Five local golfers are among the 144 players bidding for the Missouri Amateur Championship that starts today.
Levi Elder, Tanner Elder, Sam Englund, John McCulloch and Gabe Trowbridge are scheduled to be in the field at the Missouri Golf Association's 108th Amateur Championship that will be played at Buffalo Ridge Springs Golf Course near Branson.
Tanner Elder, who won the Missouri State High School Activities Association's Class 2 individual title last month playing for Blair Oaks, advanced to the Round of 32 in last year's championship.
It's the first time the course - previously known as Branson Creek Golf Club - will host the championship. It has been rated the No. 1 public course in Missouri by Golf Magazine and has been in the Top 10 in the state by Golf Digest for 11 consecutive years.
The first two days of the tournament are stroke play. The top 64 golfers will then advance to match play, with the title match set for Sunday.
Past amateur champions in the field include Wayne Fredrick, Chuck Green, Ben Godwin and Joey Johnson.
Brian Craig, who won the 2014 title at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, is not in the field.