🏌️‍♂️ 2025 Western Amateur Championship at Skokie Country Club

Glencoe, Illinois | July 29–August 2, 2025

📺 HOW TO WATCH

The Western Amateur will stream live for the first time on ESPN+ in 2025, providing more than 12 hours of exclusive coverage.

Starting Friday, August 1, viewers can watch the Sweet 16 match play round and continue through to Saturday’s Championship Match. Coverage includes live action, player interviews, and features on the event’s legacy—produced by Thaler Media and featuring 1999 champion Steve Scott from the course.

• Friday, Aug. 1: Sweet 16 (10 a.m.–1 p.m. CT), Quarterfinals (3–6 p.m. CT)
• Saturday, Aug. 2: Semifinals (9 a.m.–12 p.m. CT), Championship (~1 p.m. CT)
• Watch on: ESPN App, ESPN.com, TSN+ (Canada), Disney+ (Latin America/Caribbean)

A Championship Rooted in Legacy

The Western Amateur, founded in 1899, is the third-oldest amateur championship in the world and one of the most respected proving grounds in the sport. Known as the "toughest test in amateur golf," its dual-format structure of stroke and match play demands consistency, resilience, and elite skill.

Over five days, 156 of the world’s best amateurs battle for the George R. Thorne Trophy. Legendary champions like Chick Evans, Francis Ouimet, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson first proved themselves here—solidifying its reputation as a launchpad for greatness.

The Venue: Skokie Country Club

Hosting for the third time (previously in 2010 and 2017), Skokie Country Club is a Donald Ross and William Langford/Theodore Moreau design playing to 7,181 yards, par 70. It has hosted major events including the 1922 U.S. Open, 1998 U.S. Senior Amateur, and several Western Golf Association events.

Skokie is a strategic layout—demanding accurate placement, shot-shaping, and refined touch on firm, sloping greens. It’s a championship course that rewards creativity and punishes error, particularly under pressure.

More than 50 caddies from Skokie have received Evans Scholarships, underscoring the club’s foundational role in supporting youth development through golf.

Who’s in the Field?

Although defending champion Ian Gilligan is now competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, the 2025 field is stacked with talent from 27 countries and over 60 WAGR Top 100 players. Returning contenders include:

• Jack Turner – Florida; 2024 runner-up in a 29-hole final
• Parker Bell – Florida; 2024 semifinalist
• Benjamin James – Virginia; WAGR No. 2, Haskins and Hogan Award finalist
• Henry Guan – Texas; 16-year-old phenom, 2024 quarterfinalist
• Tommy Morrison – Texas; WAGR No. 5, Elite Amateur Series standout
• Ethan Fang – Oklahoma State; WAGR No. 3

The Format & What’s at Stake

Players compete in 72 holes of stroke play over three days (36 holes on Thursday), after which the top 16 advance to match play. Those who make the "Sweet 16" often emerge as professional stars—since 1956, they’ve gone on to win 95 major championships and 24 PGA TOUR Player of the Year awards.

In match play, consistency is no longer enough—players must win four head-to-head matches in two days. The championship final has produced legendary battles, including:

• 2017: Norman Xiong defeated Doc Redman in 22 holes at Skokie
• 2024: Ian Gilligan beat Jack Turner in a record-setting 29-hole final
• 2015: Dawson Armstrong holed a 20-yard bunker shot for eagle to win in extra holes

With firm conditions expected this year, strategy and short-game brilliance will likely determine who survives the grind and lifts the trophy.