After retiring, Brendle grew his blonde hair long and sported a soul patch, explaining that he wanted to look like someone who belonged at the beach. At his home in Banana River, Florida, Brendle cared for parrots, chickens, cats and an occasional squirrel. He fished and played golf with Kelly Slater, arguably the greatest surfer of all time.
Of course, golf is the Western Amateur’s main draw. Many of the game’s greats experienced success at the tournament that is a grueling test of skill, stamina and grit. The final features two players who survived 72 holes of stroke play followed by four rounds of match play. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus — 33 majors between them — are among past winners.
Chicago-area talents Patrick Flavin, Doug Ghim and Nick Hardy gave local fans a lot to cheer for before they embarked on professional careers. Hardy made three Sweet 16s (2014, 2016, 2017), Ghim two (2014, 2016) and Flavin one (2018). Ghim was medalist at Chicago’s Beverly Country Club in 2014, and Hardy beat world No. 1 and two-time major champion Scottie Sche ler in the quarterfinals. The event will return to the south side-Chicago track next year.
I will debate anyone, anytime, anywhere why the Western Golf Association event is superior to the U.S. Amateur. Take the five-year stretch from 2017-2021. Twelve players who advanced to the Sweet 16 have combined to win 19 times on the PGA Tour. By contrast, the U.S. Amateur produced four winners. Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa and Davis Riley qualified for the Round of 16 at both tournaments.
The Western Amateur, like its PGA Tour counterpart BMW Championship, is part of the WGA’s bigger mission: to raise money to fund four-year college scholarships for caddies through the Evans Scholars Foundation. There are more than 1,000 men and women enrolled at 24 universities around the country.
One year, I had the privilege of sitting in on a selection meeting when a Bosnian refugee learned he earned an Evans Scholarship. He immigrated to the U.S. from his war-ravaged country. He barely spoke English upon his arrival. Not only did he excel at school, he served as a parent to his siblings; working as a caddie provided much-needed money for his family. I swear the room got a little dusty.
I don’t apologize for populating my brother’s phone with messages. Although he won’t admit it to me, I believe he loves the stories. I hope you enjoyed them, too.
Matt Harness is an award-winning golf freelance writer and a frequent contributor to Chicago District Golfer.