usamateur.org
Aug. 17-23, 2015
Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club (North Course)
Stroke-Play Co-Host Course: Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club (South Course)
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PAR AND YARDAGE
Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course) will be set up at 7,234 yards and will play to a par of 36-34–70. The North Course will host all match-play rounds. The co-host stroke-play qualifying course, Olympia Fields Country Club’s South Course will be set up at 7,037 yards and will play to a par of 35-35–70. (All yardages subject to change)
OLYMPIA FIELDS COUNTRY CLUB (NORTH COURSE) HOLE BY HOLE
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 5 4 4 3 4 5 3 4 4 36
Yards 617 382 384 161 444 566 213 450 495 3,712
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 34
Yards 438 467 458 396 416 182 450 249 466 3,522
OLYMPIA FIELDS COUNTRY CLUB (SOUTH COURSE) HOLE BY HOLE
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 4 4 3 4 3 4 5 4 4 35
Yards 459 485 179 488 243 370 564 409 443 3,640
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 5 35
Yards 496 339 206 419 150 430 365 460 532 3,397
ARCHITECTS
Olympia Fields Country Club’s North Course was designed by Willie Park Jr. in 1923. Park was a two-time British Open champion, winning in 1887 and 1889. The course was renovated for the 1997 U.S. Senior Open and then again two years later in preparation for the 2003 U.S. Open. Mark Mungeam did the renovations, deepening bunkers and adding length. Olympia Fields’ South Course was designed by Tom Bendelow in 1915. It was renovated by Steve Smyers in 2007.
COURSE RATING AND SLOPE
Based on the course setup for the championship, the Course Rating for the North Course at Olympia Fields Country Club is 76.8 and its Slope Rating is 150. The Course Rating for Olympia Fields’ South Course is 75.5 and its Slope Rating is 147.
WHO CAN ENTER
The championship is open to amateur golfers who hold a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4. The USGA accepted 7,047 entries in 2015. The record number of entrants is 7,920, in 1999.
SECTIONAL QUALIFYING
Sectional qualifying, played over 36 holes at 97 sites nationwide, will be held between June 30 and July 22. The deadline for entries was June 24.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
A field of 312 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on Aug. 17 and 18, one round on each of the two qualifying courses, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers for match play. Six rounds of match play begin on Aug. 19 and the championship concludes with a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 23. Practice rounds are Aug. 15-16. Here is the schedule:
Monday, Aug. 17: First round of stroke-play qualifying (18 holes)
Tuesday, Aug. 18: Second round of stroke-play qualifying (18 holes)
Wednesday, Aug. 19: First round of match play
Thursday, Aug. 20: Second and third rounds of match play
Friday, Aug. 21: Quarterfinal round of match play
Saturday, Aug. 22: Semifinal round of match play
Sunday, Aug. 23: Championship match (36 holes)
TICKETS
Tickets are available for purchase by clicking here.
Tickets are $25 (single-day grounds) online. Other passes and packages are available online.
THE WINNER RECEIVES
Among the benefits enjoyed by the U.S. Amateur champion are:
1) A gold medal and custody of the Havemeyer Trophy for the ensuing year
2) An exemption from local and sectional qualifying for the next U.S. Open
3) An exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Amateurs
4) An exemption from qualifying for the next British Open Championship
5) A likely invitation to the next Masters Tournament
HISTORY
This is the 115th U.S. Amateur Championship. The U.S. Amateur Championship is the oldest golf championship in America, one day older than the U.S. Open. Other than an eight-year period from 1965-1972, when it was contested at stroke play, the Amateur has been a match-play championship.
Throughout its history, the U.S. Amateur has been the most coveted of all amateur titles. Many of the great names of professional golf, such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Littler, Lanny Wadkins, Craig Stadler, Jerry Pate, Mark O'Meara, Hal Sutton, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, grace the Havemeyer Trophy.
It was, however, legendary amateur Robert T. Jones Jr. who first attracted national media coverage and sparked spectator attendance at the U.S. Amateur. Jones captured the championship five times (1924, 1925, 1927, 1928 and 1930). His 1930 victory was a landmark moment in golf history when, at Merion Cricket Club in Ardmore, Pa., Jones completed the Grand Slam, winning the four major American and British championships in one year.
