Golf’s best amateurs coming to Glenview

A challenging format, a challenging course and a challenging field.

That pretty much sums up what lies ahead for 156 of the best amateur players in the world this week in the Western Amateur, which runs Tuesday through Saturday at historic North Shore Country Club in Glenview.

This year’s Western represents the first time any amateur championship has had more than half the top 50 amateurs in the world in its field.

The 2011 Western boasts 30 of the top 50, 13 of the top 20, and six of the top 10 amateurs, including the top four.

The biggest names are No. 1-ranked reigning U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein, who made the cut at the British Open; No. 2 Patrick Cantlay, who won the college Player of the Year Award as a freshman at UCLA and led the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship going into the final round after shooting a 60; Tom Lewis, the No. 3-ranked amateur in the world, who made quite a splash at the British Open as well, and No. 4-ranked Russell Henley, who won a PGA Nationwide Tour event in May.

Oh, and then there’s defending champion David Chung. The senior-to-be at Stanford defeated UCLA’s Gregor Main 2 and 1 in last year’s match play finale at Skokie Country Club in nearby Glencoe.

Already this year, Chung has played in the Masters and the U.S. Open on the strength of his performance last summer. Chung achieved elite status among amateurs by winning the Western Amateur, the Porter Cup, finishing runner-up at the U.S. Amateur, and compiling a stellar 4-0 record in the U.S. victory over Europe in the Palmer Cup in Northern Ireland.

To repeat as champion, Chung will have to survive one of the most grueling formats in tournament golf.

Competition includes two 18-hole stroke play rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday (first tee 7:30 a.m) followed by a cut to the players with the low 44 scores and ties. Those who make the cut then play 36 holes of stroke play on Thursday, with the low 16 advancing to match play on Friday.

The first two rounds of 18-hole match play on Friday narrow the field to four semifinalists, who compete in a pair of 18-hole matches on Saturday morning. Winners of the two morning matches then play in the 18-hole championship match Saturday afternoon.

For more information on the tournament, visit thewesternamateur.com