Monday, January 28, 2013

USGA NAMES WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB AS 2020 U.S. OPEN SITE



 

Marks the Sixth U.S. Open and 12th USGA Championship
At the Historic Suburban New York Club
 
Far Hills, N.J. (Jan. 28, 2013) – Reflecting its continuing commitment to deliver the most compelling championship experience in golf to players and fans, the United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced Winged Foot Golf Club, in Mamaroneck, N.Y., as the host site for the 2020 United States Open Championship.

“We’re thrilled to bring the U.S. Open back to this outstanding club,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “Winged Foot offers a spectacular setting in a dynamic market, and has justifiably earned its reputation as one of the premier U.S. Open venues in the nation. And it joins an impressive lineup of future U.S. Open Championship locations that players and fans alike can eagerly anticipate.”

This selection marks the sixth time that the West Course at Winged Foot will have hosted the U.S. Open. This will also be the 12th USGA championship conducted at Winged Foot, all but three of which were held on the West Course. The dates for the 2020 U.S. Open are June 18-21.

“Winged Foot is a quintessential U.S. Open golf course, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring our national championship back to a site that boasts such a long tradition of world-class competition,” said Mike Davis, USGA executive director. “With its wonderfully challenging green complexes and dogleg holes that emphasize proper placement off the tee, Winged Foot offers the best players in the world a spectacular test of golf and delivers to spirited New York golf fans one of the most exciting venues in the game.”

Winged Foot Golf Club, located 25 miles north of New York City in Westchester County, last hosted the U.S. Open in 2006, when Geoff Ogilvy outlasted Phil Mickelson, Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk for a one-stroke victory. The club also hosted the U.S. Open in 1929 (won by Robert T. Jones Jr.), 1959 (won by Billy Casper), 1974 (won by Hale Irwin) and 1984 (won by Fuzzy Zoeller). Each U.S. Open at Winged Foot has produced a highly competitive championship, as Jones and Zoeller won in playoffs, while Casper and Irwin registered the first of their multiple U.S. Open victories by narrow margins.
“Winged Foot Golf Club is truly honored to have the USGA select it as the host of the 2020 U.S. Open,” club president John Schneider said. “The club’s relationship with the USGA goes back to 1929 when Bob Jones defeated Al Espinosa to win the U.S. Open in a playoff. The relationship has been cherished by both ever since. Our two A.W. Tillinghast courses have always risen to the challenge of identifying the greatest golfers in the world. Tillinghast’s vision has truly stood the test of time and Winged Foot anxiously awaits its next group of challengers.”

Winged Foot joins Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, in Springfield, N.J., Oakland Hills Country Club, in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links as clubs that have hosted the most U.S. Opens. Oakmont is scheduled to host the U.S. Open for a ninth time in 2016. Baltusrol conducted its seventh U.S. Open in 1993, while Oakland Hills hosted its sixth U.S. Open in 1996 and Pebble Beach is scheduled to host its sixth U.S. Open in 2019.
Winged Foot opened for play in 1923 and has a rich and storied history. Beyond its five U.S. Open championships, the East and West courses have combined to host six other USGA championships. The West Course hosted two U.S. Amateurs (1940, 2004) and the 1949 Walker Cup. The East Course hosted two U.S. Women’s Opens (1957, 1972) and the first U.S. Senior Open, held in 1980. The West Course also hosted the 1997 PGA Championship.

The 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club will be the 20th U.S. Open played in the state of New York, the most of any state. Future U.S. Open sites are: Merion Golf Club (East Course), Ardmore, Pa. (2013); Pinehurst Resort (Course No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C. (2014); Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash. (2015); Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club (2016); Erin Hills, Erin, Wis. (2017); Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y. (2018); and Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links (2019).

About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, Equipment Standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s working jurisdiction comprises the United States, its territories and Mexico.

The USGA is a global leader in the development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” charitable giving program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.

For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.

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