doing everything I could to catch (Mitchell),” Hopfinger said. “(Closing with birdies at Nos. 16, 17 and 18) set it apart from a good round to a great round.”

Brant closed within one at the 27-hole turn, but Hopfinger doubled the deficit when he birdied the ninth as well.

He then authored nine pars on his final inward-nine holes to claim the championship.