U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship
The United States Junior Amateur Championship is one of the thirteen 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 leading professionals is quite modest. This reflects not only the young age of the competitors, but the more random results of match play tournaments compared to stroke play events. Apart from Woods, well known winners include Johnny Miller (1964), David Duval (1989), Hunter Mahan (1999) and Jordan Spieth (2009 and 2011). Jack Nicklaus's best result was a semifinal loss.
The equivalent competition for girls is the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.
Winners
Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[3] | ||||
2019 | Preston Summerhays | Inverness Club (OH) | 2 & 1 | ||
2018 | Michael Thorbjornsen | Baltusrol Golf Club, Upper Course (NJ) | 1 up | ||
2017 | Noah Goodwin | Flint Hills National Golf Club (KS) | 1 up | ||
2016 | Min Woo Lee | Honors Course (TN) | 2 & 1 | ||
2015 | Philip Barbaree | Colleton River Plantation Club, Dye Course (SC) | 37 holes | ||
2014 | Will Zalatoris | The Club at Carlton Woods, Nicklaus Course (TX) | 5 & 3 | ||
2013 | Scottie Scheffler | Martis Camp (CA) | 3 & 2 | ||
2012 | Andy Hyeon Bo Shim | The Golf Club of New England (NH) | 4 & 3 | ||
2011 | Jordan Spieth (2) | Gold Mountain Golf Club, Olympic Course (WA) | 6 & 5 | ||
2010 | Jim Liu | Egypt Valley Country Club (MI) | 4 & 2 | ||
2009 | Jordan Spieth | Trump National Golf Club, Old and New Courses (NJ) | 4 & 3 | ||
2008 | Cameron Peck | Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club (AL) | 10 & 8 | ||
2007 | Cory Whitsett | Boone Valley Golf Club (MO) | 8 & 7 | ||
2006 | Philip Francis | Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club (CA) | 3 & 2 | ||
2005 | Kevin Tway | Longmeadow Country Club (MA) | 3 & 2 | ||
2004 | Sihwan Kim | The Olympic Club (CA) | 1 up | ||
2003 | Brian Harman | Columbia Country Club (MD) | 5 & 4 | ||
2002 | Charlie Beljan | Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course (GA) | 20 holes | ||
2001 | Henry Liaw | Oak Hills Country Club (TX) | 2 & 1 | ||
2000 | Matthew Rosenfeld | Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Ghost Creek Course (OR) | 3 & 2 | ||
1999 | Hunter Mahan | Country Club of York (PA) | 4 & 2 | ||
1998 | James Oh | Conway Farms Golf Club (IL) | 1 up | ||
1997 | Jason Allred | Aronimink Golf Club (PA) | 1 up | ||
1996 | Shane McMenamy | Forest Highlands Golf Club (AZ) | 19 holes | ||
1995 | D. Scott Hailes | Fargo Country Club (ND) | 1 up | ||
1994 | Terry Noe | Echo Lake Country Club (NJ) | 2 up | ||
1993 | Tiger Woods (3) | Waverley Country Club (OR) | 19 holes | ||
1992 | Tiger Woods (2) | Wollaston Golf Club (MA) | 1 up | ||
1991 | Tiger Woods | Bay Hill Club and Lodge (FL) | 19 holes | ||
1990 | Mathew Todd | Lake Merced Golf Club (CA) | 1 up | ||
1989 | David Duval | Singing Hills Golf and Country Club (CA) | 1 up | ||
1988 | Jason Widener | Yale Golf Course (CT) | 1 up | ||
1987 | Brett Quigley | Singletree Golf Club (CO) | 1 up | ||
1986 | Brian Montgomery | Muirfield Village (OH) | 2 & 1 | ||
1985 | Charlie Rymer | Brookfield Country Club (NY) | 19 holes | ||
