With nine different winners in the past nine years, no one can call the Butler Eagle Amateur Open predictable.

"Anyone can have a hot day on a golf course and that's what it takes," tournament committee member Tom Righi said.

"There are a lot of good golfers in Butler County and the results of this event prove it," fellow committee member John Carpenter added.

The 11th annual Butler Eagle Amateur Open - an 18-hole tournament designed to crown the best amateur golfer in the county - takes place Aug. 21 at Oakview Golf Club in Slippery Rock.

The tournament features shotgun starts of 7:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Entry fee is $70.

Committee members this year include Carpenter, Righi, Bill Black and Tom Sheehan.

Mike Toubakaris is the tourney's defending champion, carding a 70 at Pheasant Ridge last year to edge Dave Hungerman and Eric Knapp by a stroke.

Toubakaris will try defending his title this year. The eight Eagle Open champions before him - Chris Marron, Mark Young, Chuck Young, Greg Minda, Sean Swidzinski, Hungerman, Black and Jim Hepler - were unable to secure back-to-back titles.

Swidzinski has since turned professional and is no longer eligible for this event.

"I believe all of the other past champions in that group will be playing this year," Carpenter said. "The field should be more competitive than other."

There were 116 golfers in last year's tourney. The previous five Eagle Amateur Opens had more than 150 players.

"We thought we'd get more entries from the southern end of the county last year (at Pheasant Ridge) and it just didn't happen," Carpenter said.

"We played at Oakview in 2000 and had 156 players. We're expecting a similar turnout this year."

All four tournament committee members are members at Oakview and know the course well.

"The course is in beautiful shape," Carpenter said. "They've taken out some trees to enable sunlight to get to the greens.

"The greens will be fast and firm. It will be a good test of golf."

Practice rounds at Oakview are available to Eagle Amateur Open golfers at a discounted rate - $25 for walkers, $35 with a cart - but golfers must call for tee times and identify themselves as Eagle Amateur Open golfers.

Righi was an original committee member when this tournament was called the Butler County Open.

He left the committee three years ago when he began his own business.

"I didn't have the time to work on it then, but I do now," Righi said. "We wanted to bring this tournament back to life a few years ago.

"I think it's been brought back to its previous status, maybe even surpassed it."

There has been some talk of expanding the event to two days and 36 holes. A cut-off score after the first day would trim the field for the second day.

"We've been discussing that," Righi said. "We'd have to find a golf course willing to host it. We haven't approached any courses with that proposed format yet.

"A 36-hole tournament would obviously require more consistent playing to win."

The Eagle Amateur Open features four flights: a championship flight for players with a 0 to 6 handicap, first flight (7-12), second flight (13-17) and third flight (18-up).

The tournament also features a seniors net division. Golfers must be 50 or older on or before the date of the event to be eligible for this division.

Don Fox won the third flight and seniors net division last year.

"That can't happen this year," Carpenter said. "We've decided that a golfer cannot win his flight and the seniors division both. We'll have an extra champion this way."

For more information or to enter the tournament, call Black at 724-283-8656. Any male or female amateur golfer in the county is eligible.

Entry forms have appeared in the Butler Eagle as well.