United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association (USGA) 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 for golfers, organises several leading golf championships, and tests golf equipment for conformity with regulations. It is currently led by Executive Director David B. Fay, and President Walter Driver, Jr., and is headquartered at Golf House in Far Hills, New Jersey.
The Bob Jones Award is the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. The inaugural award was given in 1955.
History
The USGA was originally formed in 1894 to resolve the question of a national amateur championship. Earlier that year, the Newport Country Club and Saint Andrew's Golf Club both declared the winners of their tournaments the "national amateur champion". That fall delegates from Newport, Saint Andrew's, The Country Club, Chicago Golf Club, and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club met in New York City to form a national governing body, which would administer the championship and also the rules of golf for the country. On December 22, 1894, the Amateur Golf Association of the United States was officially formed, and was shortly thereafter renamed the United States Golf Association. Theodore Havemeyer was the first president, and the U.S. Amateur trophy is named in his honor.
The first U.S. Amateur Championship was held in 1895 at the Newport Country Club, with Charles B. Macdonald (who was runner-up at both of the previous year's tournaments) winning the championship. The first U.S. Open was held the following day, almost as an afterthought. It was not until 1898 that the two events were held at separate clubs. Today, the USGA administers 13 separate national championships.
The USGA gradually expanded its membership from the original five clubs. There were 267 club members in 1910, and 1,138 clubs by 1932. Membership fell off during the Great Depression and World War II, but recovered by 1947. By 1980 there were over 5,000 clubs, and today membership exceeds 9,700.[1]
Competitions organized by the USGA
The USGA organizes or co-organizes the following competitions:
Open championships
An "open" golf championship is one which both professionals and amateurs may enter. In practice, such events are always won by professionals nowadays. The two leading opens in the U.S. are:
- U.S. Open - no age restrictions (upper or lower). Established 1895, one of the major championships.
- U.S. Women's Open - females, no age restrictions (upper or lower). Established 1946, administered by the USGA since 1953, one of the women's majors.
The USGA also runs a senior open for men which is part of the Champions Tour schedule. Although a Women's Senior Golf Tour has existed since 2001, the USGA has not yet created a Senior Women's Open.
- U.S. Senior Open - men 50 or older, established 1980.
Individual amateur championships
Professional golf in the U.S. is mainly run by the PGA of America, the PGA Tour and the LPGA. However, the USGA is at the heart of amateur golf in the country and it organizes the ten national amateur championships. The leading events are open to all age groups, but are usually won by golfers in their early twenties who are working towards a career in professional tournament golf:
- United States Men's Amateur Golf Championship - men (boys may enter too), established 1895.
- United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship - girls may enter too, established 1895.
There are two tournaments for under eighteens:
- United States Boys Junior Amateur Golf Championship - established 1948
- United States Girls' Junior Championship - established 1949
And two for senior golfers:
- United States Senior Men's Amateur Golf Championship - men 55 or older, established 1955
- United States Senior Women's Amateur Golf Championship - women 50 or older, established 1962
Because the two non-age restricted amateur championships are dominated by future professionals, two national championships have been established for "career amateurs" at least 25 years old:
- United States Men's Mid-Amateur Golf Championship - men, established 1981
- U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur - established 1987
There are also two events for "public links" golfers. Members of private golf clubs are excluded from these championships:
- U.S. Amateur Public Links - established 1922
- U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links - established 1977
State team championships
The USGA's two amateur state team championships are played biennially in odd numbered years. They were both established in 1995. College golfers are not eligible for the three player teams.
- USGA Men's State Team Championships
- USGA Women's State Team Championships
International team competitions
The USGA co-organise two biennial amateur team competitions between the United States and a joint team representing Great Britain and Ireland:
- Walker Cup - 10-man teams, played in odd-numbered years. The R&A is the co-organiser.
- Curtis Cup - 8-woman teams, played in even-numbered years. The Ladies' Golf Union is the co-organiser.
Through its membership of the International Golf Federation the USGA is involved in the administration of the two "World Amateur Team Championships", which are played biennially in even-numbered years.
- Eisenhower Trophy - for men
- Espirito Santo Trophy - for women