The United States Junior Amateur Championship is one of the fourteen U.S. national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association. It is open to amateur boys who are under 19 on the last day of the competition and have a USGA Handicap Index of 4.4 or less. The competition was established in 1948. It consists of two days of stroke play, with the leading 64 competitors then playing a match play competition to decide the champion.
The first tournament in 1948 was won by Dean Lind from a field of 495 entries. In 1999, the tournament set a record with 4,508 entries. Only two players have won the championship multiple times: Tiger Woods won the tournament for three consecutive years beginning in 1991; Jordan Spieth won in 2009 and 2011.[1] In 2010, Jim Liu, at 14 years, 11 months, became the youngest champion ever, breaking Woods' mark of 15 years and 220 days.[2]
The number of winners who have gone on to become PGA pros is considerable. Apart from Woods, well known winners include Johnny Miller (1964), David Duval (1989), Hunter Mahan (1999), Jordan Spieth (2009 and 2011), and Scottie Scheffler (2013). Jack Nicklaus's best result was a semifinal loss.
The equivalent competition for girls is the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.
Winners edit
Multiple winners edit
- 3 wins: Tiger Woods
- 2 wins: Jordan Spieth
Future sites edit
| Year | Edition | Course | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 76th | Oakland Hills Country Club | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | July 22–27 |
| 2025 | 77th | Trinity Forest Golf Club | Dallas, Texas | July 21–26 |
| 2026 | 78th | Saucon Valley Country Club | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | TBD |
| 2028 | 80th | Woodmont Country Club | Rockville, Maryland | TBD |
| 2029 | 81st | Sand Valley Resort | Nekoosa, Wisconsin | July 23–28 |
- Pinehurst Resort is slated to host in 2032.
- Chambers Bay is slated to host in 2033.
- Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is slated to host in 2045.
Notes edit
- ^ "Live Championship Match Blog". Junior Amateur Blog. USGA. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ Lavner, Ryan (24 July 2010). "Liu, 14, becomes youngest U.S. Junior champ". Golfweek. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ Major, Beth (April 24, 2020). "USGA Cancels Junior Championships Due to COVID-19". USGA.
- ^ Kim was born in South Korea and moved to California with his family in October 2000. His citizenship at the time of winning the Championship is unknown. The USGA lists him as "of Fullerton, California".