USGA Revisions
PROVIDENCE – Change is coming to competitive golf.
The USGA announced Wednesday significant modifications to its amateur championship qualifying model that will take effect in 2024. According to a USGA press release, the most significant revisions will be for the U.S. Amateur, which will move from a one- stage, 36-hole qualifying format to a two-stage qualifying format with 45 18-hole qualifying sites and 19 18-hole final qualifying sites.
Other adjustments include:
- Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
- Expansion of World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR) exemption category to top 100 ranked players (previously 50);
- Establishment of local exemptions, which include top finishers in USGA championships, state/AGA amateur championships and top 600 WAGR players.
Changes are also being made to the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the U.S. Junior Amateur, and U.S. Girls’ Amateur.
U.S. Women’s Amateur
- Modest reduction in qualifying sites through the establishment of geographic rotations;
- Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
- Expansion of WAGR exemption category to top 50 players (previously 25).
U.S. Junior Amateur/U.S. Girls’ Junior
- Alignment of qualifying structure to promote AGAs to conduct joint or concurrent qualifying;
- Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national junior amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
- U.S. Junior Am expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 100 (previously 85);
- U.S. Girls’ Junior expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 50 (previously 40).