Between road closures, professional golfers, and schedule changes, it was hard for students and staff to ignore the LIV Golf Chicago Tournament at Bolingbrook Golf Club that took place Sept. 13-15.
This tournament was the last for LIV Golfers before the championship in Dallas. The Bolingbrook course would determine a lot for placement and seeding for the title tournament. The golfers flew into town Monday and continued their training in the Bolingbrook area.
“It’s a very American like golf course, very unusual for Europeans, I’m from Germany so it’ll take a little bit of adjustment, but at the end of the day I play a lot of courses in the U.S. so it would take a couple days and then you’ll get used to it,” said Martin Kaymer, Pro German Golfer.
Kaymer was working on his speed at the Plainfield East track with the help of ESL teacher and track coach Lauren McNichols. Kaymer finished 35th overall while captaining his team, Cleeks GC, to 7th place.
During the tournament, students enjoyed a last minute day off Friday, Sept. 13 due to the heavy traffic expected from a tournament of this magnitude in such close proximity to the school.
“A few weeks ago we just approved next year’s calendar, and we try to do it as soon as possible for parents,” said Glenn Wood, District 202 Superintendent, “We do change it occasionally through the year, this is the latest we’ve ever changed it with the LIV tournament.”
Wood received minimal complaints about the schedule shift from a Monday SIP day to Friday. Some students and staff preferred Friday off due to the predicted chaos that would likely take place.
“I like it, because otherwise Friday afternoon would be a big hassle for us getting to and from outside of school,” said Mike Adamson, golf coach and gov teacher at East, “It’s kind of nice having a SIP day on a Friday instead of a Monday, it makes the week go a little bit faster and makes it seem more like a three day weekend.”
Overall, LIV Golf has put an international spotlight on Bolingbrook and the rest of the Chicagoland suburbs that has been appreciated by all coming through.
“I noticed that the people are very kind, very friendly, in the world that we are living in at the moment this is very rare, I feel like we are very welcome here,” said Kaymer.