Badger Brody prevails in Illinois Women's Open

Writing from Chicago

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 

Wauconda’s Liv Romer looked unbeatable early in Tuesday’s second round of the 30th Illinois Women’s Open. Two birdies in the first three holes at Mistwood Golf Club moved her to 7-under-par and a commanding lead over the field of 100 players.

The funny thing about golf, though, is how fleeting an advantage can be. Romer, a 20-year-old who’ll be at Southern Mississippi this fall after stops at West Texas A&M and Palm Beach College, discovered as much beginning on Mistwood’s fourth hole, a devilish par 4 featuring a blind tee shot. Her bogey there, and a pair more on the sixth and seventh holes, sent her out in 1-over 37, while Kate Brody of Grand Blanc, Mich., a junior at Wisconsin, was quietly going about her front-nine business in 2-under 34.

The amateurs were in the final threesome together along with Pontiac’s Ali Schrock, a recent graduate of Illinois State. Schrock could not duplicate her opening 68, falling 10 strokes to 78 and a total of 2-over 146. Romer stumbled further on the back nine, including a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 15th, dogleg skirting the big lake, and carded 4-over 76 for 1-under 143.

Brody? She tacked three more birdies, including one at the par-5 18th, on her card for a 5-under 67 to finish at 8-under 136 and capture the IWO by seven strokes over Romer, amateur Elyssa Abdullah of Hinsdale and professionals Taglao Jerravivitaporn of Chicago and Haeri Lee of Buffalo Grove.

Hr margin of victory matched the second-largest in IWO history. Emily Collins’ nine-stroke rout over a quartet of contenders in 2014 remains the record.

Brody is the second amateur in three years to win the IWO. Grace Curran of Frankfort did so in 2023. Last year’s winner, Lauren Beaudreau of Lemont, tied for 19th at 7-over 151.

– Tim Cronin