The Missouri Amateur Golf Championship is underway at Hickory Hills Country Club in Springfield. It’s the sixth time they’ve hosted the event. It also marks the first time the Missouri Amateur has been held in the same city in consecutive years. St. Joseph Country Club was supposed to be the venue for 2003, but they had to decline because of renovations being made to the course. Twin Oaks of Springfield was last year’s host. Thirteen members of Hickory Hills have made the field of 154. Two of them—Wayne Frederick and Chuck Green—are former champions. The winners of the last two Missouri Amateur Golf Championships aren’t back this year and won’t return ever. Michael Letzig and Mark McBride have turned pro after successful college careers at New Mexico and Mizzou. Letzig, of Richmond, won the title last year and he also won the NCAA West Regional in 2003. McBride, of Lebanon, was the 2000 and 2001 champ. Competitors will play 18 holes today and tomorrow and the field will be cut to 64. The tournament then turns to match play where golfers will advance by winning two rounds per day until the field is whittled down to two. The two remaining golfers will play a 36-hole match play round.
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