In 1996, Woods attracted similar interest and enthusiasm at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore., where he won a record third straight U.S. Amateur, having registered 18 consecutive match-play victories. In 1994, Woods, at 18, had first entered the record book as the youngest ever to win the U.S. Amateur, following his three consecutive Junior Amateur titles (1991-1993). That record for youngest champion has since been broken twice, first by 17-year-old Danny Lee in 2008 at Pinehurst No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., and then in 2009, when 17-year-old Byeong-Hun An won at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., with a 7-and-5 victory over Ben Martin of Greenwood, S.C.
2014 CHAMPION
Gunn Yang, 20, of the Republic of Korea, defeated Corey Conners, of Canada, 2 and 1, to win the 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club’s Highlands Course. Yang, who grew up in Korea and played competitive amateur golf in Australia for five years, is the second Korean-born player to win the U.S. Amateur, joining Byeong-Hun An, the 2009 champion. Conners, 22, was vying to become the first Canadian winner since Gary Cowan in 1971. Yang, who was playing in his first U.S. Amateur, held a 1-up lead after the morning 18 holes and never trailed. Conners won the first hole of the afternoon 18 to square the match and that status held until Yang won the 24th and 25th holes for a 2-up advantage. Yang closed out the championship with a two-putt halving par on the par-3 35th hole.
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT OLYMPIA FIELDS
Championship Years and Winners
1928 U.S. Open – Johnny Farrell def. Robert T. Jones Jr., 294 (70-73; 143) - 294 (73-71; 144)
1997 U.S. Senior Open – Graham Marsh by one stroke over John Bland, 280-281
2003 U.S. Open – Jim Furyk by three strokes over Stephen Leaney, 272-275
2011 U.S. Girls’ Junior – Ariya Jutanugarn def. Dottie Ardina, 2 and 1
OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS AT OLYMPIA FIELDS
1920 Western Open: Jock Hutchinson, 279
1922 Western Junior Amateur: Ken Hisert def. Burton Mudge Jr., 4 and 3
1925 PGA Championship: Walter Hagen def. Bill Mehlhorn, 6 and 5
1926 Women’s Western Amateur: Dorothy Page def. O.S. Hill, 3 and 2
1927 Western Open: Walter Hagen won by four strokes over Al Espinosa, Bill Mehlhorn, 281-285
1931 NCAA Championship: George T. Dunlap Jr., Princeton (individual), Yale (team)
1933 Western Open: Macdonald Smith by six strokes over Tommy Armour, 282-288
1938 Chicago Open: Sam Snead by one stroke
1943 NCAA Championship: Wally Ulrich, Carleton (individual), Yale (team)
1955 Women’s Western Amateur: Pat Lesser def. Carol Diringer, 7 and 6
1961 PGA Championship: Jerry Barber def. Don January, 277 (67) – 277 (68)
1968 Western Open: Jack Nicklaus by three strokes over Miller Barber, 273-276
1971 Western Open: Bruce Crampton by two strokes over Bobby Nichols, 279-281
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ILLINOIS
This will be the 60th USGA championship conducted in Illinois and the 13th U.S. Amateur. The 1997 U.S. Amateur was conducted at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club. Matt Kuchar defeated Joel Kribel, 2 and 1, in the final. Kuchar made three consecutive birdies in the morning round en route to the title.
