The long and wonderful history of the United States Amateur, which encompasses 110 years of golf competition, is what accounts for its prestige among American sporting events. That, and the names of some of its winners: Bobby Jones, Walter Travis, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lanny Wadkins, Justin Leonard, Billy Mayfair, Scott Verplank, Mark O’Meara, John Cook, Ryan Moore and Craig Stadler, to name a few of the more recognizable winners.

The first tournament was played at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island in 1895. The tournament was suspended during World War II (1942-45). The tournament history is filled with too many stories and exceptional performances to detail.

But as the tournament unfolds this week at Chambers Bay, here are some recent milestones from past tournaments.

In 2009, Byeong-Hun An became the youngest champion (17 years, 11 months and 13 days old). An was also the first Asian player (Korea) to win the title. In 2008, Danny Lee, who was born in Korea but moved to New Zealand at the age of 8, had won.

In 2005, Edoardo Molinari of Torino, Italy became the first resident of Continental Europe to win the title.

In 2004, completing one of the greatest summers any amateur has ever enjoyed, Ryan Moore won the NCAA championship, the Western Amateur, the U.S. Public Links Championship and the Amateur in the same year. He is the only player ever to do that. Several players had won the NCAA title and the Amateur, including Nicklaus, Woods and Mickleson. And two players before Moore had won the Amateur and the Public Links – Billy Mayfair and Colt Knost.

In 2003, Nick Flanigan became the first Australian-born winner since Walter Travis in 1903 and was the first foreign winner from outside North America to win it since Harold Hilton in 1911.

In 2002, marking the big dip in the average age of players, 27 were under 18 years old, including a 14-year-old, Joseph Bramlett, the youngest player ever to qualify for the event. And young Ricky Barnes was the first – and, so far, the last – to wear a Hawaiian shirt for his final match, which he won with ease, making it look like just another day at the beach.

In 2001, Bubba Dickerson put his alma mater, the University of Florida, in the books, when he became the fourth player from that school to win an Amateur.

In 1999, Sung Yoon Kim became the youngest finalist in history (17 years, three months, five days) as well as the first Korean to reach the finals. He was defeated in the final match by David Gossett.

In 1996, Tiger Woods defeated Steve Scott to become the first player to win the Amateur three consecutive times and recorded his sixth USGA title in as many years, counting his wins at the USGA Junior Boys.

In 1992, Justin Leonard became the first player since Lanny Wadkins in 1970 to sweep the U.S., Western and Southern Amateurs.

In 1990, Phil Mickelson became the first left-handed winner of the championship and only the second in USGA history. (Ralph Howe III won the 1988 Public Links.)

In 1988, after 36 holes of medal qualifying at the two Homestead Courses in Hot Springs, Va., 31 players competed for nine spots, the largest playoff in history. The next morning only two hours and two holes were needed to eliminate 22 players.

In 1982, Jay Sigel, a 38-year-old insurance salesman, won the tournament 20 years after first competing.

These are just a handful of milestones from the rich history of the U.S. Amateur.

Year by year, the talent at this tournament seems to grow exponentially. So who knows what new milestones and memorable moments await out at Chambers Bay this week.

Phil Mickelson on the subject: “The Amateur is so tough to win because it is impossible for anyone to play his best golf six matches in a row. Each match is win or go home, so I tried to stay focused for each match. Still, you also need a little luck, and I got some.”

So there you go.

The USGA is here, The Golf Channel and NBC are here to document the event. Pierce County and Kemper Sports have brought their A-games to this venture. And the local area has embraced becoming a part of golf history.

The winner will be in pretty spiffy company for sure. And he will have played some very good golf – for six matches – making him one of the toughest and most elite competitors in the long history of the game.

Contact at rwalter@tacomaweekly.com