Chung doubles up at Western Amateur
BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2010 Western Amateur Championship | Round Four | 08 Aug 2010
David Chung has won the prestigious Western Amateur with a 2&1 victory over fellow American Gregor Main at Skokie Country Club, north of Chicago.
Chung hit 15 of 17 greens and 10 of 12 fairways in his match with Main. A lesson with his new coach Adam Schriber had Chung hitting pure iron shots in a wonderful display of precision golf throughout the final.
“I say my iron play was the reason for winning this event,” said Chung, 20, a Junior at Stanford University.
“I certainly didn’t bring my ’A’ game to this tournament this week, but I was able to remain patient out there and enjoy it. This is by far the most important victory for me, that’s for sure.”
Chung bounced back at this Western Amateur on the back of winning last week’s Porter Cup where the world number 5 fired a 5-under-par, 65, in the final round to give him a three stroke victory over 15-year-old Gavin Hall of Pittsford and Peter Uihlein.
“I had no real expectations coming into the Western Amateur after last week’s win because the field here is very strong,” said Chung.
“Obviously I was feeling confident following last week’s result and once I made it through the stroke qualification rounds, you just have to take each round as it comes. It was a battle out there and I had plenty of tough matches, that’s for sure.”
This year’s Western Amateur had one of the strongest fields in a main US amateur event of the year. It is considered by many to rank behind only the US Amateur in prestige. Skokie Country Club, the site of Gene Sarazen’s victory in the 1922 US Open, demanded precision placement off the tee. The greens however were more receptive that usual, the by-produce of heavy rains that resulted in this year’s event being modified by Western Golf Association officials to a 54 hole stroke play qualification round.
Even with the shorten format, the Western Amateur represents a “survivor of the fittest” tournament, a true test of golf by any means that has produced champions like Jack Nicklaus, Ben Curtis, Jason Gore, Jay Haas, Tom Kite, Rocco Mediate, Gil Morgan, Mark O’Meara, Chris Riley, Camilo Villegas, and Tom Watson.
“It’s such an honour to win an event like this,” said Chung following the victory presentation.
“You know I was at the sweet-16 dinner earlier in the week and to see the level of the players competing here and to get through and win, it’s just awesome.”
Today’s final was certainly an open affair between Chung and Main, a UCLA junior and two-time honourable All-American mention.
Main was 2-up after five holes thanks to birdies on two lengthy par-3s. The 2009 Southern Amateur champion hit 5-iron to 15 feet on the 195-yard second hole and 6-iron to 8 feet on the 193-yard fifth hole. Chung and Main were then all square at the turn, after Main three-putted the par-3 9th.
Chung then fought back on the closing nine with some stellar long iron play and aggressively attacked the pin locations to set up the equivalent of five birdies on the first six holes on the back nine.
“I came home strong out there,” said Chung.
“I was able to hold it all together, especially on the 17th after pushing the approach into the bunker. Once there was a little more pressure, I was able to focus more and I zoned in on the hole.”
Chung was the 14th seed in the 16-man match-play bracket and on his way to the final disposed of Arizona State’s Scott Pinckney in 21 holes in the first round. Chung then beat incoming USC freshman Jeffrey Kang, 1-up in the quarterfinals, then beat Chan Kim in 19 holes in afternoon’s semifinal.
Aussie Kieran Pratt had a stellar tournament making it through to the semi-finals, only to be pipped on the 19th by Gregor Main after making birdie on the 18th to force a sudden-death playoff.