U.S. Amateur Championships in Illinois (12):
1897: Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton (H.J. Whigham def. W. Rossiter Betts, 8 and 6)
1899: Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest (H.M. Harriman def. Findlay S. Douglas, 3 and 2)
1902: Glenview Club, Golf (Louis N. James def. Eben M. Byers, 4 and 2)
1905: Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton (H. Chandler Egan def. D.E. Sawyer, 6 and 5)
1909: Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton (Robert A. Gardner def. H. Chandler Egan, 4 and 3)
1912: Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton (Jerome D. Travers def. Charles Evans Jr., 7 and 6)
1923: Flossmoor County Club, Flossmoor (Max R. Marston def. Jess W. Sweetser, 38 holes)
1931: Beverly County Club, Chicago (Francis Ouimet def. Jack Westland, 6 and 5)
1939: North Shore Country Club, Glenview (Marvin H. Ward def. Raymond E. Billows, 7 and 5)
1956: Knollwood Club, Lake Forest (E. Harvie Ward Jr. def. Charles Kocsis, 5 and 4)
1983: North Shore Country Club, Glenview (Jay Sigel def. Chris Perry, 8 and 7)
1997: Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, Lemont (Matt Kuchar def. Joel Kribel, 2 and 1)
OLYMPIA FIELDS HISTORY
Olympia Fields Country Club was once the largest private facility in the country with 72 holes of golf on more than 900 acres. Chartered in 1915, the first three courses were designed by Tom Bendelow. The fourth course (North Course) was designed by Willie Park Jr., a two-time winner of The Open Championship, conducted by The R&A. Due to the hard times of the depression and World War II, two of the four courses were sold in 1945 to pay off debt. Olympia Fields has been a Certified Audubon Sanctuary since 1996.
The first president of Olympia Fields was Amos Alonzo Stagg, who served from 1916-19. He was head football coach at the University of Chicago (from 1892 to 1932) at the time. He earlier achieved fame as an All-America player and coach at Yale University, finishing his innovative coaching career with 314 victories and a .605 winning percentage.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
The U.S. Amateur will receive at least 15 hours of network coverage. Fox will air at least six hours of coverage during the semifinal and championship rounds. Fox Sports 1 will air at least nine hours over the first three days of match play. Joe Buck will anchor the Fox telecasts with Greg Norman in the 18th-hole tower.
Date Network Broadcast Hours (Local/CDT)
Aug. 19 Fox Sports 1 First Round, 2-5 p.m.
Aug. 20 Fox Sports 1 Second & Third Rounds, 2-5 p.m.
Aug. 21 Fox Sports 1 Quarterfinals, 2-5 p.m.
Aug. 22 Fox Semifinals, 2-5 p.m.
Aug. 23 Fox Championship, 2-5 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
Like the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships, the U.S. Amateur has been contested since the USGA’s first championship season in 1895. The trophy was initially presented to the USGA on March 28, 1895, in honor of the association’s first president, Theodore A. Havemeyer.
The original Havemeyer, an ornate silver trophy produced by J.E. Caldwell and Company in Philadelphia, was presented to C.B. Macdonald at Newport Country Club after his 1895 victory. The prize was then passed to each successive Amateur champion until Nov. 22, 1925, when it was lost in a massive fire at the home club of Robert T. Jones Jr., East Lake Country Club in Atlanta, Ga.
Rather than replicate the original, the USGA decided to produce an entirely new trophy with an extended base to accommodate additional engraving. The new Havemeyer trophy, a tall steeple cup designed in solid gold, was formally presented in January of 1926 by USGA Treasurer Edward S. Moore. It was retired in 1992 and unfortunately stolen during a theft at the USGA Museum in the spring of 2012, and never recovered. A copy of the trophy, produced in 1992, is passed from champion to champion. In 1996, the USGA replicated the original silver Havemeyer trophy using two existing photographs. Fittingly, a second replica was produced for display at East Lake.
The original U.S. Amateur trophy is on display at the USGA Museum in Far Hills, N.J.
FUTURE U.S. AMATEUR SITES
Aug. 15-21, 2016 – Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Aug. 14-20, 2017 – Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Aug. 13-19, 2018 – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Aug. 12-18, 2019 – Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Aug. 10-16, 2020 – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore.
