One of Rockford's greatest golfers dies, leaving a legacy of passion, talent and teaching

Matt Trowbridge, Rockford Register Star
·3 min read
Five-time Rockford Men's City champion Lloyd McWilliams, shown here at a clinic in 2003, also became one of the Rockford Park District's top junior golf instructors. McWilliams died Saturday at age 76.
Five-time Rockford Men's City champion Lloyd McWilliams, shown here at a clinic in 2003, also became one of the Rockford Park District's top junior golf instructors. McWilliams died Saturday at age 76.

Lloyd McWilliams was one of the best golfers to ever come out of Rockford.

And then he became one of the Rockford Park District’s greatest golf teachers.

“Lloyd was the rock and foundation of the junior golf program in Rockford,” said Dave Copp, the instructor for the Park District’s junior golf program. “He just gave his life toward it.”

McWilliams, 76, died Saturday surrounded by his family after an illness.

“Lloyd absolutely loved teaching,” said four-time Men’s City champion Mike Johnson, who often worked with McWilliams for the Park District. “Lloyd was all about lessons. He was still giving lessons right up until about two weeks before he passed away.”

More:Chris Beto, Lloyd McWilliams tie for 10th on Rockford's greatest golfers list

One of McWilliams’ most recent students, Ledius Felipe of Poplar Grove, advanced to the national Drive, Chip & Putt Championship at Augusta National the week before The Masters this year.

McWilliams won five Men’s City titles between 1969 and 1992. That ranks fourth all-time behind Jamie Hogan (nine titles), Alex Welsh (eight) and Chris Beto (six). He won his first title in 1969 by shooting a then-record 63 at Ingersoll on the final day. That record stood 50 years until Boylan’s TJ Baker broke it the year he went on to win the Class 2A state title.

“He hit the ball a ton,” said Johnson, who also taught with McWilliams for the Park District. “Back in the days when we had wooden heads, he hit those things a long, long ways. He was easily over 300 yards. He wasn’t always straight, but he was also very good at scrambling.”

Shortly after winning his last Men’s City title in 1992, McWilliams stopped competing in local tournaments. He first tried to make it on the Senior Tour as a pro. He missed qualifying for an event in Hawaii by one stroke. He then spent four years earning his PGA certification as a teaching pro and began giving junior lessons for the Park District.

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“When he got into the golf business, he really dedicated himself to it and did a really nice job for Rockford, Illinois,” said Butch Pegoraro, the longtime former PGA pro at Forest Hills Country Club who worked with McWilliams for a while with the Park District when he first retired from Forest Hills. “He and Mike worked together and they had very interesting games to get the kids into it. He did such a great job with that stuff.”

“He was so much involved in doing things for the Park District. The park district was very, very important to him.

McWilliams’ passion for helping kids become better golfers is what led Copp to his current job.

“I just remember coming up 18 at Elliot and seeing Lloyd work with the kids on the green all the time,” Copp said. “That’s what got me interested.

“He had such a passion for the game of golf. He had a passion for learning how to instruct golf. And he loved working with junior golfers. He wanted them to succeed.”

Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and three years covering the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: 5-time Rockford City golf champion Lloyd McWilliams loved to teach