Western Amateur
Point O’ Woods is very proud of its long history hosting the Western Amateur Championship. In the sixty years that the club has been open for play, The Point hosted the Western Amateur forty times, more than any other club in the nearly 120 years that the event has been played.
The Western Golf Association operates the Western Amateur. It is the second oldest golf association in the U.S., having been formed in 1899. In that year, the WGA sponsored both the Western Open and the Western Amateur at Glen View, IL. Among amateur events in America, only the U.S. Amateur has been played longer than the Western.
The Point opened for play in 1958, having been designed by the foremost architect of the day, Robert Trent Jones. At more than 7,000 yards, it was incredibly long for the days of persimmon woods and soft balata balls. By 1963, the club was selected to host its first Western Amateur, and it was a great success. Tom Weiskopf was the winner, defeating Labron Harris, Jr. 5 and 4 in the finals. The tournament moved to different sites until 1971 when it returned for a stretch of 38 straight years at the Point from 1971 through 2008. During that time, these golf stars won the Amateur: Andy North, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Andy Bean, Bob Clampett, Hal Sutton, Scott Verplank, Chris DiMarco, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, and Tiger Woods, among others.
The Western Amateur, the U.S. Amateur, and the NCAA Championships are the big three in current amateur play in the U.S. The Point is proud that it will return to host the Western in August 2019. The event is a grueling challenge for the champion who must survive 72 holes of stroke play, then five rounds of match play over the following three days. We look forward to hosting the best amateur players in the world at that time and in the future!
For more information about the Western Golf Association and the Western Amateur, please see www.wgaesf.org and www.thewesternamateur.com. The WGA’s activities fund the Evans Scholars Foundation, a charitable endeavor founded by the great Chick Evans in 1930. The Scholars earn full ride four year scholarships to great colleges and universities. Currently, nearly 1,000 undergraduates receive these scholarships, and since founding, more than 10,000 young men and women have received their college educations fully paid for by the Evans Scholars Foundation. We encourage all our members and friends to support the Foundation at www.wgaesf.org.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2019 WESTERN AMATEUR
NHL Tonight - Interview with Garrett Rank
Chicago District Golf Association - CGDA Tournament Roundup Western Am Coverage
WSJM - WESTERN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP SHOW
Golf Week - NHL referee Garrett Rank wins Western Amateur
Golf Digest - NHL referee Garrett Rank wins the prestigious Western Amateur, defeats Daniel Wetterich in the final
Golf Channel - Rank, a Mid-amateur and NHL Referee, Wins the Western Amateur
Amateur Golf - Rank, 31 Defies Age in Winning Western Amateur
Global Golf Post - Mid-Am Rank Closes Out 'Dream Week' with Title
NHL Tonight: Garrett Rank
Scoutingtherefs.com - NHL Referee Garrett Rank Wins 2019 Western Amateur Golf Tournament
WNDU - NHL referee Garrett Rank wins 2019 Western Amateur
Yahoo Lifestyle - NHL referee unexpectedly wins prestigious amateur golf tournament in Michigan
Morning Read - article by Barry Cronin
Golf Advisor - "Cool Golf Thing" - article by Tim Gavrich
WSJM Interview: Chris DiMarco and Vince Pellegrino at Point O' Woods
WSJM at Point O' Woods for Western Amateur Media Day