July 30, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State's historic men's golf tradition will be on display this weekend, when three former Redbird golfers begin competition in the 2008 United States Senior Open at The Broadmoor East Course in Colorado Springs, Colo. Former letterwinners and Redbird Athletics Hall of Fame members Gary Ostrega, Jerry Vidovic and D.A. Weibring all qualified for the event, and will get underway in the tournament's first round Thursday.
Ostrega and Vidovic both earned spots in the Senior Open field by carding sub-par scores at their respective qualifying events. Ostrega shot a four-under par 68 at the Hillcrest Country Club in Long Grove, Ill., July 7, and Vidovic recorded a one-under 71 at the Crestmont Country Club in West Orange, N.J., on July 1. Weibring, an active member of the Champions Tour, was an exempt entry.
"Gary, Jerry and D.A., along with many of their teammates during those great teams in the 1970s, have really carried the torch for the Redbird golf program over its history," said head coach Ray Kralis. "We have really had some solid representation in major events over the years, and that says something about the level that this program has been at, and where we want it to return to. It's going to be great to see how these players fair this weekend. They'll always be Redbirds and we'll be rooting for them."
The event runs Thursday-Sunday, and is complete with a 156-member field of professionals and amateurs (over the age of 50). The 72-hole stroke-play event will be the sixth United States Golf Association (USGA) Championship staged at The Broadmoor. The first was the 1959 U.S. Amateur, won by Jack Nicklaus.
During his time at Illinois State, Ostrega (1971-75) garnered several tournament championships and was a quarterfinalist in the U.S. Amateur Tournament in 1974. He captained the Redbird squad and had the lowest stroke average over his four-year tenure while sharing the golf spotlight with Weibring.
Professionally, Ostrega's highlights include leading the money winners during the 1977 Florida PGA Winter Tour. Ostrega's first-round tee time is 12:40 p.m. Thursday.
Vidovic (1974-78) was ISU's team captain for three years and voted Most Valuable Player his sophomore through senior seasons. Along with seven intercollegiate titles in his Redbird tenure, Vidovic also played in three NCAA national championships and was an All-American in 1977-78.
Vidovic brought prominence to Illinois State in the summer of 1977 when he captured the United States Public Links title in Minnesota. He is slated to tee off at 12:40 p.m. Thursday in the first-round, and will be paired with Michael Darrell (Kings Park, N.Y.) and Charles Palmer (Dallas, Texas).
Weibring is one of Illinois State's most noteworthy former athletes. He played for former head coach Rusty Wells, and was part of the golf team that led Illinois State into national prominence in the early 1970s. Two years after graduation from Illinois State, Weibring joined the PGA tour.
Weibring won five PGA events during his professional golf career--the 1979 Quad Cities Classic, 1987 Western Open, 1991 Quad Cities Classic, 1995 Quad Cities Classic and 1996 Greater Hartford Open. In addition to his PGA Tour wins, Weibring had overseas victories in the 1985 Golf Digest/Polaroid Club in Japan and the 1985 Shell-Air New Zealand Open. He was also named the PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year in 1991.
Weibring turned 50 in May of 2003 and became a member of the PGA Champions Tour. In August 2007, he won the 3M Championship at TPC Twin Cities, capping off his ninth combined PGA and Champions Tour victory.
On July 27, 2007, Illinois State University's Board of Trustees approved the naming of the University golf course to the Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University in recognition of Weibring's commitment and contribution to Redbird Athletics and his achievements as a PGA member. The day of the ceremony, Sept. 7, 2007, was also declared "D.A. Weibring Day" in the Town of Normal.
Weibring is scheduled to tee off in first-round action at 7:55 a.m. Thursday.
Ostrega, Vidovic and Weibring's progression in the U.S. Senior Open will be followed with daily updates on GoRedbirds.com.
