T.J. Vogel
Originally reported in an
exclusive interview with
Golfweek, the USGA said it will cease the
playing of the annual U.S. Amateur Public Links
and U.S. Women's Amateur Pubic Links
Championships following 2014.
The events, which have lost some luster in
recent years, will be replaced by a pair of
Amateur Four-Ball Championships beginning in
2015.
It will be the first time the four-ball format will
be played at the USGA's national level and
shows that the USGA is gearing its operation
to what is trending in the golf world.
Four-ball events have continued to grow in
popularity and are a definite fixture in many
state and regional events.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the
creation of national four-ball championships,
given the popularity and enjoyment of this
competitive format at the amateur level,” said
USGA Vice President and Championship
Committee Chairman Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. in a
press release. “Because the four-ball format
lends itself to spirited team competition and
aggressive risk-reward shotmaking, we are
confident these championships will deliver
exciting amateur golf to the national stage for
both players and spectators alike.”
The Pub-Links championship dates back to
1922. The women's event launched in 1977.
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As Golfweek's Sean Martin writes, the public
may assume that the USGA's decision to end
the Pub-Links is because of the lack of the
'every man' appeal in the event.
Created as a national championship of sorts for
regular, working citizens, the Pub-Links events
have been dominated by elite NCAA players.
University of Florida golfer T.J. Vogel (pictured
above) won last year's event.
But the USGA says that the it first thought of
ceasing the Public Links championships in 1979
--- the year it first opened other USGA
championships to public-links players.
Eligibility for both national four-ball
championships will be limited to amateurs, with
no age restrictions. Team partners will not be
required to be from the same club, state or
country, and substitution of partners will be
permitted until the close of entries. Entry is
limited to individuals with a USGA Handicap
Index® not to exceed 5.4 for men and 14.4 for
women.
The USGA’s national amateur four-ball
championships will begin with sectional
qualifying at dozens of sites across the nation.
The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and U.S. Women’s
Amateur Four-Ball will consist of 128 and 64
two-player teams respectively, each playing
their own ball throughout the round. Each
team’s score will be determined using their
better-ball score for each hole. After 36 holes
of stroke-play competition, the field will be
reduced to the low 32 teams for the match-
play portion of the championship. Host sites for
the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
Championship and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-
Ball Championship will be announced at a later
date.
“We appreciate the support and energy that
the USGA is bringing to these new four-ball
national championships,” said Jim Demick,
executive director of the Florida State Golf
Association, who served on the advisory group
of State and Regional Golf Association
executives and tournament directors consulted
by the USGA. “Along with my fellow
associations around the country, we look
forward to showcasing this unique brand of
team competition through what promise to be
first-class events.”
Information from the USGA's official press
release was used in this report
ABOUT THE U.S. Amateur Public Links
The U.S. Amateur Public Links is one of 13
national championships conducted by the
USGA.
It is designed for players who do not have
playing
privileges at a private club. See USGA
website for
details and complete description of
eligibility
requirements.
View Complete Tournament Information