The Country Club of Detroit, site of two previous U.S. Amateur Championships will host the 66th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship August 28th to September 2nd.
The course will be set up at 6,901 yards and will play to a par of 36-36–72. Based on this setup, the USGA Course Rating™ is 73.8 and the Slope Rating® is 136.
The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions.
Country Club of Detroit Hole By Hole
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 3 5 36
Yardage 380 427 511 405 195 387 415 138 478 3,336
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 5 4 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 36
Yardage 600 399 444 182 435 360 208 517 420 3,565
ABOUT COUNTRY CLUB OF DETROIT
Founded in 1897, the Country Club of Detroit’s current course was designed by British golf architects Harry Colt and Charles Hugh Alison and opened for play in 1927. Robert Trent Jones Sr. supervised a redesign in 1952 and Robert Trent Jones Jr. followed with another redesign 44 years later. In 2011, Michigan native Tom Doak restored the course, which features bluegrass fairways and bentgrass greens, to its original Colt/Alison design. The club, a 212-acre venue located 12 miles north of Detroit, also features a recently renovated Tudor Revival-style clubhouse.
WHO CAN ENTER
The championship is open to any amateur golfer who is 55 years old by Aug. 28 with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 7.4.
ENTRIES
The USGA accepted 2,565 entries for this year’s championship, which established the record. The previous mark of 2,498 entries was set in 2005.The 2020 U.S. Senior Amateur was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the USGA accepted 2,466 entries.
QUALIFYING
Qualifying, conducted over 18 holes, was held between July 19-Aug. 12 at 50 sites in 40 U.S. states. Texas had the most, with four qualifying sites, while California and Florida had three qualifiers.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Practice rounds will be held Aug. 26-27. The starting field of 156 players will play two rounds of stroke play, with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play. The schedule is as follows:
Aug. 28 (Saturday): First round, stroke play
Aug. 29 (Sunday): Second round, stroke play
Aug. 30 (Monday): Round of 64, match play
Aug. 21 (Tuesday): Round of 32 and Round of 16, match play
Sept. 1 (Wednesday): Quarterfinals and semifinals, match play
Sept. 2 (Thursday): Championship match (18 holes)
ADMISSION
Admission is free. Tickets are not needed for this USGA championship, and fans are encouraged to attend.
2019 CHAMPIONSHIP
Bob Royak, 57, of Alpharetta, Ga., captured the 65th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C., with a hard-fought, 1-up victory over Roger Newsom, 55, of Virginia Beach, Va. Royak became the second player in the last three U.S. Senior Amateur finals to claim the title without a birdie in the championship match, joining Sean Knapp in 2017 at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, Minn., when he denied Paul Simson a third title, 2 and 1. Royak, who was making his fourth start in the championship and playing in his 16th USGA championship, also became the third player from Georgia to win the Senior Amateur, joining Jackie Cummings (1999), of Columbus, and Doug Hanzel (2013), of Savannah, Royak’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball partner. The match came down to the 18th hole. Royak negotiated a chip shot from left of the green to within 5 feet and sank the winning par putt.
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT COUNTRY CLUB OF DETROIT
The U.S. Amateur Championship has been contested twice at the Country Club of Detroit. In 1915, Robert A. Gardner won the second of his two U.S. Amateur titles, defeating John G. Anderson, 5 and 4, in the final on the club’s original course. Gardner was also a U.S. Amateur runner-up in 1916 and 1921. Arnold Palmer defeated Robert Sweeny, 1 up, to win the 1954 U.S. Amateur. The 24-year-old Palmer birdied the 32nd and 33rd holes to go ahead for good in the match. Palmer, who later called the victory a turning point in his career, went on to win seven major professional titles, including the 1960 U.S. Open, and was the 1981 U.S. Senior Open champion.
1915 U.S. Amateur: Robert A. Gardner def. John G. Anderson, 5 and 4
1954 U.S. Amateur: Arnold Palmer def. Robert Sweeny, 1 up
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MICHIGAN
This will be the 33rd USGA championship and third U.S. Senior Amateur contested in Michigan. In 1984, Robert Rawlins was the champion at Birmingham Country Club, and in 1991, Bill Bosshard won at Crystal Downs Country Club, in Frankfort.
U.S. SENIOR AMATEURS IN MIDWEST REGION
Years, Courses and Winners
1956: Somerset Country Club, St. Paul, Minn. (Frederick J. Wright)
1962: Evanston Golf Club, Skokie, Ill. (Merrill L. Carlsmith)
1969: Wichita Country Club, Wichita, Kan. (Curtis Person Sr.)
1972: Sharon Golf Club, Sharon Center, Ohio (Lewis W. Oehmig)
1973: Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, Ill. (William Hyndman III)
1979: Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, Ill. (William C. Campbell)
1983: Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel, Ind. (William Hyndman III)
1984: Birmingham Country Club, Birmingham, Mich. (Robert Rawlins)
1986: Interlachen Country Club, Edina, Minn. (R.S. “Bo” Williams)
1988: Milwaukee Country Club, Milwaukee, Wis. (Clarence Moore)
1991: Crystal Downs Country Club, Frankfort, Mich. (Bill Bosshard)
1995: Prairie Dunes Country Club, Hutchinson, Kan. (James Stahl Jr.)
