108th Western Amateur Championship

2009 champion John Hahn will defend his title this summer at the 108th Western Amateur, presented by Callaway, Aug. 2-7. The event - to be held at venerable Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Illinois - will attract one of the strongest fields in amateur golf.

A senior-to-be at Kent State, Hahn recently won his second consecutive Mid-American Conference Player-of-the-Year award after leading his team to the conference championship and winning individual co-medalist honors. Hahn was an Honorable Mention All-American in 2008-09, and his 72.48 career scoring average heading into the spring 2010 collegiate season was second only to Ben Curtis in KSU history.

"The Western Amateur is one of the most prestigious tournaments in amateur golf and I look forward to defending my title," Hahn said. "Winning the Western Amateur has been the high point of my golf career to this point and has helped me gain wider recognition as a player."

Among other top players committed to the event are 2009 U.S. Amateur champion Byeong-Hun (Ben) An; top 10-ranked Oklahoma State teammates Morgan Hoffman and Kevin Tway; Korea native Jin Jeong; and 2010 Jones Cup champion Patrick Reed of Augusta State.

Also among the 156 top amateurs from approximately a dozen nations who plan to compete are two nationally-ranked players with a local connection - 2009 Big 10 Freshman of the Year Eric Chun of Northwestern and Illinois standout Scott Langley.

"Each year, amateur golf seems to reach a new level of excellence with nations from all over the world producing better and better players," said Vince Pellegrino, vice president of tournaments for the Western Golf Association, which has conducted the event since 1899. "The Western Amateur truly is a window into the worldwide future of the game." So far, players from 10 nations have committed to play.

Skokie is the second of seven Chicago area clubs hosting the Western Amateur from 2009-2015. Hahn won the '09 title at Conway Farms GC in Lake Forest. The championship will move to North Shore Country Club in Glenview in 2011. Prior to last year's return to the Chicago area, the tournament had been played for 38 consecutive years (since 1971) at Point O' Woods Golf & Country Club in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

"We're looking forward to our Western Amateur partnership with Skokie Country Club," said WGA Chairman Roger Mohr. "Skokie is a world-class golf course with a rich history that hearkens back to the earliest development of the game in the United States. The club and its members also have been very strong supporters of the Western Golf Association and our Evans Scholars Program, so this is a perfect fit."

In 2009, nearly 250 Skokie members contributed to the Evans Scholars scholarship fund; 22 Skokie caddies have earned Evans Scholarships, including two now in college.

"We're proud of our membership's commitment to caddie scholarships and the partnership we have with the Western Golf Association," Denison said.

The championship is open to the public. Tickets, available at the gate, are $10, with children 16 and under admitted free.