Page 112 - Western Amateur 120th Championship Program 2022, Exmoor Country Club

History of the Western Amateur at Exmoor

FUTURE PGA TOUR
STARS AND THE 2012
WESTERN AMATEUR

T E R N A M A T
T E R N A M A T
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A field of top international golfers,
exemplary member support, and a
heart-pounding final match made the
2012 Western Amateur one of the most
Frank Stranahan putts on Exmoor’s 18th hole in his semi-final victory over Bobby Knowles.
memorable events in club history.
shots in the pond, and Stranahan
History repeated itself for the fourth
surged to three up. After a string of
time in more than 100 years, as the
pars, Stranahan held on to win 3 & 2.
nation’s top-ranked amateur golfer
The Chicago Tribune reported: captured a national tournament title
“Frank’s victory established him as at Exmoor. World No. 1-ranked Chris
the third person in history to win the Williams, a senior at the University of
championship four times, only Chick Washington, won both medalist honors
Evans and H. Chandler Egan having and the honor of holding the George R.
brought off that feat.” Thorne Trophy in victory.
Members played key roles in organizing The other top-ranked winners at
a successful event. The club’s Exmoor were H. Chandler Egan, 1904
tournament committee was headed Western Amateur; Virginia Van Wie,
by Jerome Bowes Jr, former WGA 1933 U.S. Women’s Amateur; and Frank
president, and Harold A. Moore, Frank Stranahan, the No.1-ranked amateur in the Stranahan, 1952 Western Amateur.
who served in 1952 as WGA treasurer. world, accepts the winner’s plate for his fourth
Western Amateur victory.
The Finalists
to gain acceptance of The Open as one
Frank Stranahan (1922–2013), known for
of golf’s four “majors.”
his early devotion to physical training
for golf, was the world’s top amateur for Harvie Ward, Jr. (1925–2004) is the only
more than a decade. He won the 1948 golfer to have won the British Amateur
and 1950 British Amateur and was (1952), U.S. Amateur (1955, 1956), the
runner-up in five majors — the Masters Canadian Amateur (1954), and the NCAA
and U.S. Open. Stranahan won the individual championship (1949 for North
Canadian Amateur in 1947 and 1948 and Carolina). He played on three victorious
the Tam O’Shanter All-American Walker Cup teams and was called the
Amateur in 1948 and 1953. He won four best player in America at one time by
Western Amateurs and competed in Ben Hogan. His accomplishments are
eight consecutive British Opens, portrayed in the popular book
helping, along with Arnold Palmer, “The Match.”

110 A Pioneering Club in American Golf Exmoor Country Club