Another in a long line of major tournament champions will be crowned at Duncan Meadows Golf Club next week.

The B.C. Golf Association’s Men’s Amateur Championship is the latest high-profile event set to be staged at the popular and challenging course.

“We requested it five years ago,’’ said course owner Ming Hui. “We were put into the schedule on their five-year plan and here we are.

“This is one of the events we really wanted to host. It is the premier event in the province.’’

A special day for sponsors and guests last Monday started the build-up to the main event.

Sunday will be a supplementary qualifier starting at noon, with five positions in the main tournament available from the 60 hopefuls.

“All the other players would have qualified through their respective zones,’’ said Hui.

Despite the B.C. Amateur name, the event is not restricted solely to players from within the province.

Players from other provinces and the U.S. who want to compete will filter into the supplementary qualifier. Famed professional Fred Couples once entered the tournament and won it in 1979.

Next Monday, July 13 is reserved for practice rounds and the main event starts Tuesday for the 154 players.

Following the second round Wednesday, the field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties.

The final two rounds will be played next Thursday and Friday.

“There’s a number of players to watch,’’ said Hui.

One of them is defending champion Eugene Wong, an amazing player at 18, who won the title last year at Marine Drive.

Cameron Davison, 15, is another superb young talent who provides the local valley flavour and hopes to take whatever he can from the home course advantage.

“There’s a lot of good players coming from the island,’’ added Hui.

Bryan Toth of Gorge Vale is a former tournament winner from 2006 while Craig Doell of Victoria and Nanaimo’s Sandy Harper, winner of the Cowichan Open last week, are no strangers to the winner’s circle.

Perhaps the most famed entrant of them all is Doug Roxburgh, 57, a 13-time winner of the event.

Duncan Meadows’ rich history as a tournament host includes seven prestigious events since 1999.

The first in the ongoing series was the B.C. Mid-Amateur won by Brian DeBiasio. The Royal Canadian Golf Association’s Future Links Western Championship in 2000 was a special time, as hometown player Gary Hui captured first place.

Other events were: the B.C. Junior Championship in 2001 won by Chris Baryla, the 2002 American Junior Golf Association’s Future Links girls’ tournament won by Paula Creamer, the 2004 RCGA club champions championship won by Rick Blair, the 2005 RCGA university and college championship when the UBC women and UVic men emerged victorious and the 2006 Canadian National RCGA women’s tour event won by Taya Battistella.

“We’ve done enough events our facility is quite capable of hosting these championships,’’ said Ming Hui.

“We’ve proven to the national golf scene, we have a pretty good reputation.’’

Hui added Duncan Meadows has already been selected for the 2011 RCGA Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Spectators are welcome for the B.C. Men’s Amateur but are advised to follow etiquette.

“We will have rules officials who will to some extent be trying to control the traffic flow out there,’’ Hui said.

In the meantime, he said golfers can enjoy pristine conditions before the tournament.

“If there’s an opportunity to play it before the event, they should do so.

“The greens are really fast. It’s nice to play a course that’s all set up for a championship.’’