THE SCHAUMBURG GOLF CLUB is reopening the Players Nine this Saturday June 30th, and it’s newly expanded putting green. The new range is open and tee times are now being taken at (847)-885-9000. THE WOMEN’S KPMG PGA CHAMPIONSHIP is underway at the Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Kildeer. Tickets on sale at the club and come see the greatest women’s players in the world compete for the title. MISTWOOD Golf Club is hosting the Women’s Western Golf Associations’s national championship this week. The Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open will be played July 16-18. For more information on these events see wwga.org or see mistwoodgc.com (815)-254-3333.        ______________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and on Linkedin and Facebook. At Mistwood Golf Club home of the 118th WWGA National Amateur Championship

THE 118TH WOMEN’S WESTERN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP has had a thrilling week at Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville.

This year the new format saw the field of 120 players was reduced to the low 32 players after 36 holes of stroke play.

The remaining low 32 players then advances to match play. players that did not advance to match play, were done for the week, unlike in the past when players got put into flights and continued to play. This year to make the match play, the final four players survived a playoff of eight players for 4 spots. The match play survivors endured high hot temperatures reaching into the 90’s.

To play in the WWGA National Amateur Championship, players must have a handicap index of 7.4 or less for 18 holes. The WWGA conducts a National junior Championship that will be held from July 16-20 at the Cincinnati Country Club, in Ohio. the field is limited to 80 players who have a handicap index of 14.4 or less for 18 holes Players must still be 18 or younger on the last day of the championship.

The WWGA does award scholarships to deserving young women golfers Since 1971 over $4.1 million dollars have been awarded to 680 women from 45 different states. For scholarship information please visit wwga.org.

  THE WWGA NATIONAL AMATEUR TROPHY (L) and BRIANNE BOLDEN of Mokena after advancing to Match play. Bolden was eliminated in the Quarterfinals by finalist Tristyn Nowlin of Richmond Kentucky.

Janet Mao of Johns Creek Georgia who plays for the Northwestern University Wildcats and was a member of the Wildcats national finalist team in 2016 at Rich Harvest Farms advanced to the round of 16. Bolden was the last local Illinois player standing from the field.

The yardage for this years championship was set at 6,131 yards and a par of 72.

Emilee Hoffman of Folsom California and member of the Lady Longhorns golf team at the University of Texas was the medalist from stroke play, and rolled through to the championship match against Nowlin who plays for the University of Illinois.

In the championship match both players were All-Square after two holes, but then Hoffman started to pull away, going 3 Up at the turn of the first nine holes, of this 36 hole championship match. Hoffman continued to build her lead on the back nine, and was 7 Up after 18 holes.

Hoffman’s lead grew to 8 up early on the second 18, but Nowlin came back one hole later to reduce the margin to 7 Dn. by the end of the front nine of the second 18 holes, Nowlin had cut into Hoffman’s lead again, and was 6 Dn with nine holes to play.

But Hoffman settled down and won holes 10 and 11 to close out the match at 8&7.

THE 2019 WWGA National Amateur Championship is expected to return to the Chicago area, no official announcement has been made yet, but White Eagle Country Club in Naperville could be a possibility.