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USGA names six historic courses to host future U.S. Amateur Championships
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If you like the U.S. Amateur played at classic, tradition-laden golf courses, than you’re going to be plenty happy with the news coming from the USGA on Thursday afternoon. Ahead of the 2019 Annual Meeting on Saturday in San Antonio, the governing body named host sites for its oldest championship from 2021 to 2026. And the group of six courses includes some of the most iconic venues in golf.
2021: Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club
2022: Ridgewood (N.J.) Country Club
2023: Cherry Hills Country Club, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
2024: Hazeltine National, Chaska, Minn.
2025: The Olympic Club, San Francisco
2026: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.
John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of championships, boasted that the list aligns the U.S. Amateur with “courses of historical significance and proven competitive excellence.”
“Amateur golf is primary to the USGA’s mission,” he said in a press release, “and the partnerships with these prominent clubs affirm our commitment to supporting and growing amateur competition.”
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All six venues have hosted the U.S. Amateur previously, and combined they have held the championship 18 times. Cherry Hills has done it most recently (2012) while Merion (six) and Oakmont (five) having held it most often among the group. (See the list below for the previous U.S. Amateurs held at these venues.) The companion courses that will help hold the stroke-play portion of the championship will be named at a later time.
This year’s U.S. Amateur will be held at Pinehurst No. 2 on Aug. 12-18, with the championship heading to Bandon Dunes in 2020.
Oakmont
1919: Davidson Herron df. Bobby Jones, 5 and 4
1925: Bobby Jones df. Watts Gunn, 8 and 7
1938: Willie Turnesa df. Pat Abbott, 8 and 7
1969: Steve Melnyk*
2003: Nick Flanagan df. Casey Wittenberg, 37 holes
Ridgewood
1974: Jerry Pate df. John Grace, 2 and 1
Cherry Hills
1990: Phil Mickelson df Manny Zerman, 5 and 4
2012: Steven Fox df. Michael Weaver, 37 holes
Hazeltine National
2006: Richie Ramsey df. John Kelly, 4 and 2
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The Olympic Club
1958: Charlie Coe df. Tommy Aaron, 5 and 4
1981: Nathaniel Crosby df. Brian Lindley, 1 up
2007: Colt Knost df. Michael Thompson, 2 and 1
Merion
1916: Chick Evans df. Robert A. Gardner, 4 and 3
1924: Bobby Jones df. George Von Elm, 9 and 8
1930: Bobby Jones df. Eugene V. Homans, 8 and 7
1966: Gary Cowan*
1989: Chris Patton df. Danny Green, 3 and 1
2005: Edoardo Molinari df. Dillon Dougherty, 4 and 3
*Championship played at stroke play