The transition from stroke to match play at every USGA amateur championship is bittersweet.. This U.S. Junior Amateur Championship began on Monday with an expanded field of 264 competitors – up from 156 – and by Wednesday morning, 200 of the game’s best under-19 golfers were saying goodbye to the warm hospitality of The Country Club of North Carolina.

But for 64 players, the chance to become the next U.S. Junior Amateur champion remains alive. Each is hoping to join the illustrious names on the trophy, players such as Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Johnny Miller.

Over the next four days, six rounds of match play will be staged on the Dogwood Course, including Saturday’s 36-hole championship match. The semifinals and the afternoon round of the final will be broadcast live by Peacock (Friday, 3 p.m.-5 p.m. EDT) and Golf Channel (Saturday, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. EDT), respectively, with the semifinals re-airing Friday (7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.) and Saturday (3 p.m.-5 p.m.) on Golf Channel.

It’s a test of skill and mental fortitude, but for the golfer who prevails, the rewards are gratifying. He can call himself a national champion while also booking a spot in the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., and the next two U.S. Amateurs, including next month’s championship at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.

Here are 3 Things to Know for the match-play portion of the competition:

Breaking Medalist Spell

Many veterans of USGA amateur competitions say it’s a blessing and a curse to be the stroke-play medalist. Certainly, besting a field of your peers over 36 holes is a wonderful honor. But all it gives you is the No. 1 seed in the bracket and a nice medal.

Not since 2009 when Jordan Spieth captured the first of his two U.S. Junior Amateur titles has the medalist won the championship.

In the ensuing 12 years, the impressive list of medalists includes Beau Hossler, European Tour winner Sam Horsfield, and 2021 USA Walker Cuppers William Mouw and Ricky Castillo.

This year’s medalist, Kelly Chinn, earned the top seed for match play in 2018 at Baltusrol Golf Club, only to be eliminated in the Round of 32.

Now one of four multiple medalists in championship history, the 18-year-old from Great Falls, Va., hopes to join the other three as a Junior Amateur champion. Tiger Woods (1991-93), Willie Wood (1977) and Jim Liu (2010) have all hoisted the trophy, although Liu didn’t win in the same year he was medalist.

Chinn’s quest begins at 2:12 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

Finishing Kick

Match play lends itself to a more aggressive philosophy, and when you add a risk/reward par-5 as a finishing hole, it adds to the excitement. Should any of the matches reach Dogwood’s par-5 18th hole, fireworks are possible – even likely.

The dogleg-left, uphill hole measures 515 yards, making it reachable in two for many of the players. It played as the third-easiest hole in stroke play (5.02 average) with three eagles, 62 birdies, 148 pars, 38 bogeys, seven double bogeys and six “others.”

There is plenty of trouble for a misplayed shot. A large pond frames the dogleg on the tee shot, and second shots that miss either right or left will find pine straw and tall stands of trees.

All of this sets up for the kind of drama that golf fans love.

Heat Is On

For the stroke-play portion of the competition, the players dealt more with rain and moisture than heat. The Country Club of North Carolina, which is built on sandy soil and drains exceptionally well, absorbed 1½ inches of precipitation in 48 hours.

But with six matches – a total of seven rounds with the 36-hole final – scheduled over the next four days, stamina will be a major factor. With the mercury expected to hit the 90s late in the week, hydrating properly and wearing comfortable socks should be high on the players’ checklist, especially with double-round days Thursday through Saturday.

When the 2010 U.S. Girls’ Junior was contested here, the Heat Index hit triple digits all six days, and several caddies suffered blisters.

Skill certainly is paramount to winning matches, but properly preparing your body and mind for the four-day grind will play an important role.

David Shefter is a senior staff writer for the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.