EXEMPT PLAYERS
A total of 66 golfers were exempt from qualifying for the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship based on past performances in USGA championships. These golfers became exempt based on their standing in the top 50 World Amateur Golf Ranking™ (WAGR) as of June 24 or performances in other major amateur competitions. The remainder of the field entered through 36-hole sectional qualifying at 97 sites across the U.S. The exempt players are:
Pep Angles (Top 50 WAGR)
Philip Barbaree (2015 U.S. Junior Amateur champion)
Derek Bard (Top 50 WAGR)
Sam Burns (Top 50 WAGR)
Austin Connelly (Top 50 WAGR)
Claudio Correa (2015 Mexican Amateur champion)
Charlie Danielson (Top 50 WAGR)
Bryson DeChambeau (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier, 2015 NCAA Division I champion, 2014 United States World Amateur Team)
Thomas Detry (Top 50 WAGR)
Paul Dunne (USGA special exemption)
Ewen Ferguson (Top 50 WAGR)
Grant Forrest (Top 50 WAGR)
Jorge Garcia (Top 50 WAGR)
Jonathan Garrick (Top 50 WAGR)
Doug Ghim (Top 50 WAGR)
Cole Hammer (2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Doug Hanzel (2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion)
Nick Hardy (2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Scott Harvey (2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Lucas Herbert (Top 50 WAGR, 2014 Australia World Amateur Team)
Rico Hoey (Top 50 WAGR)
Sam Horsfield (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Beau Hossler (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier, 2014 United States World Amateur Team)
Gary Hurley (Top 50 WAGR)
Cheng Jin (Top 50 WAGR)
Kyle Jones (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Marcus Kinhult (Top 50 WAGR, 2014 Sweden World Amateur Team)
Jake Knapp (2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Romain Langasque (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 British Amateur champion)
Gabriel Lench (Top 50 WAGR)
Jack Maguire (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Nick Marsh (Top 50 WAGR)
Denny McCarthy (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier, 2014 U.S. Amateur semifinalist, 2014 United States World Amateur Team)
Lee McCoy (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Michael McCoy (2015 U.S. Senior Open low amateur, 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Maverick McNealy (Top 50 WAGR)
Adrian Meronk (Top 50 WAGR)
Byron Meth (2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion)
Josh Munn (Top 50 WAGR)
Antonio Murdaca (2014 Asia-Pacific Amateur champion)
Matthew NeSmith (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier)
Jordan Niebrugge (2013 USA Walker Cup Team
Bryan Norton (2014 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up)
Brad Nurski (2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up)
Zachary Olsen (2014 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist)
Andrew Orischak (2015 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up)
Corey Pereira (Top 50 WAGR)
Jon Rahm (Top 50 WAGR, 2014 Spain World Amateur Team)
Davis Riley (Top 50 WAGR, 2015 U.S. Open qualifier, 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up)
Roman Robledo (2014 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist)
Maximilian Rottluff (Top 50 WAGR)
Ryan Ruffels (Top 50 WAGR)
Scottie Scheffler (Top 50 WAGR)
Robin Sciot-Siegrist (Top 50 WAGR)
Zach Seabolt (Top 50 WAGR)
Cormac Sharvin (Top 50 WAGR)
Robby Shelton (Top 50 WAGR)
Nathan Smith (2014 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist, 2013 USA Walker Cup Team)
Hunter Stewart (Top 50 WAGR)
Pat Tallent (2014 U.S. Senior Amateur champion)
Alejandro Tosti (Top 50 WAGR, 2014 Argentina World Amateur Team)
Frederick Wedel (2014 U.S. Amateur semifinalist)
Todd White (2013 USA Walker Cup Team)
Gunn Yang (Top 50 WAGR, 2014 U.S. Amateur champion)
Cameron Young (2014 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist)
Will Zalatoris (Top 50 WAGR, 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur champion)
PHOTO MEDIA SERVICE
The USGA will offer daily complimentary high-resolution photographs during the U.S. Amateur (Monday-Sunday) for news use only. For more information and to register, email photorequests@usga.org.
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
USGA Communications Department: 908-234-2300
U.S. Amateur Media Center: 908-326-1201
MEDIA OPERATIONS/SERVICE
Please contact Pete Kowalski, Brian DePasquale and Stephanie DiPilla for more information regarding your U.S. Amateur coverage:
Pete Kowalski: pkowalski@usga.org
Brian DePasquale: bdepasquale@usga.org
Stephanie DiPilla: sdipilla@usga.org
For more information on the USGA, please visit usga.org.
Media-specific information can be found at usga.org/media.html.