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COMPETITIONS ORGANISED BY THE USGA


The USGA organises or co-organises 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:


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.



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 organises 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:


There are two tournaments for under eighteens:


And two for senior golfers:

  • USGA Senior Amateur - men 55 or older, established 1955

  • USGA Senior Women's Amateur - 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:

  • U.S. Mid-Amateur - 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:



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 and The R&A 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

  • Curtis Cup - 8-woman teams, played in even-numbered years


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.



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