Naperville’s Marty Schiene has been chasing a little white ball around the globe for most of his adult life. He has played golf for money in the United States, Asia, Canada, South Africa and Europe.
Schiene’s greatest success, though, has come right here–on the green, green grass of suburban Chicago.
Saturday at Fox Bend Golf Course in Oswego, Schiene won his third Illinois Open, etching his name alongside those of former PGA Tour players Dick Hart of Hinsdale, who also captured three Opens, and Gary Pinns of Wheaton, who claimed a remarkable five.
A slick 8-foot downhill putt on the 16th green that circled the rim of the cup and fell in for a birdie was the clincher for Schiene, whose 11-under-par 205 total edged Ivanhoe Club head pro Jim Sobb and Arlington Heights pro Gary March by a shot.
Nike Tour player and defending champion Mark Hensby of Elgin finished two back at 207.
“This one wasn’t quite like my second win in 1992 when I had a premonition the night before that I was going to win it in a playoff–and did,” said Schiene, who took home $12,000 for the victory. “This one was more like a mature, workmanlike pro performance. To put it another way, I’m 38 years old and I finally played like it.”
Schiene and Sobb were tied for the lead at 10-under after Sobb birdied the par-4 16th from 6 feet. Sobb three-putted the tricky 17th green from 30 feet for bogey, though, and Schiene pulled in front for good with his birdie at 16.
For Schiene, who figures he has played almost every tour there is except South America and Australia, Saturday was the culmination of a long and trying comeback from surgery for fractured rib cartilage in 1995.
“After that,” said Schiene, “I began wondering what would I do with my life if I couldn’t ever play again. It was a depressing time.”
But also a fruitful one. During his rehabilitation he worked diligently on his putting with Pinns.
“He’s probably the reason I’m sitting here today,” said Schiene. “He taught me how to putt better. And I got a putter like the one he used to win his five Illinois Opens. He was definitely in my mind out there today.”
Schiene leaves for the Singapore Open Sunday, where the first prize is $80,000. He’s hoping his Illinois Open crown will be a springboard for him there–as it was in 1992, when he went on to earn his only PGA Tour card in 10 trips to qualifying school.
This fall, Schiene will make bid No. 11.
“I haven’t won that many tournaments other than this one,” he said. “Actually I haven’t won any tournaments of significance other than this one.”
