2020 Metropolitan Open Going to New Venue
Lake Forest Country Club Excited to Host Professionals from All Over
St. Louis, MO – For fourteen (14) years the Country Club of St. Albans has hosted the Metropolitan Open Championship on its Lewis & Clark Course. However, due to an opportunity to host the 2020 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Championships around the same time as the Open, the venue for the 2020 championship is making a change for the 15th edition.
Lake Forest Golf & Country Club in Lake St. Louis, MO has been chosen and enthusiastically agreed to host what has become the premier State and Regional Open in the Midwest June 16-20, 2020. Mel Rector, Lake Forest Country Club member, has led the charge for the club to host this premier event.
In a statement from the Lake Forest CC Open Committee, “Lake Forest Membership is proud to be chosen host of the 15th Metropolitan Open, June 16-20, 2020. By hosting this prestigious event, Lake Forest continues its tradition of hosting championship golf events such as the Nike Tour (now known as the Korn Ferry Tour) and has hosted several USGA Qualifiers and MAGA championships, along with most recently the 86th Ladies National Golf Association Amateur Championship. This opportunity will allow Lake Forest the chance to showcase its Championship Course to some of the very best professionals and amateurs from across the country.”
Lake Forest is no stranger to professional golf. From 1994 to 1996, Lake Forest was a host on the Nike Tour to the Nike Gateway Classic. Brad Fabel (1994), Chris Smith (1995) and Tim Conley (1996) were champions of the Nike Gateway Classic at Lake Forest CC. The Gary Kern design plays to over 7,050 yards and is traditionally known in the region for exceptional putting surfaces that can be very demanding.
“Lake Forest has been an exceptional member club of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association since our inception in 1992, playing host to many MAGA championships and USGA qualifying rounds since that time,” commented MAGA Executive Director, Curt Rohe. “The initial excitement from Mel and Lake Forest to host what is essentially a professional golf event has been overwhelming positive and we expect the 15th Open to not miss a beat coming to a new venue!”
The 2018 Open brought in a record number of entries, 187 to be exact. The field of 156 players was made up of 141 professionals from 30 states and Australia and 15 amateurs. Professionals played for a total purse of $105,000 and Logan Montgomery (Tulsa, OK) came away as champion and the $25,000 first prize.
The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association conducts ten (10) championships, ten (10) USGA qualifying rounds and its Amateur Series of events each season. MAGA provides the USGA GHIN Handicap Service to 140 member clubs across the St. Louis region and Southern Illinois. Additionally, MAGA is the regional authority on the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status. For more information, visit www.metga.org.
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