For amateur golfers, there's something magical about the U.S. Open Championship when it's held at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
It was at the famed club outside of Boston in 1913 where 20-year-old Francis Ouimet, a local qualifier, defeated world-renowned champions Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to become the first amateur to win the U.S. Open.
“It’s the most wonderful thing that ever happened in the history of golf,” exclaimed then USGA president Robert Watson.
The father of amateur golf, Francis Ouiment (center) Once reserved exclusively for the society's elite, Quimet's historic victory at Brookline gave birth to modern golf in the United States, all thanks to a former boy caddy who grew up across the street from the Country Club on Clyde Street.
Beginning with local qualifying on April 25, the best amateur players in the world will have the opportunity to chase their dream of winning a U.S. Open, one realized by only four other non-professionals following Ouimet's historic victory in 1913, the last being Johnny Goodman in 1933 at North Shore Country Club outside Chicago.
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Local and final qualifying sites for the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club, in Brookline, Mass., have been finalized. The championship will be contested at the iconic for a fourth time from June 16-19, 2022.
Local qualifying, conducted over 18 holes at 109 sites in 44 U.S. states and Canada, will take place between April 25-May 23. Those players who advance out of local qualifying will join a group of locally exempt players in final qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes. The final stage will be held in Japan and Canada as well as nine U.S. sites on May 23 and June 6.
Online player registration for the 2022 U.S. Open will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at
champs.usga.org and will continue through Wednesday, April 13.
The USGA accepted 9,069 entries for the 2021 championship at Torrey Pines Golf Course, in San Diego, Calif. The record of 10,127 entries was established for the 2014 championship on Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Related: Best of: 2022 USGA Qualifying Sites
Illini Country Club, in Springfield, Ill., and Maketewah Country Club, in Cincinnati, Ohio, have long histories as local qualifying hosts. Illini C.C. will conduct a U.S. Open qualifier for the 43rd consecutive year in which qualifying has been conducted. Maketewah C.C. will be a local site for the 45th time in the last 47 years. Additionally, Riverton (Wyo.) Country Club has hosted local qualifying since 1998, while Collindale Golf Course, in Fort Collins, Colo., has been a host site since 2003. Ironwood Country Club, in Palm Desert, Calif., will hold a local qualifier for the 21st consecutive year in which qualifying has been held.
To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional. There are 14 local qualifying sites in California, the most of any state. Florida will host 13 local qualifiers.
The final qualifying venues in Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; and Purchase, N.Y., will use two courses. In Columbus, Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club and Wedgewood Golf and Country Club will combine to host final qualifying for the first time since 2016. Eight players from the Columbus qualifier made the 36-hole cut in the 2021 U.S. Open, including Charl Schwartzel, who tied for 19th. Lakewood Country Club and Royal Oaks Country Club will host the Dallas qualifier. Lakewood (2013, 2017) and Royal Oaks (1973, 1979) have twice been sites for final qualifying but will collaborate for the first time. Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club will join to host final qualifying in Purchase for the 17th time since 1963.
Woodmont Country Club, in Rockville, Md., will host final qualifying for the 34th time in the last 36 years, with only the North Course used for the eighth consecutive time. Springfield Country Club in Ohio will host final qualifying for the 13th time in 15 years. Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek Course, in Roswell, Ga., will be a final qualifying site for the 13th time since 1994.
Caledonian Golf Club, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, joins RattleSnake Point Golf Club, in Milton, Ontario, Canada, as international final qualifying sites. England will not host final qualifying this year due to continued international travel requirements, but as was done in 2021, an exemption category will allow players to earn entry based on a four-event U.S. Open qualifying series on the PGA European Tour (now DP World Tour). The top 10 aggregate point earners from those events, who are otherwise not exempt, will earn spots in the U.S. Open field.
Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after qualifying through both local and final stages. Gene Littler (1961), Julius Boros (1963), Jerry Pate (1976), Steve Jones (1996), Michael Campbell (2005) and Lucas Glover (2009) won after advancing through final qualifying.
Related: Where will you play? USGA releases 2022 qualifying sites, dates
Several U.S. Open champions have advanced to the championship through both local and final qualifying at some point in their careers, including Glover, David Graham, Lou Graham, Hale Irwin, Tony Jacklin, Lee Janzen, Tom Kite, Johnny Miller, Corey Pavin, Curtis Strange, Lee Trevino, Gary Woodland and Fuzzy Zoeller.
The U.S. Open has previously been contested at The Country Club in 1913, 1963 and 1988 and each championship was decided in a playoff. One of the five founding member clubs of the USGA, the club will host its 17th USGA championship overall and first since the 2013 U.S. Amateur.
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2022 U.S. Open Championship Local Qualifying Sites (109)
Monday, April 25 (4)
Coral Ridge C.C., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Marietta C.C., Kennesaw, Ga.
Fox Den C.C., Knoxville, Tenn.
Gold Mountain G.C. (Olympic Course), Bremerton, Wash.
Tuesday, April 26 (4)
The Dunes at Maui Lani G.C., Kahului, Hawaii
CasaBlanca G.C., Mesquite, Nev.
New Mexico State University G.C., Las Cruces, N.M.
Jimmie Austin OU G.C., Norman, Okla.
Wednesday, April 27 (1)
Tangle Ridge C.C., Grand Prairie, Texas
Thursday, April 28 (2)
Columbia C.C. (Ridgewood/Tall Pines Courses), Blythewood, S.C.
