Hancock native Anthony Bilich poses after winning his third Veterans Golf Association championship on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Olympia Fields in Chicago. (Photo provided)

MADISON, Wis. — Over the course of two days in mid-October, Hancock native Anthony Bilich did something he knows how to do very well, golf. He took part in the 10th annual Veterans Golf Association Championship at Olympia Fields in Chicago. With a 72 the first day and a 73 the second, Bilich stood tall at the end, hoisting his third championship.

Bilich’s last victory came in 2022 when he won at Doral in Miami, Florida. He took two years away from the VGA circuit to focus on family.

“I ended up taking the last two years off of the whole circuit,” he said. “Work’s been really busy, and just some other things we’ve been focusing on. I’ve actually been coming back home quite a bit the last couple years, just spending time with my mom. She’s getting older, and (his wife) Katie’s family, too.

“So, I took the last couple years off, and then got back at it this year and was extended an invitation, and asked to nationals earlier in the summer.”

Of course, he accepted the invitation, and then disaster struck shortly after.

“I was kind of building my summer to finish at the national championship, and I kind of had a hiccup, on the Fourth of July, I tore my hamstring wakesurfing on the canal,” he said. “Trying to act like I’m 15 years old again, you know? I was out for 68 days. I took pretty much all of July, August, and part of September off, and then really started playing the last three, three and a half weeks a lot, trying to get myself tuned up for the nationals. Lo and behold, I went down there and somehow got it done. So, yeah, it was crazy.”

Olympia Fields is a Par-70 course that was founded in 1915, and by 1925, it boasted four 18-hole courses with a large, private club house.

“I was in Chicago,” Bilich said. “I was at Olympia Fields, which is another, obviously, very great golf course. I mean, old history. (Jim) Furyk won the U.S. Open there in 2003. So, hard, really hard golf course.

While Furyk’s title in 2003 was memorable, perhaps more impressive was the shot by Tiger Woods.

“Tiger’s famous shot, one of his most famous shots, probably the most famous shot is his chip in at the Masters, right? Then his like second (most) famous shot is probably in Canada up there at the Canadian Open when he hit it out the bunker, over the trees, over the lake to that back right pin,” said Bilich. “Probably his third most famous shot is at Olympia Fields when he, he, I think it’s 15, (which) is a par 5 dogleg right.

“He sliced a 3-wood, or a wood, like 100 yards around the corner from like 247, and hit it to like 8 feet. Made eagle. So, Olympia Fields was tough, Par-70, only two par fives, both of them were not reachable, like 600-plus yards. So, there weren’t many birdie opportunities. It was just pars were very good scores.”

Bilich, who loves golf history, felt right at home in Chicago.

“I enjoy golf course history and architecture, and being able to get a chance to not only just play it, but to play it in an actual tournament setting, was really, really a great opportunity,” he said. “From the opening tee shot, to when you finish a round at Olympia Fields, it’s like a workout, because you keep pushing and pushing, and it’s just like they’re long holes, four to 500-yard par fives, just one after another after another.”

If you think the par 4s are long, Bilich pointed out something even more diabolical.

“The par threes, I think the par threes, I hit like 4 iron, 5 iron, 7 iron, 8 iron or something,” he said. “All the par 3s are, there’s not even really a great scoring opportunity on a par 3. You’re just trying to hit the green, and hopefully two-putt and get out of there.

“So, it’s a lot of par putts. My putter was definitely the MVP of the week. The first round, my first six holes, I only hit one green, and even so, I was making like 30-footers for par and getting up and down from everywhere, and stuff. The north course is definitely an extremely, extremely hard course.”

Bilich had never played the course before the practice round on Monday, Oct. 13, so he had to spend a ton of time watching the 2003 U.S. Open just to get a sense of the course. He said he actually didn’t play well in the practice round, either, so that left him nervous when the tournament began.

On Friday, Oct. 17, Bilich had a look to score better than he did, but his final putt just missed.

“Mentally, it was just, you get a par, and then it’s like, ‘Oh, man, I have to go to the next hole and try to do this again and again.’ I only made one birdie, and I didn’t make any the first day,” said Bilich. “I lipped out on 18 the first day to come in at 71. So, I shot 72 the first day, and then I finally made a birdie on 11 on the second day. Normally, I usually make four to six birdies a round.

“So, it was just, like I said, a lot of up and downs, a lot of par putts.”

Biliich said he never really settled in over the course of the weekend, and he didn’t feel comfortable until the tournament was over.

“I was tied after the first day, and I didn’t actually get tied for the lead until the last hole on 18,” he said. “I probably should have birdied, but I parred. Colter Kautzmann, who was in the lead pretty much all day the first day, and most of the second day, he hit his tee shot on 18 in the water, and he ended up making bogey. So he went from one to two-over. I kind of held that two over. So, It kind of was what it was. It was kind of still jammed up. There were a lot of, like, 74s. I think 75.

“So, it was still a close tournament, especially when there’s not many birdies. Then, the second day, it was just, like I said, I was just making a lot of pars and just kind of hanging around. I wasn’t really doing anything great.”

Kautzmann didn’t appear interested in giving up his lead.

“Colter playing really solid,” Bilich said. “I played with him all three days. He played really, really well. Obviously, the turning point in the tournament was probably hole No. 12. So 12, you hit over the river to kind of, I would call it an island fairway. Then you got to hit back over the river to the green. Colter made a triple on that hole, and I made a really good par. I drove it into the fairway bunker off the tee. I had a horrible lie and I hooked an 8 iron, and got it back over the river. I got it to greenside, and I made a really good up and down for par. Colter ended up, he got on in four and ended up three-putting. He hit it above the hole and ended up three-putting. So, I kind of, at that point in time, was chasing for the better part of a day and a half, and then, all of a sudden, had a two-shot lead. So, that was kind of where the tide switched.”

He later bogeyed 15, meaning he had a one-shot advantage over the final three holes. He had to two-putt from 35 feet to secure the win.

“Nothing was easy,” said Bilich. “I made it extremely hard on myself.”

Bilich is looking forward to the 20th annual championship, which is planned for Pebble Beach.

“So, they actually just locked that in this last week,” he said. “It’s a long way between now and then. But, I think it speaks to the stability, and the growth, of the VGA, and what they have going on.”

FS1 to televise highlights

Those interested in seeing Bilich’s performance can do so on Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, and again on Nov. 12, Nov. 13, and Nov. 26, as FS1 will air the tournament multiple times.

Hancock native Anthony Bilich (left) and Colter Kautzmann fist bump during the Veterans Golf Association championship on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Olympia Fields in Chicago. (Photo provided)