United States Amateur Championship (golf)
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pebble Beach, California (2018) |
| Established | 1895 |
| Course(s) | Pebble Beach Golf Links (2018) |
| Par | 72 (2018) |
| Length | 6,816 yd (6,233 m) (2018) |
| Organized by | USGA |
| Format | Stroke play and match play |
| Month played | August |
| Current champion | |
 Viktor Hovland | |
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August over a 7-day period.
In 1894 there were two tournaments called the "National Amateur Championship". One of them was played at Newport Country Club and was won by William G. Lawrence, and the other took place at St Andrew's Golf Club and was won by Laurence B. Stottard. This state of affairs prompted Charles B. Macdonald of the Chicago Golf Club to call for the creation of a national governing body to authorize an official national championship, and the Amateur Golf Association of the United States, which was soon to be renamed the United States Golf Association, was formed on December 22 of that year. In 1895 it organized both the first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open, both of which were played at Newport Country Club.
There are no age or gender restrictions on entry, but players must have a handicap index of 2.4 or less. Originally, entry was restricted to members of USGA-affiliated private clubs (and, presumably, international players who were members of private clubs affiliated with their nations' golf governing bodies), a restriction that was not lifted until 1979.[1] The tournament consists of two days of stroke play, with the leading 64 competitors then playing a knockout competition held at match play to decide the champion. All knockout matches are over 18 holes except for the final, which consists of 36 holes, separated into morning and afternoon 18-hole rounds. Nowadays it is usually won by players in their late teens or early twenties who are working towards a career as a tournament professional. Before World War II more top-level golfers chose to remain amateur, and the average age of U.S. Amateur champions was higher.
Many of the leading figures in the history of golf have been U.S. Amateur Champion, including Bobby Jones five times, Jerome Travers four times, Jack Nicklaus twice and Tiger Woods three times (all consecutive; the only player to win three in a row). In 1993, Woods got knocked out to Kingshill Golf Club's Paul Page 2&1 in the last 16, but Woods' first win, as an 18-year-old in 1994, made him the youngest winner of the event, breaking the previous record of 19 years 5 months set by Robert A. Gardner in 1909. In 2008, New Zealander Danny Lee became the youngest ever winner, only to be eclipsed by 17-year-old An Byeong-hun the following year. Before the professional game became dominant, the event was regarded as one of the majors. This is no longer the case, but the champion still receives an automatic invitation to play in all of the majors except the PGA Championship. In addition, the runner-up also receives an invitation to play in the Masters and the U.S. Open. However, the golfers must maintain their amateur status at the time the events are held (unless they qualify for the tournaments by other means).
As the Amateur Championship is dominated by future professionals, in 1981 a separate championship called the U.S. Mid-Amateur was established for "career amateurs" at least 25 years old. This gives the best players who never turn pro a chance to play against each other for a national title.
Contents
1 Field
2 Winners
3 Multiple winners
4 Most times hosted
5 Future sites
6 Exemptions
7 References
8 External links
Field
While most players at the U.S. Amateur advance through sectional qualifying, a few players are exempt each year.
- Winners of the U.S. Amateur each of the last ten years.
- Runner-up of the U.S. Amateur each of the last three years.
- Semi-finalists of the U.S. Amateur each of the last two years.
- Quarter-finalists of the U.S. Amateur the previous year.
- Any player who qualified for the current year's U.S. Open.
- Those returning 72 hole scores from the previous year's U.S. Open.
- The amateur with the lowest score from the current year's U.S. Senior Open.
- From the U.S. Mid-Amateur: winner each of the last two years and runner-up from the previous year.
- From the U.S. Amateur Public Links: winner each of the last two years and runner-up from the previous year. Because the Amateur Public Links was discontinued after its 2014 edition, the runner-up exemption disappeared after the 2015 U.S. Amateur, and the winner's exemption disappeared after 2016.
- From the U.S. Junior Amateur: winner each of the last two years and runner-up from the previous year.
- From the U.S. Senior Amateur: winner each of the last two years and runner-up from the previous year.
- Playing members of the two most recent Walker Cup teams.
- Playing members of the two most recent U.S. Eisenhower Trophy teams.
- Playing members of the current year's U.S. Men's Copa de las Américas team.
- Winner of the current year's individual NCAA Division I Championship.
- Winner of the British Amateur Championship each of the last five years.
- Top fifty golfers in World Amateur Golf Ranking.
In all cases, the exemptions only apply if the player has not turned professional as of the tournament date.
