In his day, West was the best

With nine Maryland Amateur titles on his resume, one shy of all-time leader Ralph Bogart (Chevy Chase), West has reason to covet another.

But the sign-up period for the Amateur came and went. West will be in Boston that weekend, celebrating the graduation of his son, set to receive his doctoral degree from Harvard. West also expects to get his first look at his firstgrandchild, due in a few weeks.

It’s not a conflict that West, 59, rues.

“The Amateur is a young man’s tournament,” said West. “It would be unlikely that my body could hold up for 36 holes three straight days. After Friday, I’m not sure I could get out of bed.”

These days, West is content to play senior events. This weekend, he’s looking forward to the hotly contested Maryland A-Team Championships. West has been a major contributor to Columbia’s success for more than three decades. No club in the state has more titles than Columbia’s 11. The first came in 1973, also the year West won his first Maryland Amateur.

In those days West was a 25-year-old, just out of North Carolina where he was a two-time honorable mention All-America. While others chased their golf dreams, West pursued career goals, first delving into real estate, then settling in as a stock broker.

But West never neglected his avocation, developing a particular affinity for match play. Each time West made it to the final round of the Maryland Amateur, he won, defeating nine different opponents.

The last time Columbia hosted the Amateur, in 1997, West made a Nicklaus-like run at age 49 to the championship. It was perhaps meant to be West’s final Amateur title.

“That’s the one I remember most,” said West. “My dad was suffering from cancer but he was able to be out there and he watched me win. He died the following January.”

West Side Story

» West graduated from Landon School in Bethesda.

» West also won three Maryland Opens, edging second-place Fred Funk for the title in 1986.

» West is the president of Columbia Country Club.