OLEAN — The Southwestern New York-Northwestern Pennsylvania (SWNY-NWPA) has officially set Aug. 3 as the deadline to enter its 90th Men’s Amateur tournament.
Below is the full release, courtesy of the SWNY-NWPA tournament organizers:
Going into its 90th year, the SWNY–NWPA Men’s Amateur is one of the longest-running match play tournaments in the country — a legacy rarely matched at the state or regional level. This year’s tournament runs August 5th-9th at Bartlett Country Club, which has hosted all or part of the event 66 times.
The tourney will open with an 18-hole medal qualifying round Wednesday, August 5.
The qualifier will slot the field into 32-man Championship and First Flights with 16-man brackets filling the rest of the field.
Match play begins on Thursday and Championship Flight losers will be slotted in a Consolation Flight.
On Friday, the Championship, Consolation and First Flights will play two rounds and the other flights one, reducing the field to Saturday’s semifinals.
Semis in all flights are Saturday morning with the finals Sunday. All flights play an 18-hole final except the Championship, which is 36.
For the last few years, the Men’s Amateur also offered a new option.
An over-60 consolation and 45-59 consolation flight will continue for players that age who lost their opening-round match in any flight but the Championship (which has its own consolation). The top eight players, based on their qualifying-round score, will be re-bracketed in the new flight and compete in match play through Sunday’s final.
In addition, once again this year, Tournament Director Kyle Henzel will offer an over-65 Flight if at least eight entrants sign up. The flight will be a tourney within a tourney with its own separate medalist and title.
ENTRY FEE is $160 and includes a dinner on Wednesday afternoon, August 5, after the medal qualifier and all participants are guaranteed two rounds — one medal qualifier and one match-play. Practice rounds can be played for $25. Each participant will also receive a commemorative gift marking the tournament’s 90th anniversary.
In addition, for the 27th time and 26th consecutive year, the tourney will host the Shootout of Previous Champions on Tuesday evening, August 4. The 9-hole event opens with aggregate scoring over the first five holes, with the low five scorers advancing to a shootout format beginning on hole 15.
Also for 27 years in a row the Men’s Amateur will donate to its not-for-profit benefactors: Intandem, HomeCare & Hospice, Brady’s Cause, and the Olean General Hospital Foundation — together receiving over $500,000 from tournament proceeds. New this year, the St. Bonaventure University Men’s Golf Team joins as a beneficiary, as the program looks to build the financial support needed to keep the team on the course.
The tourney also funds the entry fee for 15 players from the Penn-York Junior Golf League who qualify plus the John Henzel Memorial Scholarship which goes to a golfer or golfers from a Big 30 school. To date, just over $25,000 has been donated to a freshman-to-be by the Henzel Scholarship.
Further information is available and entries can be made at the tournament website swnynwpa.com.
