U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship
Encyclopedia
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 18 on the last day of the competition and have a USGA Handicap
Index of 6.4 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 enties. 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. In 2010, Jim Liu, at 14 years, 11 months, became the youngest champion ever, breaking Woods' mark of 15 years and 220 days.
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), and Hunter Mahan
(1999). Jack Nicklaus's
best result was a semifinal loss.
The equivalent competition for girls is the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
. It is open to amateur boys who are under 18 on the last day of the competition and have a USGA Handicap
Golf handicap
A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's playing ability based on the tees played for a given course. It is used to calculate a net score from the number of strokes actually played, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on somewhat equal terms...
Index of 6.4 or less. The competition was established in 1948. It consists of two days of stroke play
Stroke play
Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a given round, or series of rounds...
, with the leading 64 competitors then playing a match play
Match play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...
competition to decide the champion.
The first tournament in 1948 was won by Dean Lind from a field of 495 enties. In 1999, the tournament set a record with 4,508 entries. Only two players have won the championship multiple times: Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
won the tournament for three consecutive years beginning in 1991; Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth is an American amateur golfer, and the only golfer other than Tiger Woods to have won the U.S. Junior Amateur multiple times. Before turning 18 in July 2011, Spieth was number one in the Polo Golf Rankings, which determines the best junior golfers in the United States. Spieth, the...
won in 2009 and 2011. In 2010, Jim Liu, at 14 years, 11 months, became the youngest champion ever, breaking Woods' mark of 15 years and 220 days.
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
Johnny Miller
John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf...
(1964), David Duval
David Duval
David Robert Duval is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour.-Early years:...
(1989), and Hunter Mahan
Hunter Mahan
Hunter Myles Mahan is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Mahan was born in Orange, California. He had a successful amateur career, winning the 1999 5A Texas State High School Golf Championship while attending McKinney High School and the 1999 U.S. Junior...
(1999). Jack Nicklaus's
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
best result was a semifinal loss.
The equivalent competition for girls is the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship
United States Girls' Junior Golf Championship
The United States Girls' Junior Championship is one of the thirteen U.S. national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association. It is open to amateur girls who are under 18 on the last day of the competition and have a USGA handicap index of 18.4 or less...
.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Jordan Spieth Jordan Spieth Jordan Spieth is an American amateur golfer, and the only golfer other than Tiger Woods to have won the U.S. Junior Amateur multiple times. Before turning 18 in July 2011, Spieth was number one in the Polo Golf Rankings, which determines the best junior golfers in the United States. Spieth, the... |
|
| 2010 | Jim Liu | |
| 2009 | Jordan Spieth Jordan Spieth Jordan Spieth is an American amateur golfer, and the only golfer other than Tiger Woods to have won the U.S. Junior Amateur multiple times. Before turning 18 in July 2011, Spieth was number one in the Polo Golf Rankings, which determines the best junior golfers in the United States. Spieth, the... |
|
| 2008 | Cameron Peck Cameron Peck Cameron Peck is an Asian-American amateur golfer from Olympia, Washington.Peck attended Timberline High School. He won the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur.- External links :*... |
|
| 2007 | Cory Whitsett | |
| 2006 | Philip Francis Philip Francis (golfer) Philip C. Francis is an American professional golfer.Francis was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was one of the top-ranked junior golfers in the class of 2007, winning more than 140 junior events, to include the 2006 U.S. Junior Amateur. He was ranked number one in junior golf for 65 straight weeks... |
|
| 2005 | Kevin Tway Kevin Tway Kevin Tway is an American professional golfer. He won numerous junior tournaments, and most notably, the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur.-Amateur career:Tway was born in Edmond, Oklahoma... |
|
| 2004 | Sihwan Kim | |
