Page 33 - 2018 Western Amateur Commemerative Program—Skokie Ridge Country Club

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TRADITION-RICH WESTERN AMATEUR

SHOWCASES GOLF’S FUTURE STARS

When Tiger Woods won the Western including Danny Lee (2008 champion), where it remained through 2008. The
Amateur in 1994, he called the event Ryan Moore (2004 champion), C.T. Pan Point O’ Woods era produced such
“the Masters of amateur golf.” (2009 medalist, 2010 co-medalist) and champions as Woods, Mickelson,
Patrick Rodgers (2013 medalist). Sutton, Strange and Crenshaw.
It’s an apt description.
Early in its history, the Western Golf The Western Amateur returned to
Founded in 1899, the Western Amateur
Association conducted the Western the Chicago area in 2009 when the
is the world’s third-oldest amateur
Amateur at premier golf courses in the championship was conducted at
event, along with the British Amateur
Chicago area, near WGA headquarters Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest,
(1885) and the U.S. Amateur (1895).
in Golf, Illinois. The tournament soon site of the 2017 BMW Championship,
In addition to the purity of its golf
began moving to revered courses also conducted by the WGA.
tradition, the Western Amateur
around the country while regularly
continues to attract the best amateurs No matter where it’s played, the
rotating back to the Chicago area.
in the world and showcases their skills Western Amateur brings with it a
in a format widely viewed as the most In 1971, the Western Amateur moved peerless tradition and unparalleled
demanding in the game. to Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club competition.
in Benton Harbor, Michigan, an
Western Amateur champions have gone
esteemed Robert Trent Jones course,
on to win 52 major championships, with
Jack Nicklaus (18 majors) and Tiger
Woods (14 majors) leading the way.
Other Western Amateur champions who
went on to win majors span the 20th
Century, from H.C. Egan in 1902 (four
U.S. Opens) to Charles “Chick” Evans in
1909 (U.S. Open) to Nicklaus in 1961 to
Phil Mickelson in 1991 (three Masters)
and Woods in ’94. Evans, Nicklaus and
Woods are the only three golfers to have
won the Western Amateur, Western
Open, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open.
Francis Ouimet (1917), Tommy Aaron
(1960), Tom Weiskopf (1963), Lanny
Wadkins (1970), Ben Crenshaw (1973),
Curtis Strange (1974), Hal Sutton
(1979–80), and Justin Leonard (1992–93)
are other esteemed Western Amateur

champions who have gone on to win
professional majors.
In addition, the Western Amateur’s
72-hole stroke play medalists include

such major champions as the legendary
DISTANCE. Bobby Jones (1920), Tom Kite (1970),
Tom Watson (1971) and Mark O’Meara
O (1980).

In recent years, a number of Western
Amateur champions and medalists From left to right. Row 1: 1904 Western Amateur Exmoor CC, Chick Evans, Jack and Barbara Nicklaus
Row 2: Phil Mickelson and Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson
have made it to the PGA TOUR,
Row 3: Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas

2018 WESTERN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Western Amateur Championship History 31