U.S. Amateur Begins Monday

Mike Van Sickle will tee off in the 109th U.S. Amateur Championship at 2:35 p.m. CT Monday at Southern Hill Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

Van Sickle shot 146 in a 36-hole sectional qualifier back on Aug. 3 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The former Marquette star and All-American has been grouped with Trent Whitekiller (Sallisaw, Okla.) and Curtis Skinner (Lake Bluff, Ill.).

Televised coverage of the event will be broadcast on NBC and the Golf Channel.

Television Schedule
Wednesday (Aug. 26) Golf Channel 3-5 p.m.
Thursday (Aug. 27) Golf Channel Noon-2 p.m.
Friday (Aug. 28) Golf Channel Noon-2 p.m.
Saturday (Aug. 29) NBC 3-5 p.m.
Sunday (Aug. 30) NBC 3-5 p.m.

Pennsylvania Golf Association Open Championship begins Monday

Mike Van Sickle will go for a three-peat this week at the Pennsylvania Golf Association's 93rd Open Championship, which begins Monday, August 10 at the storied Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.

Van Sickle made history last summer when he became the first player since 1955-56 (and first-ever amateur) to win back-to-back Pennsylvania Open Championships.

Bill Beckner, Jr. of the Valley News Dispatch wrote a preview for this year's event that also ran online Aug. 8 at PittsburghLive.com.

Live scoring is available.

Chicago Tribune likes Van Sickle's chances at Western Am

Mike Van Sickle will travel from Columbus, Ohio, where he recently competed in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational -- a Nationwide Tour event, to Chicago to compete in this week's 107th annual Western Amateur Championship, Aug. 3-8, at Conway Farms.

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune spent some time with the former Marquette University standout a while back at the Western Amateur media day. He recently posted a column titled, "Mike Van Sickle can win the "Masters" of Amateur Golf."

Here's the direct link to the Greenstein's column: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/golf/chi-02-18-holes-mike-van-sickle-aug02,0,5983527.column