1998: Skokie Country Club, Glencoe, Ill. (Bill Shean Jr.)
2001: Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo. (Kemp Richardson)
2006: Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, Ind. (Mike Bell)
2007: Flint Hills National Golf Club, Andover, Kan. (Stan Lee)
2009: Beverly Country Club, Chicago, Ill. (Marvin “Vinny” Giles III)
2016: Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis, Mo. (Dave Ryan)
2017: The Minikahda Club, Minneapolis, Minn. (Sean Knapp)
OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS AT COUNTRY CLUB OF DETROIT
Michigan State Amateur (1908, 1910, 1912, 1914, 1929, 2018)
Michigan State Women’s Amateur (1914, 1920, 1925, 1935, 1949)
EXEMPT PLAYERS: A total of 35 players are fully exempt into the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur based on performances in USGA championships and other elite amateur competitions, by being in the top 25 age-eligible points leaders of the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR® as of the close of entries on July 14, or through other categories.
Stewart “Buddy” Alexander (1986 U.S. Amateur champion)
Gianluca Bolla (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Sherrill Britt (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Dave Bunker (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Rick Cloninger (2019 U.S. Amateur semifinalist)
Craig Davis (2019 Senior Amateur champion, conducted by The R&A)
Keith Decker (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Gene Elliott (2021 Senior Amateur champion, conducted by The R&A, 2019 Canadian Senior Amateur champion, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Brady Exber (2019 U.S. Senior Amateur quarterfinalist)
Mark Gardiner (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Randy Haag (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Doug Hanzel (2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Steve Harwell (2019 U.S. Senior Amateur quarterfinalist, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Tim Hogarth (1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Craig Hurlbut (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Paul Jett (2019 U.S. Senior Amateur quarterfinalist)
Ken Kinkopf (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Sean Knapp (2017 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, 2018 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Chip Lutz (2015 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, 2018 U.S. Senior Amateur semifinalist)
Miles McConnell (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Michael McCoy (2018 U.S. Senior Amateur semifinalist, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
William Mitchell (2021 U.S. Senior Open low amateur, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Roger Newsom (2019 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up)
Joe Palmer (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Robert Polk (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Fred Ridley (1975 U.S. Amateur champion)
Bob Royak (2019 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Dave Ryan (2016 U.S. Senior Amateur champion)
Greg Sanders (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Paul Simson (2010 and 2012 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, 2017 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Lewis Stephenson (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Rusty Strawn (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Walter Todd (2019 U.S. Senior Amateur quarterfinalist)
Jeff Wilson (2018 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
Rick Woulfe (WAGR top 25 age-eligible points leader)
WHAT THE CHAMPION RECEIVES
Among the benefits earned by the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur champion are:
►A gold medal and custody of the Frederick L. Dold Trophy for one year
►An exemption from local qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Open Championship
►An exemption from qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Senior Open Championship (if still an amateur)
►An exemption from qualifying for the 2022 and 2023 U.S. Amateur Championships
►An exemption from qualifying for the 2021 and 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships
►An exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Senior Amateur Championships
CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY
The U.S. Senior Amateur Championship trophy was first presented in 1955 by Frederick L. Dold, of Wichita, Kan., who had retired from the USGA Executive Committee after five years of service. The art-deco trophy, produced by Rogers Brothers, features a gold-plated stem with blue enamel and a distinctive hand-hammered bowl. Mr. Dold donated the trophy, which serves as an iconic representation of the championship and a fitting tribute to its champions.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
This is the 66th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. The Senior Amateur, for amateur golfers at least 55 years of age, was inaugurated in 1955.
The addition of the U.S. Senior Amateur gave the USGA twice as many championships as it had conducted before World War II, when there were just four: the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open, and U.S. Women’s Amateur, all started in 1895, and U.S. Amateur Public Links (1922). From World War II through 1955, the USGA added four championships: the U.S. Junior Amateur (1948), U.S. Girls’ Junior (1949), U.S. Women’s Open (1953) and U.S. Senior Amateur (1955). The USGA now conducts 14 national championships, 10 of which are exclusively for amateurs.
The first U.S. Senior Amateur, at Belle Meade Country Club, in Nashville, Tenn., received 370 entries from 30 states and the District of Columbia. J. Wood Platt, 56, an eight-time Philadelphia Amateur champion, defeated George Studinger, of San Francisco, Calif., 5 and 4, in the final.
In 1959, J. Clark Espie, who had won in 1957, became the U.S. Senior Amateur’s first two-time champion. Lewis W. Oehmig, a record six-time finalist, is the only three-time champion (1972, 1976, 1985). Oehmig is also the oldest U.S. Senior Amateur champion, winning the title in 1985 at age 69.
A total of 14 players have won the championship multiple times, most recently Paul Simson (2010, 2012). Three players have won the championship in consecutive years, including William C. Campbell in 1979 and 1980.
FUTURE U.S. SENIOR AMATEURS
Aug. 27-Sept. 1, 2022: The Kittansett Club, Marion, Mass.
Aug. 26-31, 2023: Martis Camp Club, Truckee, Calif.
Aug. 24-29, 2024: The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
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