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Official Tournament Photos
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Top 3
Rob Hughes
Brian Gray
Byron Okutsu

Others Earning Exemptions
Trever Esko
Mike Nadon
Doug Atchison
Peter McGarry
David Duval
Steven Smith
Mark Taylor
Brent Gray
Tony Baker
Dan Teodor
"Big Al"

The Biennial Meeting

The Lodging

The Hollywood Comeback
In 2020, Rob Hughes took up golf, came to the 2020 WGA Open, and finished dead last. Just two years later, his ascendance to golf immortality was complete when he leveraged newfound consistency with both his woods and his putter to win the 2022 Open.
The Golf

The Western Golf Alliance Open 2022
October 5-9
Region A
Southern California

Day 0: Ready for the Open! Trever, Dan, and Byron at the airport and ready keep it long and straight all week!!Day 0: Rob arrives at the Biennial Meeting at the La Jolla Public HouseDay 0: The gang's all here ... okay, most of the gang is hereDay 0: Unfortunately for some, this old friend is ALSO hereDay 0: Dedicated to the craft, Trever does some last-second digital research on site at Torrey PinesDay 1: Early risers Trever and Byron are excited to leave the resort and get to the courseDay 1: Where are we playing today? We're at LPGA tour course AviaraDay 1: Peter - and everyone else - knows that first day range prep is key to success at the WGA OpenDay 1: Time chipping and putting is also importantDay 1: And here we go! Byron, Tony, and Mike are ready to go!!!Day 1: While Tony tees off, Peter jumps into the photoDay 1: As said ... Tony, teeing offDay 1: Peter grips it and rips itDay 1: Tony makes a tricky 4 footer under the immense pressure of being a WGA Open rookieDay 1: Doug is NOT in "position A" hereDay 1: Dan is just looking to put the ball anywhere safe on this tricky driveDay 1: Doug ... dittoDay 1: After the first round, the obvious next move is to grab some beer!Day 1: Hanging out at Stone BrewingDay 1: During the late-night poker game, any footwear is appropriate, including the complimentary resort slipper for PeterDay 2: Where are we today? It's The Grand Del Mar golf courseDay 2: And ... NOW the entire gang is here!!Day 2: Our caddie takes a moment to add thousands of Instragram followers by posting the fact that he know usDay 2: Peter gets advice on the first tee, suggesting he ... keep the drive in the fairwayDay 2: Rob and Trever are ready to get the action underwayDay 2: The cozy confines at The Grand doesn't leave a lot of room for spectators, so some resort to alternative means of following the actionDay 2: Rob, Dan, Tony, and Mark still look like their having a good timeDay 2: Steven demonstrates the concentration needed on the green to competeDay 2: Doug successfully extricates himself from the bunkerDay 2: When zeroing in on a crucial putt, Mike goes left-hand-low, a move that makes him a contender every year at the WGA OpenDay 2: NO BRENT YOU'RE AIMED THE WRONG DIRECTION!!Day 2: Brian and his patented stair-down that has made him the back-to-back champDay 2: Brent is in trouble, but it coulda been a LOT worseDay 2: Tony drains another putt in an attempt to salvage his roundDay 2: A quick intermission just to take in the beauty of golfDay 2: Trying to stay in contention, Trever really needs this birdie putt from just off the green ...Day 2 ... looking good so far ...Day 2: ... tracking ...Day 2: ... don't stop there ...Day 2: ... and it's in the hole!Day 2: Trever acknowledges the 18th green galleryDay 2: That's just what former champions do at the WGA Open!!Day 2: So how hard was that putt, anyway? Byron is next from just off the green ... and ...Day 2: ... the walk-off putt for Byron!Day 2: Dan will NOT make a similar putt from a similar placeDay 2: And neither will MikeDay 2: The last player on the course, Rob chose to actually reach the 18th green instead of coming up shortDay 3: Yes, it's time to play more golf!!!Day 3: Where are we today? We are on-resort at Torrey PinesDay 3: Specifically, we are at the PGA tour "North" courseDay 3: Brent gets us underwayDay 3: The foursome of Mark, Brian, Trever, and Tony ... there's a lot of pink in this photoDay 3: Brent rolls one in for an early NET birdieDay 3: The WGA Open attracts all kinds of fansDay 3: Sometimes play gets delayed when the fans get inside the ropesDay 3: Brian with a legit look at eagle to put major pressure on the other contendersDay 3: OH the agony of a near miss!!!Day 3: Peter launches a perfect drive into a perfect blue SoCal skyDay 3: Doug on the tee with a ghostly ship in the distanceDay 3: Peter goes flag-hunting from the middle of the fairwayDay 3: On #9, Trever almost puts a shot in the parking lot, then casually puts a wedge six feet from the holeDay 3: Brent holds the poseDay 3: With the competition tightening up on the back 9, again fans find alternate means to get a view of the actionDay 3: Trever finds relief in the beautiful ocean views at Torrey PinesDay 3: Tony is undistracted by the view, looking to find some short grassDay 3: Mark always keeps it long and straight during the back 9 at the WGA OpenDay 3: For Brian, his driver is a weapon and it's time to do some damageDay 3: Trever ... well, good luck with thatDay 3: The players properly take their time to navigate the green at the epic par 3 #15Day 3: Safely in play, and with a slim lead, Rob takes time to enjoy the view on #16Day 3: Rob has learned that, when you're in contention, the short ones matter a LOT at the WGA OpenDay 3: The final group is safely on at #18, eying multiple birdie puttsDay 3: When Tony calls in the opinion of others, Rob knows the birdie is unlikelyDay 3: And no, Tony, leaning ain't gonna helpDay 3: Brent walks off the final green with the look of a man in contention at the WGA Open (spoiler alert ... he isn't)Day4: Where are we today? We are playing US Open course Torrey Pines South!Day 4: The day's first tee time is Peter, Trever, Mark, and MikeDay 4: Everyone looking at each other with that "I don't want the honors on the first" look in their eyesDay 4: Trever drills one right down the middle to get the final round underwayDay 4: Mark will have a slight fade but keep his drive in the short grassDay 4: Mike actually goes left-of-center but is also in good shapeDay 4: And inexplicably, Peter makes it four in the fairwayDay 4: We use phrases like "in the hunt" at the WGA Open, but Mark thinks releasing actual predators on the green when he's trying to putt is extremeDay 4: However, nothing phases a former WGA Open champion like PeterDay 4: Mark is gonna stick this wedge tight and make his NET birdieDay 4: That's the look of a man who ... didn't stick his wedge tightDay 4: Tony has an awkward stance in the bunkerDay 4: Meanwhile, Mike successfully gets out of his 38th* bunker of the day (*=estimate)Day 4: If we were scored on the style of our follow-through, Brent would be winning the WGA Open by a mileDay 4: Tony has the look of a man who just outdrove BrianDay 4: Brian has the look of a man who was just outdriven by TonyDay 4: For the record, Mike will hit that tree in front of him, nearly killing 3* gallery patrons (*=estimate)Day 4: Meanwhile, Peter has some unique tree troubles of his own on #14Day 4: Peek-a-boo, we see you MikeDay 4: Despite three balls in the bunker, Rob takes time to reflect on his immenent victoryDay 4: Prior champion Brian, along with Byron, Doug, and Steven, honor Rob at the awards cerimonyDay 4: All hail Rob, the WGA Open Champion!!Epilogue: Rob back home with all the hardware ... the Masters Gnome, the Golden Hat of Honor, and the Coveted Pewter Mug