In its Centennial year, the Northern Ohio Golf Association (NOGA) has reinvented its historic Northeast Ohio Amateur Championship (NEO Am). This year, the tournament will be played at StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights, Ohio over three consecutive days, Saturday, June 10 – Monday, June 12.
“We are ecstatic for the changes to our premiere championship,” said Tournament Operations Manager, Matt Wendelken. “Having one host club over consecutive days is a look and feel that competitors are used to with prestigious championships like the NEO Am.”
Originally known as the Plain Dealer Invitational, the Northeast Ohio Amateur Championship was rescued and rebranded by the Northern Ohio Golf Association in 1965. The NEO Am has had a history of illustrious champions, headed by the late Arnold Palmer, who got his exceptional career started in Northeast Ohio as a young Coast Guard member in 1953. Three-time NEO Am champ Bob Shave Jr. also played the pro tour, and Joe Ungvary, Sr., a five-time NEO Am Champion who also won a U.S. Senior Amateur Open.
In previous years, the NEO Am was played on three different golf courses on mid-summer weekdays over the course of two weeks. For the first time in its existence, the event will be played on two weekend days and the following Monday, and all rounds will be played at the same golf course.
“The Northeast Ohio Amateur Championship has a rich history, including past champions and NOGA Hall-of-famers Arnold Palmer, Rob Moss and five-time champion Doug Hauenstein,” said Chief Executive Officer Robb Schulze, PGA. “As we head into the next 100 years of operation, this championship deserves to return to the traditions and prestige it once held.”
StoneWater has played host to the Nationwide Tour Legend Financial Group Classic, and the first professional championship for World #2 Jason Day in 2007. In addition to Day, the tournaments welcomed PGA stars, including David Toms, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis, Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Bill Haas and Anthony Kim. StoneWater was also named in Golf Digest’s Top 30 public golf courses in the country in 2005.
Designed by the award-winning Hurzdan & Fry design team, StoneWater sits on over 180 acres complete with lush greenery and wildlife. Sandstone and water accents, including wetlands, lakes, streams and running waterfalls adorn the landscape adding to the serene ambiance. The golf course layout features 35,000 square feet dedicated to practice, including a secluded short-game area, separate greens for putting and chipping, a fairway bunker and five bent grass bunkered target greens.
– From a NOGA press release