Winners
| Year | Venue | Winner | Country | Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | Viktor Hovland | Norway | 6 & 5 |  Devon Bling |
| 2017 | Riviera Country Club | Doc Redman | United States | 37th hole | Doug Ghim |
| 2016 | Oakland Hills Country Club | Curtis Luck |  Australia | 6 & 4 | Brad Dalke |
| 2015 | Olympia Fields Country Club | Bryson DeChambeau | United States | 7 & 6 | Derek Bard |
| 2014 | Atlanta Athletic Club | Gunn Yang |  South Korea | 2 & 1 |  Corey Conners |
| 2013 | The Country Club | Matthew Fitzpatrick |  England | 4 & 3 | Oliver Goss |
| 2012 | Cherry Hills Country Club | Steven Fox | United States | 37th hole | Michael Weaver |
| 2011 | Erin Hills | Kelly Kraft | United States | 2 up | Patrick Cantlay |
| 2010 | Chambers Bay | Peter Uihlein | United States | 4 & 2 | David Chung |
| 2009 | Southern Hills Country Club | An Byeong-hun | South Korea | 7 & 5 | Ben Martin |
| 2008 | Pinehurst Resort | Danny Lee |  New Zealand | 5 & 4 | Drew Kittleson |
| 2007 | Olympic Club | Colt Knost | United States | 2 & 1 | Michael Thompson |
| 2006 | Hazeltine National Golf Club | Richie Ramsay |  Scotland | 4 & 2 | John Kelly |
| 2005 | Merion Golf Club | Edoardo Molinari |  Italy | 4 & 3 | Dillon Dougherty |
| 2004 | Winged Foot Golf Club | Ryan Moore | United States | 2 up | Luke List |
| 2003 | Oakmont Country Club | Nick Flanagan | Australia | 37th hole | Casey Wittenberg |
| 2002 | Oakland Hills Country Club | Ricky Barnes | United States | 2 & 1 | Hunter Mahan |
| 2001 | East Lake Golf Club | Bubba Dickerson | United States | 1 up | Robert Hamilton |
| 2000 | Baltusrol Golf Club | Jeff Quinney | United States | 39th hole | James Driscoll |
| 1999 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | David Gossett | United States | 9 & 8 | Kim Sung-yoon |
| 1998 | Oak Hill Country Club | Hank Kuehne | United States | 2 & 1 | Tom McKnight |
| 1997 | Cog Hill Golf & Country Club | Matt Kuchar | United States | 2 & 1 | Joel Kribel |
| 1996 | Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club | Tiger Woods (3) | United States | 38th hole | Steve Scott |
| 1995 | Newport Country Club | Tiger Woods (2) | United States | 2 up | Buddy Marucci |
| 1994 | TPC at Sawgrass | Tiger Woods | United States | 2 up | Trip Kuehne |
| 1993 | Champions Golf Club | John Harris | United States | 5 & 3 | Danny Ellis |
| 1992 | Muirfield Village | Justin Leonard | United States | 8 & 7 | Tom Scherrer |
| 1991 | Honors Course | Mitch Voges | United States | 7 & 6 |  Manny Zerman |
| 1990 | Cherry Hills Country Club | Phil Mickelson | United States | 5 & 4 | Manny Zerman |
| 1989 | Merion Golf Club | Chris Patton | United States | 3 & 1 | Danny Green |
| 1988 | The Homestead | Eric Meeks | United States | 7 & 6 | Danny Yates |
| 1987 | Jupiter Hills Club | Billy Mayfair | United States | 4 & 3 | Eric Rebmann |
| 1986 | Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club | Buddy Alexander | United States | 5 & 3 | Chris Kite |
| 1985 | Montclair Golf Club | Sam Randolph | United States | 1 up | Peter Persons |
| 1984 | Oak Tree Golf Club | Scott Verplank | United States | 4 & 3 | Sam Randolph |
| 1983 | North Shore Country Club | Jay Sigel (2) | United States | 8 & 7 | Chris Perry |
| 1982 | The Country Club | Jay Sigel | United States | 8 & 7 | David Tolley |
| 1981 | Olympic Club | Nathaniel Crosby | United States | 1 up | Brian Lindley |
| 1980 | The Country Club of North Carolina | Hal Sutton | United States | 9 & 8 | Bob Lewis |
| 1979 | Canterbury Golf Club | Mark O'Meara | United States | 8 & 7 | John Cook |
| 1978 | Plainfield Country Club | John Cook | United States | 5 & 4 | Scott Hoch |
| 1977 | Aronimink Golf Club | John Fought | United States | 9 & 8 | Doug Fischesser |
| 1976 | Bel-Air Country Club | Bill Sander | United States | 8 & 6 | C. Parker Moore Jr. |
