Can’t wait for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay? Gold Mountain Golf Course is giving Northwest golf fans the chance to get a sneak peek at what could be some of the Open’s top contenders — before they become stars. The 2008 NCAA West Regional Men’s Golf Championships come to Gold Mountain in Bremerton, May 17-19, bringing 27 teams and more than 100 of the top amateur golfers in the United States for a 54-hole classic in a championship setting. Imagine being able to say you were one of a small handful of devoted fans walking the course with 1996 NCAA West Regional champion Tiger Woods of Stanford, 11 months before his breakout Masters win made him the world’s most-recognizable sports figure. Other past winners include current top PGA pros Aaron Oberholser (San Jose State, 1997) and Paul Casey (Arizona State, 1998). Want one to watch in 2008? How about the University of Washington’s own Zach Bixler (pictured above)? The Richland, Wash., native started off his 2007-08 season with an 11-under 60 in the second round at Alister Mackenzie Invitational in California, equaling an NCAA single-round record. Only five golfers in NCAA history have accomplished the feat, including two from UW — Bixler, and Brock Mackenzie, who fired a 12-under 60 at the par-72 Eugene Country Club in 2003.