First USGA Four-Ball Nearly Doubles PubLinks Entry Levels

When the U.S. Amateur Public Links was eliminated by the USGA, an important link to public golf was lost, yet it looks like stronger interest in the first ever Four-Ball may overshadow the event's loss.

This year's APL drew 2848 entries, a number nearly doubled in numbers with 2,200 2-person teams entering the inaugural Four-Ball Championship. The event finals travel to Olympic Club, Bandon Dunes and Streamsong in the first three years.

For Immediate Release:

MORE THAN 2,200 TEAM ENTRIES ACCEPTED FOR INAUGURAL U.S. AMATEUR FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Sectional qualifiers to be held in 35 states between Aug. 2014-March 2015

FAR HILLS, N.J. (Aug. 12, 2014) – The United States Golf Association today announced that it has accepted entries for 2,234 teams (or two-player sides) for the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, scheduled for May 2-6 at The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, Calif.

To be eligible for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 5.4, with no age restrictions. Team partners are not required to be from the same club, state or country, and substitution of partners was permitted until the close of entries.

“We are pleased that nearly 4,500 players will compete in qualifying for the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship,” said Daniel B. Burton, USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “The four-ball format is exciting for amateur golf and we are confident that this championship will continue to grow in popularity for both players and fans.”

The USGA received entries for the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball from golfers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 17 foreign countries.

Conducted over 18 holes, sectional qualifying will be held at 51 sites across the United States between Aug. 13, 2014, and March 31, 2015.

There are sectional qualifying sites in 35 states. California has the most sectionals with six, while Florida, New York and Massachusetts have three each. Two sectional qualifiers are scheduled in Texas, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

A total of 128 two-player teams will compete in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, with each playing their own ball throughout the round. Each team’s score will be determined using their better-ball score for each hole. After 36 holes of stroke-play competition, the field will be reduced to the low 32 teams for the match-play portion of the championship.

Three teams are exempt from qualifying due to both players being ranked among the top 400 in the current World Amateur Golf Ranking™. The teams are: Sam Burns/Austin Connelly, Patrick Christovich/Garrett Rank and Bryson Dechambeau/Austin Smotherman.