1984 | Doug Martin | Wayzata Country Club (MN) | 4 & 2 | Brad Agee | |
1983 | Tim Straub | Saucon Valley Country Club, Old Course (PA) | 1 up | John Mahon | |
1982 | Rich Marik | Crooked Stick Golf Club (IN) | 4 & 3 | ||
1981 | Scott Erickson | Sunnyside Country Club (CA) | 4 & 3 | Matt McCarley | |
1980 | Eric Johnson | Pine Lake Country Club (MI) | 4 & 3 | ||
1979 | Jack Larkin | Moss Creek Golf Club (SC) | 1 up | ||
1978 | Donald Hurter | Wilmington Country Club, South Course (DE) | 21 holes | Keith Banes | |
1977 | Willie Wood | Ohio State University Golf Club, Scarlet Course (OH) | 4 & 3 | David Games | |
1976 | Madden Hatcher III | Hiwan Golf Club (CO) | 3 & 2 | ||
1975 | Brett Mullin | Richland Country Club (TN) | 2 & 1 | Scott Templeton | |
1974 | David Nevatt | Brooklawn Country Club (CT) | 4 & 3 | Mark Tinder | |
1973 | Jack Renner | Singing Hills Country Club (CA) | 20 holes | ||
1972 | Bob Byman | Brookhaven Country Club (TX) | 2 & 1 | ||
1971 | Mike Brannan | Manor Country Club (MD) | 4 & 3 | Robert Steele | |
1970 | Gary Koch | Athens Country Club (GA) | 8 & 6 | Mike Nelms | |
1969 | Aly Trompas | Spokane Country Club (WA) | 3 & 1 | ||
1968 | Eddie Pearce | The Country Club (MA) | 6 & 5 | W.B. Harman Jr. | |
1967 | John T. Crooks | Twin Hills Golf & Country Club (OK) | 2 & 1 | ||
1966 | Gary Sanders | California Country Club (CA) | 2 up | Ray Leach | |
1965 | James Masserio | Wilmington Country Club, South Course (DE) | 3 & 2 | Lloyd Liebler | |
1964 | Johnny Miller | Eugene Country Club (OR) | 2 & 1 | Enrique Sterling Jr. | |
1963 | Gregg McHatton | Florence Country Club (SC) | 4 & 3 | Richard Bland | |
1962 | Jim Wiechers | Lochmoor Club (MI) | 4 & 3 | James Sullivan | |
1961 | Charles S. McDowell | Cornell University Golf Club (NY) | 2 up | ||
1960 | William L. Tindall | Milburn Golf & Country Club (KS) | 2 & 1 | Robert L. Hammer | |
1959 | Larry J. Lee | Stanford University Golf Course (CA) | 2 up | Michael V. McMahon | |
1958 | Gordon Baker | University of Minnesota Golf Club (MN) | 2 & 1 | R. Douglas Lindsay | |
1957 | Larry Beck | Manor Country Club (MD) | 6 & 5 | David C. Leon | |
1956 | Harlan Stevenson | Taconic Golf Club (MA) | 3 & 1 | ||
1955 | Billy J. "Cotton" Dunn | Purdue University Golf Club, South Course (IN) | 3 & 2 | William J. Seanor | |
1954 | Foster Bradley Jr. | Los Angeles Country Club, North Course (CA) | 3 & 1 | ||
1953 | Rex Baxter | Southern Hills Country Club (OK) | 2 & 1 | George Warren III | |
1952 | Donald M. Bisplinghoff | Yale Golf Course (CT) | 2 up | Eddie M. Meyerson | |
1951 | Tommy Jacobs | University of Illinois Golf Club (IL) | 4 & 2 | Floyd Addington | |
1950 | Mason Rudolph | Denver Country Club (CO) | 2 & 1 | Charles Beville | |
1949 | Gay Brewer | Congressional Country Club (MD) | 6 & 4 | ||
1948 | Dean Lind | University of Michigan Golf Club (MI) | 4 & 2 |
Multiple winners
- 3 wins: Tiger Woods
- 2 wins: Jordan Spieth
Notes
- "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.com. Turnstile Publishing Company. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- Major, Beth (April 24, 2020). "USGA Cancels Junior Championships Due to COVID-19". USGA.
- Shin 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".