USGA Announces Opening of U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Entries on April 24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

USGA ANNOUNCES OPENING OF U.S. AMATEUR FOUR-BALL ENTRIES ON APRIL 24

Inaugural men’s and women’s national championships to be conducted in May 2015

FAR HILLS, N.J. (April 17, 2014) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced the opening of entries on Thursday, April 24, for the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships. In 2015, The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, will host the first men’s competition and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore., will host the first women’s competition.

Players can register online (https://champs.usga.org) for both championships through 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The Amateur Four-Ball Championships are the first to be added to the USGA’s competition roster in more than 25 years.

“The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships represent the USGA’s commitment to support and advance amateur competition,” said Daniel B. Burton, USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “This format is broadly popular in all 50 states and at golf clubs nationwide and should produce spirited team play, camaraderie and enjoyment for both the players and spectators.”

The 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball is scheduled for May 2-6, with both the Lake and Ocean courses at The Olympic Club set to host 36-hole stroke-play qualifying. The club’s famed Lake Course, which has hosted five U.S. Opens and three U.S. Amateurs, will be the site for the championship’s match-play bracket.

To be eligible, each player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 5.4. Partners on each two-man team are not required to be from the same club, state or country and there are no age restrictions. Sectional qualifying, conducted over 18 holes at more than 50 sites across the nation, is scheduled to begin on Aug. 13, 2014.

The championship will comprise 128 sides or teams, for a total of 256 players. Following stroke-play qualifying, match play will begin with 32 sides and conclude with an 18-hole final on May 6.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort will host the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball on May 9-13. The championship will be played at the resort’s Pacific Dunes Course, the site of the 2006 Curtis Cup Match.

Players must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 14.4 to be eligible and partners are not required to be from the same club, state or country. There are no age restrictions for each two-woman team. Sectional qualifying is scheduled to begin on Aug. 25, 2014. Nearly 30 sites will host 18-hole qualifying.

The championship will start with 64 sides or teams, for a total of 128 players. Stroke-play qualifying will be followed by match play, starting with 32 sides. A champion will be crowned in an 18-hole final on May 13.

In 2016, the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball will be held at Winged Foot Golf Club, in Mamaroneck, N.Y., while Streamsong Resort, southeast of Tampa, Fla., will host the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball.

About the USGA

The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.

The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.

For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.