Page 69 - 2018 Western Amateur Commemerative Program—Skokie Ridge Country Club

WGA_Program_2018_V5__ 6/28/2018 3:43 PM Page 67

The 10 top-rated caddies in the SRCC
program were to select a PGA TOUR
player out of a hat. The caddies’ lottery
pick would be their assigned loop for
the entire tournament. Battistello
would personally assign the remaining
loops for the rest of the field. The WGA
also invited neighboring clubs to have
their Evans Scholars and other top
caddies come to Sunset Ridge to
participate in the Western Open.
On June 22 a top-notch field of 144
participants including greats Johnny
Miller, Ray Floyd, Billy Casper, Hale
Irwin, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Weiskopf,
Dave Stockton, Miller Barber, Bob
Goalby, Lee Elder, Chi Chi Rodriguez, PGA Tour player Bill Casper, caddie Ray Dowdle and legendary SRCC caddie manager Tony Battistello
Hubert Green, Tom Watson and
score of 74.24. The 36-hole cut was Saturday brought warmer temperatures,
eventual winner Jim Jamieson teed off
made at 149 — seven strokes above a change in the direction of the wind
for first PGA TOUR event in over 40
par in order to get a final field. There from the north to the west, and better
years on the North Shore of Chicago.
were hundreds of three putts and scoring, especially from Jim Jamieson.
These touring professionals were
Julius Boros and Bob Murphy each The Moline native would begin the
welcomed by unseasonably cool
four-putted the always treacherous third round by going 5 under on the
weather, strong winds from the north
sixth green. Murphy would miss the first five holes he played. He would
and Sunset Ridge’s lightning fast
cut, and the average score for players finish the day with a 68. Heading into
greens that were the envy of clubs
not making the cut was a lofty 76.88. the final round, Jamieson would have a
throughout the Chicagoland District
lead of eight shots over Tommy Aaron,
Golf Association. Other notable players missing the cut
nine shots over Doug Sanders and J.C.
were Tom Watson (Masters champion
Snead and a 10-shot lead over Billy
HOW THE WESTERN WAS WON ’77, ’91; U.S. Open champion, ’82;
Casper, Lee Elder and Hale Irwin.
Sunset Ridge’s par 71 lived up to the British Open champion ’75, ’77, ’80,
The Saturday round would see a
challenge. The average score the first ’82, ’83), Lanny Wadkins (PGA
tournament-high 30 players breaking
day was 75.52 with only nine players champion ’77), Gay Brewer (Masters
par, a significant increase from the nine
breaking par. The second day saw 17 champion ’67) and Bob Rosburg
players who broke par on Thursday.
players breaking par with an average (Masters champion ’59).
The average third-day score was 71.65.
On Sunday, Jim Jamieson continued his
excellent play with six birdies in his
final round and carded a 67. He won
the 1972 Western Open with rounds of
67, 69, 68 and 67. Over four days,
Jamieson managed 20 birdies along
with an eagle on 13 to go along with
nine bogeys. Key holes to Jamieson’s
victory were 16, 13 and 1, where he
was 10-under par during the four-day
tournament.
Jim Jamieson reviewing his shot with SRCC caddie Tom Phillips.

2018 WESTERN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP History of Sunset Ridge Country Club 67