| 2003 | Brian Harman Brian Harman Brian Harman is an American professional golfer.In college, Harman was a three-time 2nd Team All-American on the University of Georgia golf team. He won the 2005 NCAA Preview and the 2006 Isleworth Invitational. He also won the yearly award for highest Grade Point Average three times.In 2003,... |
|
| 2002 | Charlie Beljan | |
| 2001 | Henry Liaw | |
| 2000 | Matthew Rosenfeld | |
| 1999 | Hunter Mahan Hunter Mahan Hunter Myles Mahan is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Mahan was born in Orange, California. He had a successful amateur career, winning the 1999 5A Texas State High School Golf Championship while attending McKinney High School and the 1999 U.S. Junior... |
|
| 1998 | James Oh | |
| 1997 | Jason Allred | |
| 1996 | Shane McMenamy Shane McMenamy In July of 1996, Shane McMenamy, 16, of Grand Forks, N.D., sank a 22-foot putt for a birdie on the first extra hole to claim the 1996 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship title at Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff, Ariz.... |
|
| 1995 | D. Scott Hailes | |
| 1994 | Terry Noe | |
| 1993 | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
|
| 1992 | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
|
| 1991 | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
|
| 1990 | Matthew Todd | |
| 1989 | David Duval David Duval David Robert Duval is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour.-Early years:... |
|
| 1988 | Jason Widener | |
| 1987 | Brett Quigley Brett Quigley Brett Quigley is an American professional golfer.Quigley was born in Fort Devens, Massachusetts. He is the nephew of PGA Tour and Champions Tour golfer Dana Quigley. He won the 1987 U.S... |
|
| 1986 | Brian Montgomery | |
| 1985 | Charles Rymer | |
| 1984 | Doug Martin | |
| 1983 | Tim Straub | |
| 1982 | Rich Marik | |
| 1981 | Scott Erickson | |
| 1980 | Eric Johnson | |
| 1979 | Jack Larkin | |
| 1978 | Donald Hurter | |
| 1977 | Willie Wood Willie Wood (golfer) Willie West Wood is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour.... |
|
| 1976 | Madden Hatcher III | |
| 1975 | Brett Mullin | |
| 1974 | David Nevatt | |
| 1973 | Jack Renner Jack Renner (golfer) Jack Renner is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour from 1977–1988, and on the Champions Tour from 2006–2007.... |
|
| 1972 | Bob Byman Bob Byman Robert T. Byman is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour.Byman was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. He attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and was a member of the golf team. He played with Jay Haas and Curtis Strange on the 1974 and 1975 teams,... |
|
| 1971 | Mike Brannan | |
| 1970 | Gary Koch Gary Koch Gary D. Koch is an American professional golfer, sportscaster and golf course designer, who formerly played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.- Early years :... |
|
| 1969 | Aly Trompas | |
| 1968 | Eddie Pearce Eddie Pearce Eddie Pearce is an American professional golfer.Pearce was born in Fort Myers, Florida and grew up in Temple Terrace, Florida, where, as an infant, his first golf club was placed in his hands by the legendary Babe Didrikson Zaharias. By the time he was 12, he was shooting in the 60s and was... |
|
| 1967 | John T. Crooks | |
| 1966 | Gary Sanders | |
| 1965 | James Masserio | |
| 1964 | Johnny Miller Johnny Miller John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf... |
|
| 1963 | Gregg McHatton | |
| 1962 | Jim Wiechers Jim Wiechers James L. Wiechers is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s.Wiechers was born in Oakland, California. He won the 1962 U.S. Junior Amateur while in high school. He then attended Santa Clara University and was a member of the golf team, winning first-team... |
|
| 1961 | Charles S. McDowell | |
| 1960 | William L. Tindall | |
| 1959 | Larry J. Lee | |
| 1958 | Gordon Baker | |
| 1957 | Larry Beck Larry Beck Larry Beck is an American professional golfer from Kinston, North Carolina.At age 17, he won the 1957 U.S. Junior Amateur, beating Jack Nicklaus 4 and 3 in the third round of match play. As a professional, he competed in the 1964 U.S... |
|
| 1956 | Harlan Stevenson | |
| 1955 | Billy J. "Cotton" Dunn | |
| 1954 | Foster Bradley, Jr. | |
| 1953 | Rex Baxter Rex Baxter Rex Bernice Baxter, Jr. is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.A native of Amarillo, Texas, Baxter won the U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship at Tulsa's Southern Hills Country Club in 1953... |
|
| 1952 | Donald M. Bisplinghoff | |
| 1951 | Tommy Jacobs Tommy Jacobs Keith Thomas Jacobs, Jr. is an American professional golfer and golf course owner/operator who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour... |
|
| 1950 | Mason Rudolph Mason Rudolph Edgar Mason Rudolph was an American golfer who won five times on the PGA Tour.-Early years and amateur career:... |
|
| 1949 | Gay Brewer Gay Brewer Gay Robert Brewer, Jr. was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and won the 1967 Masters Tournament.... |
|
| 1948 | Dean Lind |