Old Meets New at the 108th Western Amateur

A fresh face, David Chung, emerged as the winner in the historic tournament at Skokie Country Club

“History” was the operative word during the 108th Western Amateur at Skokie Country Club in Glencoe on August 4–7. During the annual Sweet 16 dinner on August 5, the players reveled in the tournament’s lore. Says this year’s winner, David Chung of Fayetteville, N.C.: “It’s amazing how many of the top 16 have gone on to win major championships.”

The 2010 Western Amateur featured 156 players. Several local and Illinois players were in the mix in the grueling format, which traditionally includes two 36-hole stroke-play days followed by two match-play days. Due to bad weather, however, this year’s stroke play was reduced to 54 holes. The field was cut to the low 44 scores and ties going into the final 18 holes of stroke play to determine the Sweet 16 for the match play. The field was then trimmed to four for the semifinal and final matches on the last day of the tournament.

Cheng-Tsung Pan of Taiwan and Tom Hoge of North Dakota won medalist honors, both shooting 6-under-par 207s after the stroke-play rounds. Four Illinois golfers made the cut after the second round, but each failed to reach the Sweet 16 (214). They were Scott Rowe, Hinsdale, 216; Luke Guthrie, Quincy, 218; Mason Jacobs, Metropolis, 220; and Vince India, Deerfield, 221.

In the match-play event with the final 16 players, “upset” was the word of the day. With the lowest-scoring players competing against the highest-scoring players in the first match, five lowest-scoring players lost. Only (Tie) fifth-placed Jeffery Kang managed to win his first match, but he lost in the second round. The top 11 seeds in the Western Amateur’s Sweet 16 were eliminated Friday (August 6) over the course of two grueling match-play rounds, leaving four players left to battle it out for the championship Saturday.

“It just shows that with the quality of players you have in this tournament that anybody can take anybody down,” says Chung. Chan Kim of Gilbert, Ariz., and Gregor Main of Danville, Calif., both won playoffs to make the Sweet 16 before advancing to the semifinals. They played Kieran Pratt of Australia and Chung for the bragging rights in the 108th Western Amateur.

In Saturday’s semifinal match, Main defeated Pratt after 19 holes and Chung defeated Kim after 19 holes, setting up the final. Chung eventually took the match and the 108th Western Amateur trophy.

“The Western Amateur is definitely the biggest tournament I’ve won,” Chung said after receiving the George R. Thorne championship trophy that goes to the tournament winner. “It’s held on one of the most prestigious courses in the nation, it’s a grueling format, and the match-play element makes it mentally demanding. It’s a lot of golf. It’s an endurance test.” CG