| 1975 | Country Club of Virginia | Fred Ridley | United States | 2 up | Keith Fergus |
| 1974 | Ridgewood Country Club | Jerry Pate | United States | 2 & 1 | John R. Grace |
| 1973 | Inverness Club | Craig Stadler | United States | 6 & 5 | David Strawn |
| 1965–72: Stroke play | |||||
| 1972 | Charlotte Country Club | Vinny Giles | United States | 285 | Mark Hayes, Ben Crenshaw |
| 1971 | Wilmington Country Club | Gary Cowan (2) | Canada | 280 | Eddie Pearce |
| 1970 | Waverley Country Club | Lanny Wadkins | United States | 279 | Tom Kite |
| 1969 | Oakmont Country Club | Steve Melnyk | United States | 286 | Vinny Giles |
| 1968 | Scioto Country Club | Bruce Fleisher | United States | 284 | Vinny Giles |
| 1967 | Broadmoor Golf Club | Bob Dickson | United States | 285 | Vinny Giles |
| 1966 | Merion Golf Club | Gary Cowan | Canada | 285 | Deane Beman |
| 1965 | Southern Hills Country Club | Bob Murphy | United States | 291 | Bob Dickson |
| 1895–1964: Match play | |||||
| 1964 | Canterbury Golf Club | William C. Campbell | United States | 1 up | Ed Tutwiler |
| 1963 | Wakonda Club | Deane Beman (2) | United States | 2 & 1 | R. H. Sikes |
| 1962 | Pinehurst Resort | Labron Harris, Jr. | United States | 1 up | Downing Gray |
| 1961 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | Jack Nicklaus (2) | United States | 8 & 6 | Dudley Wysong |
| 1960 | St. Louis Country Club | Deane Beman | United States | 6 & 4 | Robert W. Gardner |
| 1959 | Broadmoor Golf Club | Jack Nicklaus |  United States | 1 up | Charles Coe |
| 1958 | Olympic Club | Charles Coe (2) |  United States | 5 & 4 | Tommy Aaron |
| 1957 | The Country Club | Hillman Robbins | United States | 5 & 4 | Dr. Frank M. Taylor |
| 1956 | Knollwood Club | Harvie Ward (2) | United States | 5 & 4 | Chuck Kocsis |
| 1955 | Country Club of Virginia | Harvie Ward | United States | 9 & 8 | Bill Hyndman |
| 1954 | Country Club of Detroit | Arnold Palmer | United States | 1 up | Robert Sweeny Jr. |
| 1953 | Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club | Gene Littler | United States | 1 up | Dale Morey |
| 1952 | Seattle Golf Club | Jack Westland | United States | 3 & 2 | Al Mengert |
| 1951 | Saucon Valley Country Club | Billy Maxwell | United States | 4 & 3 | Joseph F. Gagliardi |
| 1950 | Minneapolis Golf Club | Sam Urzetta | United States | 39th hole | Frank Stranahan |
| 1949 | Oak Hill Country Club | Charles Coe | United States | 11 & 10 | Rufus King |
| 1948 | Memphis Country Club | Willie Turnesa (2) | United States | 2 & 1 | Raymond E. Billows |
| 1947 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | Skee Riegel | United States | 2 & 1 | Johnny Dawson |
| 1946 | Baltusrol Golf Club | Ted Bishop | United States | 37th hole | Smiley Quick |
| 1942–45: No championships due to World War II | |||||
| 1941 | Omaha Field Club | Bud Ward (2) | United States | 4 & 3 | Pat Abbott |
| 1940 | Winged Foot Golf Club | Dick Chapman | United States | 11 & 9 | W. B. McCullough Jr. |
| 1939 | North Shore Country Club | Bud Ward | United States | 7 & 5 | Raymond E. Billows |
| 1938 | Oakmont Country Club | Willie Turnesa | United States | 8 & 7 | Pat Abbott |
| 1937 | Alderwood Country Club | Johnny Goodman | United States | 2 up | Raymond E. Billows |
| 1936 | Garden City Golf Club | John Fischer | United States | 37th hole | Jack McLean |
| 1935 | The Country Club | Lawson Little (2) | United States | 4 & 2 | Walter Emery |
| 1934 | The Country Club | Lawson Little | United States | 8 & 7 | David Goldman |
| 1933 | Kenwood Country Club | George Dunlap | United States | 6 & 5 | Max R. Marston |
| 1932 | Baltimore Country Club | Ross Somerville |  Canada | 2 & 1 | Johnny Goodman |
| 1931 | Beverly Country Club | Francis Ouimet (2) | United States | 6 & 5 | Jack Westland |
