Page 32 - 2019 Western Amateur Championship Program

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WESTERN AMATEUR RETURNS TO ITS HOME
OF MORE THAN 35 YEARS

has consistently ranked as one of the
nation’s top courses, both in beauty
and design.
The WGA first held the Western
Amateur at Point O’ Woods in 1963,
then again in 1965, before returning in
1971 for a 38-year run. The WGA
moved the storied championship from
Point O’ Woods to a rotation of mostly
Chicago area clubs starting in 2009.
First conducted in 1899 at the Glen
View Club in Golf, Illinois, the Western
Amateur championship has from its
inception been regarded as one of the
major amateur golf events in the world.
Only the British Amateur (1885) and
the U.S. Amateur (1895) are older.
The Western Amateur’s 156-man
field consistently ranks among the top
three in the world along with the
British Amateur and U.S. Amateur.
The 18th hole at Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club Contestants come from all over the
globe. Last year’s field included players
LEONARD RECALLS got through that, I thought, ‘I’m the from a dozen nations, including
POINT O’ WOODS’ only person who can fit it through some Australia, Denmark, England, Finland,
CHALLENGING LAYOUT of these corridors off the tees.” Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the
Few people know Point O’ Woods Golf This week, the Western Amateur returns United States, Venezuela and Wales.
& Country Club like Justin Leonard. to The Point, its home from 1971
through 2008. The championship
“The Point,” in Benton Harbor,
features 156 of the best amateur players
Michigan, is the site of two of Leonard’s
from around the world competing.
biggest amateur victories — the 1992
and 1993 Western Amateurs. But the At over 7,000 yards with thousands
first time he stepped on the course, of trees crowding the fairways, Point
the Texas native wasn’t sure he would O’ Woods will be a stern test. As
be competitive. past champions like Tom Weiskopf,
Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange,
“It was the first course I’d ever played Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and
of its kind,” he said. “The most well- Leonard showed, it helps to be long
conditioned and manicured golf course off the tee, but it’s even more important
I’d ever played.” to be accurate.
Leonard relied on his accuracy more “Point O’ Woods favors players who
than his length, and one hole caught place the ball,” said Evans Scholars Alum
his eye right away. It was the mammoth John Singer, who caddied for Leonard in
565-yard second, a par 5 that his fellow both of his Western Amateur victories.
competitors were reaching in two. “It wasn’t so much that Justin was long;
he just placed the ball well.”
“When I first saw the golf course, I
wasn’t sure how I was ever going to play Designed by Robert Trent Jones and Justin Leonard and his caddie, John Singer, follow
a shot during Leonard’s drive to back-to-back
the second hole,” said Leonard. “Once I opened for play in 1958, Point O’ Woods
wins in the Western Amateur.

30 Western Amateur Championship History Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club