One hundred years after it hosted the 1921 U.S. Open Championship, Columbia Country Club, one of Maryland’s oldest golf clubs, will be the site of the 73rd U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
The Chevy Chase, Md., club, which was designed by Herbert H. Barker in 1911 and updated by Walter Travis eight years later, will become the 15th venue to have hosted both the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Junior Amateur Championships. The dates of the championship are July 12-17.
Englishman James M. Barnes won the 1921 U.S. Open at Columbia by nine strokes over Walter Hagen and Fred McLeod, and 82 years later, future PGA Tour winner Brian Harman won the U.S Junior Amateur on the property, becoming the first left-hander to win the title.
“The USGA is excited to bring the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship to Columbia Country Club’s world-class golf course,” said Tracy Parsons, championship director. “The world’s top young female athletes will compete on a challenging stage to claim the most sought-after title in junior golf. The course has undergone changes since the 1921 U.S. Open Championship, but the level of difficulty and prestige remain the same.”
Originally opened as Columbia Golf Club in 1898, it moved across the street in 1911 and became Columbia Country Club. The clubhouse was designed by club member Frederick B. Pyle. The golf course, designed by Barker with assistance from club member Dr. Walter S. Harban, opened for play in 1911.
While some changes have been made over the years, the course is remarkably similar to the original design. Columbia Country Club is known for its hilly and narrow setup, with challenging greens and a signature 18th hole that provides a spectacular view of the clubhouse.
“Columbia Country Club is honored to host a third USGA championship and the best female junior golfers from all over the world,” said Will Duthe, general manager of Columbia Country Club. “The USGA is known for putting on exceptional championships with players of the highest caliber, and we are excited to work together in supporting junior golf. Our golf course and facilities will provide an outstanding environment for the girls to showcase their best game.”
The 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will be the 24th USGA championship in Maryland. The 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur is scheduled to take place at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville.
“We couldn't be more excited to host the Girls' Junior Championship and to showcase our golf course and facility to the game's future stars,” said John Williams, Columbia Country Club president. “2021 also marks the 100th anniversary of Columbia Country Club's hosting of the U.S. Open, and inviting the USGA back for another historic championship feels like a fitting way to celebrate.”
First conducted in 1949, the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship is open to female amateurs who have not turned 19 on or before the final day of the championship and have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 9.4. Notable champions include three-time winner Hollis Stacy, Mickey Wright, Nancy Lopez, Amy Alcott, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Pat Hurst, I.K. Kim, Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson and reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion Ariya Jutanugarn. Starting in 2017, Girls’ Junior champions earn an exemption into the following year’s U.S. Women’s Open Championship.
Erica Shepherd, of Greenwood, Ind., won the 2017 Girls’ Junior Championship at Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Mo. The 2018 championship will be contested July 16-21 at Poppy Hills Golf Course, home of the Northern California Golf Association, in Pebble Beach, Calif. The 2019 championship will be contested July 22-27 at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis.
Julia Pine is a manager of championship communications for the USGA. Email her at jpine@usga.org.