| 1930 | Merion Golf Club | Bobby Jones (5) | United States | 8 & 7 | Eugene V. Homans |
| 1929 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | Harrison R. Johnston | United States | 4 & 3 | Oscar F. Willing |
| 1928 | Brae Burn Country Club | Bobby Jones (4) | United States | 10 & 9 | Philip Perkins |
| 1927 | Minikahda Club | Bobby Jones (3) | United States | 8 & 7 | Chick Evans |
| 1926 | Baltusrol Golf Club | George Von Elm | United States | 2 & 1 | Bobby Jones |
| 1925 | Oakmont Country Club | Bobby Jones (2) | United States | 8 & 7 | Watts Gunn |
| 1924 | Merion Golf Club | Bobby Jones | United States | 9 & 8 | George Von Elm |
| 1923 | Flossmoor Country Club | Max R. Marston | United States | 38th hole | Jess Sweetser |
| 1922 | The Country Club | Jess Sweetser | United States | 3 & 2 | Chick Evans |
| 1921 | St. Louis Country Club | Jesse P. Guilford | United States | 7 & 6 | Robert A. Gardner |
| 1920 | Engineers Country Club | Chick Evans (2) | United States | 7 & 6 | Francis Ouimet |
| 1919 | Oakmont Country Club | S. Davidson Herron | United States | 5 & 4 | Bobby Jones |
| 1917–18: No championships due to World War I | |||||
| 1916 | Merion Golf Club | Chick Evans | United States | 4 & 3 | Robert A. Gardner |
| 1915 | Country Club of Detroit | Robert A. Gardner (2) | United States | 5 & 4 | John G. Anderson |
| 1914 | Ekwanok Country Club | Francis Ouimet | United States | 6 & 5 | Jerome Travers |
| 1913 | Garden City Golf Club | Jerome Travers (4) | United States | 5 & 4 | John G. Anderson |
| 1912 | Chicago Golf Club | Jerome Travers (3) | United States | 7 & 6 | Chick Evans |
| 1911 | The Apawamis Club | Harold Hilton | England | 37th hole |  Fred Herreshoff |
| 1910 | The Country Club | William C. Fownes Jr. | United States | 4 & 3 | Warren Wood |
| 1909 | Chicago Golf Club | Robert A. Gardner | United States | 4 & 3 | Chandler Egan |
| 1908 | Garden City Golf Club | Jerome Travers (2) | United States | 8 & 7 | Max H. Behr |
| 1907 | Euclid Club | Jerome Travers |  United States | 6 & 5 | Archibald Graham |
| 1906 | Englewood Golf Club | Eben Byers | United States | 2 up |  George Lyon |
| 1905 | Chicago Golf Club | Chandler Egan (2) | United States | 6 & 5 | Daniel Sawyer |
| 1904 | Baltusrol Golf Club | Chandler Egan | United States | 8 & 6 | Fred Herreshoff |
| 1903 | Nassau Country Club | Walter Travis (3) | United States | 5 & 4 | Eben Byers |
| 1902 | Glen View Club | Louis N. James | United States | 4 & 2 | Eben Byers |
| 1901 | Atlantic City Country Club | Walter Travis (2) | United States | 5 & 4 | Walter Egan |
| 1900 | Garden City Golf Club | Walter Travis | United States | 2 up | Findlay S. Douglas |
| 1899 | Onwentsia Club | Herbert M. Harriman | United States | 3 & 2 | Findlay S. Douglas |
| 1898 | Morris County Golf Club | Findlay S. Douglas | Scotland | 5 & 3 | Walter B. Smith |
| 1897 | Chicago Golf Club | H. J. Whigham (2) | Scotland | 8 & 6 | W. Rossiter Betts |
| 1896 | Shinnecock Hills Golf Club | H. J. Whigham | Scotland | 8 & 7 | Joseph G. Thorp |
| 1895 | Newport Country Club | Charles B. Macdonald |  United States | 12 & 11 | Charles Sands |
Multiple winners
Eighteen players have won more than one U.S. Amateur, through 2017:
- 5 wins: Bobby Jones
- 4 wins: Jerome Travers
- 3 wins: Walter Travis, Tiger Woods
- 2 wins: H. J. Whigham, Chandler Egan, Robert A. Gardner, Chick Evans, Francis Ouimet, Lawson Little, Bud Ward, Willie Turnesa, Harvie Ward, Charles Coe, Jack Nicklaus, Deane Beman, Gary Cowan, Jay Sigel
Eleven players have won both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open Championships, through 2017:
Jerome Travers: 1907, 1908, 1912, 1913 Amateurs; 1915 Open
Francis Ouimet: 1914, 1931 Amateurs; 1913 Open
Chick Evans:^ 1916, 1920 Amateurs; 1916 Open
