Keenan chasing third straight Twin City title: 'A lot of things have come together'

Jul. 29—CHAMPAIGN — David Keenan may soon start to run out of space for more trophies on his desk.

His office at Ware Group General Agencies in west Champaign is filled with photos and statues that represent his success on the golf course for the former Salt Fork, Parkland and Chicago State standout.

He's had plenty of those this summer alone, including his third UI Open trophy and a victory in the UI Players' Cup along with playing partner Mike Peters.

"I wouldn't even say I necessarily went in thinking, 'Oh, like, let's win this thing," Keenan said of his UI Open triumph last month. "I've kind of stepped that back to just, 'Hey, I'm going to try and hit every shot the best I can, stay focused (and) don't get angry if anything doesn't go my way."

Keenan will aim to add another trophy to his mantle this weekend when he vies against 34 men's division competitors for his third Twin City tournament title in a row.

"This year, it just seems like a lot of things have come together," Keenan said. "I've been working hard on my body and working out in the gym to try and get stronger, be a little more stable in my swing."

Keenan's childhood coincided with Tiger Woods' ascension into one of the sports world's most notable figures.

Woods was a central figure in the formative years of Keenan's golfing career. Keenan took note of how the 15-time major champion was able to remain in command of his game during big moments.

"That was his biggest weapon," Keenan said. "Yeah, he was the most talented guy, but his mental acuity and ability to always put his best foot forward was his biggest strength."

That's something Keenan's competitors have noticed from him this summer, as well.

"You know he's not going to make a mistake," said Josh Anderson, the 2019 Twin City champion. "When you know somebody's not getting that big mistake or they're not going to make a seven or an eight or double or triple, you have to be on your game.

"Are you going to make a bogey? Absolutely. But you have to be able to make the birdies, follow it up and stay with him. He's long, he doesn't miss and that's why he's won the last few."

After capturing The News-Gazette's All-Area boys' Golfer of the Year crown in 2009, Keenan played collegiately at Parkland and Chicago State.

He credits his mentors at each stop — the late Zach McNabney at Parkland and Marty Schiene at Chicago State — with helping refine his game.

"I learned a lot from (McNabney) and really just kept getting better there," Keenan said. "I've always been one to kind of compete at the highest levels and once the competition kind of rose up, I rose up."

Keenan won a national title by placing first in the 2013 NJCAA Division II men's golf national tournament at Goose Pond Colony Golf Course in Scottsboro, Ala., by five strokes to cap off his career with Parkland.

That led to two years at Chicago State, where he captured two individual titles during the 2013-14 season and played for a coach with plenty of connections to the golf scene in Champaign-Urbana.

"It was cool sharing stories with him about the old times here," Keenan said of Schiene, who played in multiple U.S. Opens and qualified for the PGA Tour through Q-School. "A lot of what I learned is from Marty. He just had a nice, cool demeanor about him, and I just tried to soak up as much of his experience as I could and try and apply it to myself."

Keenan's office these days is also well-connected to the game.

His playing partners for Saturday's opening round are co-workers in Peters and Dan Patkunas.

The trio will tee off at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the UI Orange Course in Savoy. Patkunas claimed the 2022 UI Open crown and Peters is a fixture on local tournament leaderboards.

"This is always a highlight of the year for me, so I appreciate everybody that does the work to put it on," Patkunas said. "U of I and Champaign being hosts this year is great, so just really looking forward to playing golf against Champaign's best this weekend."

Each will contend with warm conditions throughout the 54-hole tournament, which begins with 18 holes Saturday and concludes with a busy Sunday of 36 holes at Champaign Country Club.

The field isn't shying away from the heat.

"I love 36-hole days," Anderson said. "Those are my favorite. They're long. They're grueling. It's eight, nine hours being mentally locked in trying to play golf all day in the heat. I love the heat, and I hope it stays warm all weekend."

Several golfers, including Keenan, have played in larger tournaments and will draw from those experiences throughout the weekend.

Keenan competed in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in 2021 and 2022, visiting Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Mass., and Erin Hills Golf Club — which hosted the 2017 U.S. Open won by Brooks Koepka — in Erin, Wis., respectively.

"You get brand-new Titleists on the range. There's ropes up. There's spectators and they go to some of the best venues in the country," Keenan said. "It's really special to get the chance to compete at that level."

New to this year's tournament is a women's division that will feature seven golfers: Amy Armstrong, Barbara Harrington, Glenda Henderson, Jenna Ko, Sara Seed, Jaki Sickler and Cassandra To.

That comes on the heels of a new women's competition at the UI Open, which was won by former Champaign Central standout Mackenzie McCoy.

Live scoring will also be a new feature at this year's tournament and can be found on the tournament's website.

"We're just trying to make this tournament a little bit bigger than it has been," Anderson said. "Trying to grow it and get it back to where it was 15, 20 years ago."