USGA Announces 2004 Championships Schedule

January 09, 2004
Far Hills, N.J. - The record-setting youngest and oldest winners of USGA adult championships will get the chance to defend their titles during the United States Golf Association's schedule of events in 2004. In addition, the U.S. Open heads back to Shinnecock Hills (N.Y.) Golf Club, where the second Open was contested in 1896.



Shinnecock Hills is host to this year's U.S. Open. (USGA Photo Archives)


During the course of five months, beginning in June, USGA championships will be played in 10 states and will return to 10 familiar courses. The schedule concludes in late October with more than 60 countries entered at the international Women's and Men's World Amateur Team Championships in Puerto Rico.

Michelle Wie of Honolulu, Hawaii, will be 14 years old when she heads to The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club in Williamsburg, Va., June 22-27 as the defending champion of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. Marlene Streit of Canada will be 70 when she tries to defend her USGA Senior Women's Amateur title in October at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. The Senior Women's Amateur is conducted for women age 50 and older. Wie and Streit became the youngest and oldest winners in the history of USGA adult championships in 2003.

The Curtis Cup Match, an amateur team competition, scheduled from June 12-13 at Formby Golf Club in England, is the year's first of 16 events and 13 national championships conducted by the USGA. Next is the U.S. Open, from June 17-20, at historic Shinnecock Hills, where Jim Furyk will be the defending champion.

In addition to the Senior Women's Amateur, two other championships will be played in California. They are the U.S. Junior Amateur in July at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and the USGA Senior Amateur, for men age 55 and older, at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles in October.

At the junior level for girls and boys, where the age limit is 17, it's unusual that both 2003 champions have a chance to win a second time. Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff of New Jersey and Brian Harman of Georgia were just 16 when they won USGA junior events last summer. Wuesthoff will travel in July to Mira Vista Golf Club in Texas for a chance to defend her U.S. Girls' Junior title. Harman will defend his title at The Olympic Club.

The U.S. Women's Open will be held in July at Orchards Golf Club in Massachusetts, while the U.S. Senior Open is scheduled for late July at Bellerive Country Club in Missouri.

Also in July, the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship is set to be played at Rush Creek Golf Club in Minnesota. It will be the first time in nine years that an individual USGA championship will be conducted in Minnesota, an odd fact since the state has hosted more than 30 USGA championships.

The top amateur championships will be held in August at two familiar sites. The U.S. Women's Amateur will be held from Aug. 9-15 at The Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pa., which was the venue of the 1971 Women's Open. The U.S. Amateur returns to Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., a difficult layout that has hosted nine previous USGA championships, including four U.S. Opens.

The mid-amateur championships, for golfers age 25 and older, follow. The U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur will be played in September at Holston Hills Country Club in Tennessee. The U.S. Mid-Amateur is scheduled in early October at Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia.

For more information, visit the USGA Web site at www.usga.org or call (908) 234-2300. Entry applications will be available online or by mail at least three months before each championship begins. There are entry criteria and sectional qualifying for every USGA championship.



USGA 2004 Championship Schedule

CompetitionDatesLocation
Curtis Cup Match
June 12-13
Formby Golf Club, Merseyside, England
U.S. Open
June 17-20
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.
U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links
June 22-27
The Golden Horseshoe G.C., Williamsburg, Va.
U.S. Women's Open
July 1-4
Orchards Golf Club, South Hadley, Mass.
U.S. Amateur Public Links
July 12-17
Rush Creek Golf Club, Maple Grove, Minn.
U.S. Girls' Junior
July 19-24
Mira Vista Golf Club, Ft. Worth, Texas
U.S. Junior Amateur
July 19-24
The Olympic Club, San Francisco, Calif.
U.S. Senior Open
July 29-Aug. 1
Bellerive County Club, St. Louis, Mo.
U.S. Women's Amateur
Aug. 9-15
The Kahkwa Club, Erie, Pa.
U.S. Amateur
Aug. 16-22
Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y.
U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur
Sept. 10-15
Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville, Tenn.
U.S. Mid-Amateur
Oct. 2-7
Sea Island Golf Club, St. Simons Island, Ga.
USGA Senior Women's Amateur
Oct. 9-14
Pasatiempo Golf Club, Santa Cruz, Calif.
USGA Senior Amateur
Oct. 9-14
Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif.
Women's World Amateur Team
Oct. 20-23
Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
World Amateur Team
Oct. 28-31
Rio Mar Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico