USGA Announces Six U.S. Amateur Venues From 2021 To 2026: Oakmont, Ridgewood, Cherry Hills, Hazeltine, Olympic And Merion
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Interesting to see the USGA announce so many venues at once for the U.S. Amateur.
Obviously the standouts are Oakmont, Ridgewood, Cherry Hills and Merion—Hazeltine and Olympic once would have been exciting but seem overexposed and architecturally uninspiring now compared to the rest of the scheduled venues. Both are scheduled to host future Ryder Cups.
The next two U.S. Amateurs are at Pinehurst and Bandon Dunes.
U.S. Amateur Returns to Oakmont, Ridgewood, Cherry Hills,
Hazeltine National, The Olympic Club and Merion
USGA announces six U.S. Amateur Championship sites, from 2021 through 2026
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 21, 2019) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced sites for six U.S. Amateur Championships, from 2021 through 2026. Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club will host the U.S. Amateur in 2021 and will be followed by Ridgewood (N.J.) Country Club in 2022 and Cherry Hills Country Club, in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., in 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 championships will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club, in Chaska, Minn.; The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, Calif.; and Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., respectively.
“This distinguished group of future U.S. Amateur sites aligns the USGA’s oldest championship with courses of historical significance and proven competitive excellence which will be beneficial to both the player and fan experience,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of Championships. “Amateur golf is primary to the USGA’s mission and the partnerships with these prominent clubs affirm our commitment to supporting and growing amateur competition.”
Designed by Henry C. Fownes and opened in 1903, Oakmont Country Club has been the site of 16 previous USGA championships, the most recent in 2016 when Dustin Johnson won the U.S. Open by three strokes. In 2025, the U.S. Open will return to Oakmont for a record 10th time. The 2021 U.S. Amateur will mark the sixth time the championship has been held on the iconic western Pennsylvania course. Oakmont previously hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1919, 1925, 1938, 1969 and 2003.
Ridgewood’s three nine-hole courses – East, Center and West – were designed by A.W. Tillinghast and opened for play in 1929. Ridgewood, which will host its fifth USGA championship, was the site of the 1974 U.S. Amateur, when Jerry Pate defeated John P. Grace, 2 and 1. The club most recently hosted the 2016 U.S. Girls’ Junior, won by Eun Jeong Seong. It also hosted the 1990 U.S. Senior Open, when Lee Trevino posted a two-stroke victory over Jack Nicklaus.
In 2023, Cherry Hills Country Club will host its third U.S. Amateur and 10th USGA championship. Steven Fox made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 37th hole to defeat Michael Weaver and cap a memorable 2012 U.S. Amateur final. Phil Mickelson, then a 20-year-old Arizona State University student, captured the 1990 U.S. Amateur there. Designed by William Flynn, Cherry Hills has hosted three U.S. Opens. Arnold Palmer produced one of the most indelible performances in Open history with a final-round 65 and a record comeback in 1960, while Ralph Guldahl (1938) and Andy North (1978) also won there.
Hazeltine National will host the 2024 U.S. Amateur, its 10th USGA championship. The club will also be the site for the 2020 U.S. Junior Amateur. Designed by Robert Trent Jones and remodeled by his son, Rees Jones, Hazeltine National hosted the 2006 U.S. Amateur, which was won by Richie Ramsay, the first player from Scotland to win the title since 1898. The U.S. Open Championship has been contested twice at Hazeltine. In 1970, Tony Jacklin became the first Englishman to win in 50 years, while Payne Stewart claimed the first of his two U.S. Opens in an 18-hole playoff over Scott Simpson in 1991.
The Olympic Club (Lake and Ocean Courses) will host its 12th USGA championship with the 2025 U.S. Amateur. The U.S. Women’s Open is also scheduled in 2021. The club has held three U.S. Amateurs (1958, 1981, 2007). Five U.S. Opens have been held at The Olympic Club, including Jack Fleck’s three-stroke playoff victory over Ben Hogan in 1955 and Billy Casper’s four-stroke playoff win over Arnold Palmer in 1966. Webb Simpson (2012), Lee Janzen (1998) and Scott Simpson (1987) each produced come-from-behind victories.
Merion Golf Club will establish records for most USGA championships hosted by a club (20) and most U.S. Amateurs when the Amateur is contested there for the seventh time in 2026. Merion, which hosted its first USGA championship in 1904 – the U.S. Women’s Amateur – will also host the 2022 Curtis Cup Match. The U.S. Open has been played five times (1934, 1950, 1971, 1981, 2013) at the club, while six U.S. Amateurs have been held (1916, 1924, 1930, 1966, 1989 and 2005). Hugh Wilson designed Merion’s East Course, where Bob Jones won two of his record five U.S. Amateurs (1924, 1930).
The 119th U.S. Amateur will be played Aug. 12-18, 2019 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., while the 2020 championship will take place at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore., Aug. 10-16.