Bobby Jones:^ 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930 Amateurs; 1923, 1926, 1929, 1930 Opens
Lawson Little: 1934, 1935 Amateurs; 1940 Open
Johnny Goodman: 1937 Amateur; 1933 Open
Gene Littler: 1953 Amateur; 1961 Open
Arnold Palmer: 1954 Amateur; 1960 Open
Jack Nicklaus: 1959, 1961 Amateurs; 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980 Opens
Jerry Pate: 1974 Amateur; 1976 Open
Tiger Woods: 1994, 1995, 1996 Amateurs; 2000, 2002, 2008 Opens
Thirteen players have won both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateurs, through 2017:
Walter Travis: 1900, 1901, 1903 U.S.; 1904 British
Harold Hilton:^ 1911 U.S.; 1900, 1901, 1911, 1913 British
Jess Sweetser: 1922 U.S.; 1926 British
Bobby Jones:^ 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930 U.S.; 1930 British
Lawson Little:^ 1934, 1935 U.S.; 1934, 1935 British
Willie Turnesa: 1938, 1948 U.S.; 1947 British
Dick Chapman: 1940 U.S.; 1951 British
Harvie Ward: 1955, 1956 U.S.; 1952 British
Deane Beman: 1960, 1963 U.S.; 1959 British
Bob Dickson:^ 1967 U.S.; 1967 British
Steve Melnyk: 1969 U.S.; 1971 British
Vinny Giles: 1972 U.S.; 1975 British
Jay Sigel: 1982, 1983 U.S.; 1979 British
Two players have won both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links in the same year, through 2017:
Ryan Moore: 2004
Colt Knost: 2007
^ Won both in same year. Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam in 1930, winning the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open, British Amateur, and British Open.
Most times hosted
- Six
Merion Golf Club (1916, 1924, 1930, 1966, 1989, 2005)
The Country Club (1910, 1922, 1934, 1957, 1982, 2013)
- Five
Oakmont Country Club (1919, 1925, 1938, 1969, 2003)
Pebble Beach Golf Links (1929, 1947, 1961, 1999, 2018)
- Four
Chicago Golf Club (1897, 1905, 1909, 1912)
Garden City Golf Club (1900, 1908, 1913, 1936)
Baltusrol Golf Club (1904, 1926, 1946, 2000)
Future sites
| Year | Edition | Course | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 119th | Pinehurst Resort & Country Club | Pinehurst, North Carolina | August 12–18 |
| 2020 | 120th | Bandon Dunes Golf Resort | Bandon, Oregon | August 10–16 |
Source[2]
Exemptions
The U.S. Amateur results lead to exemptions into other tournaments. In all cases, the exemption holds only if the golfer retains their amateur status. All the exemptions listed below pertain to only the winner of the U.S. Amateur, unless otherwise stated.
Here are the major exemptions:
- The next 10 years of the U.S. Amateur
- The next 3 years of the U.S. Amateur (runner-up)
- The next 2 years of the U.S. Amateur (semi-finalists)
- The following year's U.S. Amateur (quarter-finalists)
- The following year's U.S. Open (winner and runner-up)
- The following year's Masters Tournament (winner and runner-up)
- The following year's Open Championship[3]
- The next 10 years of the Amateur Championship[4]
Here are the other exemptions:
- The following year's Monroe Invitational (top 8 + top 20 stroke portion)[5]
- The following year's Northeast Amateur (top 8)[6]
References
^ "Changes Made to USGA Championship Roster" (Press release). United States Golf Association. February 11, 2013. Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2013..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ USGA.com Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. – Future venues
^ "The Open - Exemptions". www.theopen.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ "The R&A - Conditions of Competition". www.randa.org. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ "Exemptions – Monroe Invitational". www.monroeinvitational.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ "Invitation Criteria". www.northeastamateur.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
External links
Official site - most of the information is in the archive sections
