Page 9 - 2018 Western Amateur Commemerative Program—Skokie Ridge Country Club

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WELCOME FROM THE

WESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION

Since 1899, the Western Golf Association has
been proud to conduct the Western Amateur,
a world-class international tournament as
prestigious and challenging as any in the game.

Defined by its rich history and an impressive list
of past champions and participants, the Western
Amateur has tested many of golf’s greatest players
in a format designed to separate the very best from
the invitational field of 156. Following four rounds
of stroke play, the top 16 players move on to four
Frank Morley John Kaczkowski
rounds of match play over the next two days to Chairman of the Board President & CEO
determine the champion. Western Golf Association Western Golf Association
Legendary players Chick Evans, Francis Ouimet,
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson We wish all of our competitors well this week,
all toppled fields of their peers en route to and we offer a special thank you to Sunset Ridge’s
having their name etched on the historic members and staff for hosting the 116th playing of
George R. Thorne Trophy. the Western Amateur.
This week, for the first time ever, we welcome
our contestants to Sunset Ridge Country Club, in
Best Wishes,
Northfield, Illinois. Founded in 1923, Sunset Ridge
features a challenging William Diddel design that Frank Morley
promises a stern test for the Western Amateur’s Chairman of the Board
field of talented amateurs. Western Golf Association
This is not the first time, however, that Sunset
John Kaczkowski
Ridge and the WGA have partnered on the
President & CEO
national championship stage. The club hosted the
Western Golf Association
Western Open in 1972 and the Western Junior —
the nation’s oldest national junior golf
championship — in 1936.
Sunset Ridge also has been a longtime supporter of
the Evans Scholars Foundation, which the WGA
also supports. The club has 32 Evans Alumni and
six current Evans Scholars. We are grateful for the
club’s loyal and ongoing commitment to caddies
and the Evans Scholars Foundation.

2018 WESTERN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Welcome 7