FRANKLIN TWP — The defending champions are gone. Hopeful champions will emerge.

The 20th annual Butler Eagle County Amateur —an 18-hole stroke play golf event — takes place Sunday at the Lake Arthur Golf Club.

Sean Knapp, winner of five of the past six Eagle Amateurs, will not be among this year’s field. He is headed to Atlanta, Ga., to compete in next week’s U.S. Amateur.

Jane Wymer, a multiple-time Butler Country Club champion and two-time defending Eagle Amateur champion, has a family conflict and will not be playing Sunday.

Tournament committee member John Carpenter said 160 golfers have registered for the event, one of the higher totals in recent years. There were 179 golfers at last year’s Eagle Amateur at Cranberry Highlands.

“We’ve got 50 golfers in the championship flight (6-handicap or below) and 15 golfers with a handicap of zero, one or two,” Carpenter said. “Anyone in that championship flight, even some in the first flight, is capable of winning this thing.”

Seven of the top 10 finishers last year — Jeremy Plaisted, Brad Posey, John Brough III, Chuddy Carless, Pat Preston, Dave Hungerman and Mark Marion — will be among Sunday’s field. Plaisted finished second last year, five strokes behind Knapp.

Five former Eagle Amateur men’s champions are entered: Rob Voltz in 2007, Nathan Bilski in 2006, Hungerman in 1998, Bill Black in 1997 and Jim Hepler in 1996.

Slippery Rock resident Jenna Rinker, who tied Wymer last year at Cranberry Highlands, has returned to the women’s field. Sharon Goncz, the 2010 champion, is registered as well. The Eagle Amateur was played at Lake Arthur that year.

Marissa DeCola, a Butler graduate, 2011 WPIAL champion and four-time all-state honoree, is playing in the tournament for the first time. She is entering her junior year at Indiana University of the Big Ten.

“I’ve only played in one other tournament this summer, the U.S. Amateur qualifier in North Carolina last month, and didn’t do very well there,” DeCola said. “But I’ve been practicing every day and have done OK lately.

“I don’t go back to school until next week and I thought it’d be fun to play in this event. I haven’t played a tournament in Butler in a long time.”

DeCola suffered a shoulder injury last fall and contracted mononucleosis last spring, curtailing her collegiate season.

“She has to be considered the favorite to win the women’s division with Jane out,” Carpenter said.

Accustomed to playing from the white or back tees, DeCola has been playing from the red tees of late.

“I’ve been using my wedge a lot more, working on my pitch shots,” she said. “I lost a lot of strength from being sick, but that’s coming back.

“I’m hoping to use this tournament as a boost going into my fall season. That’s the plan, anyway.”

DeCola hasn’t played at Lake Arthur since last year, but planned to play a round there Friday.

“The course should be in really good shape,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter added that four golfers who placed among the top of the field at Oakview in 2012 — Dave Ruffaner (third), Bob Stoops, Sean Wright and Bob Yuhas (all tied for fourth) — are among this year’s field.

“The competition should be something. There is no clear favorite on the men’s side,” Carpenter said.

Other Butler Eagle County Amateur committee members are Voltz, Black, Bob Jarecki, Jay Frederick, Tom Sheehan and Ken Fair.

BUTLER EAGLE COUNTY AMATEUR

Past Winners

1995 — Mark Young

1996 — Jim Hepler

1997 — Bill Black

1998 — Dave Hungerman

1999 — Sean Swidzinski

2000 — Greg Minda

2001 — Chuck Young

2002 — Mark Young

2003 — Chris Marron

2004 — Mike Toubakaris

2005 — Doug Knox

2006 — Nate Bilski

2007 — Rob Voltz

2008 — Sean Knapp

2009 — Sean Knapp

2010 — Sean Knapp

2011 — Bennett Smith

2012 — Sean Knapp

2013 — Sean Knapp