Jackson (Tenn.) C.C.
Monday, May 2 (17)
Peach Tree G. & C.C., Marysville, Calif.
Indian Ridge C.C. (Grove Course), Palm Desert, Calif.
Brentwood C.C., Los Angeles, Calif.
Fountaingrove G. & Athletic Club, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Wee Burn C.C., Darien, Conn.
Pine Tree C.C., Boynton Beach, Fla.
Lexington C.C., Fort Myers, Fla.
Sara Bay C.C., Sarasota, Fla.
Hoakalei C.C., Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Bayou DeSiard C.C., Monroe, La.
Foxborough (Mass.) C.C.
Muskegon (Mich.) C.C.
Windsong Farm G.C., Maple Plain, Minn.
Scioto Reserve C.C., Powell, Ohio
The Oregon G.C., West Linn, Ore.
The C.C. of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, S.D.
The Club at Comanche Trace (Valley/Hills Courses), Kerrville, Texas
Tuesday, May 3 (8)
Andalusia C.C., La Quinta, Calif.
The Club at Ruby Hill, Pleasanton, Calif.
Collindale G.C., Fort Collins, Colo.
Worthington Manor C.C., Urbana, Md.
The Orchards G.C., Washington, Mich.
Duke University G.C., Durham, N.C.
Hollywood G.C., Deal, N.J.
UNM Championship G.C., Albuquerque, N.M.
Wednesday, May 4 (1)
Lake Jovita G. & C.C. (South Course), Dade City, Fla.
Thursday, May 5 (9)
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Silver Lakes (Backbreaker/Heartbreaker Courses), Glencoe, Ala.
Sewailo G.C., Tucson, Ariz.
La Purisima G.C., Lompoc, Calif.
The Grand G.C., San Diego, Calif.
CommonGround Golf Course, Aurora, Colo.
Buckhorn Springs G. & C.C., Valrico, Fla.
Old Oakland C.C. (South/East Courses), Indianapolis, Ind.
Midland (Texas) C.C.
The Federal Club, Glen Allen, Va.
Monday, May 9 (21)
Phoenix (Ariz.) C.C.
The Ridge G.C., Auburn, Calif.
El Niguel C.C., Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif.
Todd Creek G.C., Thornton, Colo.
The G.C. at Oxford Greens, Oxford, Conn.
Ritz-Carlton Members G.C., Bradenton, Fla.
Bay Point G.C. (Nicklaus Course), Panama City Beach, Fla.
The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
BanBury G.C., Eagle, Idaho
Cantigny G.C. (Woodside/Lakeside Courses), Wheaton, Ill.
Morris Park C.C., South Bend, Ind.
Blue Top Ridge G.C., Riverside, Iowa
Oakwood C.C., Kansas City, Mo.
Lake Forest C.C., St. Louis, Mo.
Pinewild C.C. (Magnolia Course), Pinehurst, N.C.
Southampton (N.Y.) C.C.
White Manor C.C., Malvern, Pa.
DeBordieu Club, Georgetown, S.C.
Lakeside C.C., Houston, Texas
Forest Creek G.C, Round Rock, Texas
Tuesday, May 10 (6)
Hot Springs C.C. (Arlington Course), Hot Springs, Ark.
Ironwood C.C. (South Course), Palm Desert, Calif.
Missoula (Mont.) C.C.
Westfield C.C. (North Course), Westfield Center, Ohio
Westfield C.C. (South Course), Westfield Center, Ohio
Kirkbrae C.C., Lincoln, R.I.
Wednesday, May 11 (8)
Pelican Marsh G.C., Naples, Fla.
Wichita (Kan.) C.C.
Kearney Hill G.L., Lexington, Ky.
Omaha (Neb.) C.C.
Butler (Pa.) C.C.
Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, W.Va.
Wild Rock C.C., Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
Riverton (Wyo.) C.C.
Thursday, May 12 (11)
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes G.C., Maricopa, Ariz.
Bermuda Dunes (Calif.) C.C. (Classic Course)
Hammock Dunes Club (Creek Course), Palm Coast, Fla.
Wellington National G.C., West Palm Beach, Fla.
Whitewater Creek C.C., Fayetteville, Ga.
Hillendale C.C., Phoenix, Md.
The Links at Norfolk, Ramsey, Minn.
River Landing G.C. (River Course), Wallace, N.C.
The Legacy Club at Woodcrest, Cherry Hill, N.J.
Knickerbocker C.C., Tenafly, N.J.
C.C. of York, York, Pa.
Monday, May 16 (11)
Mesa (Ariz.) C.C.
TPC Stonebrae C.C., Hayward, Calif.
The Pulpit Club (Paintbrush Course), Caledon Village, Ontario, Canada
Lake Shore C.C., Glencoe, Ill.
Illini C.C., Springfield, Ill.
Shaker Ridge C.C., Albany, N.Y.
Mendon (N.Y.) G.C.
Maketewah C.C., Cincinnati, Ohio
Glen Oak C.C., Clarks Summit, Pa.
Hurricane Creek C.C., Anna, Texas
Riverside C.C., Provo, Utah
Tuesday, May 17 (5)
Shingle Creek G.C., Orlando, Fla.
Taconic G.C., Williamstown, Mass.
Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, Stateline, Nev.
Manhattan Woods G.C., West Nyack, N.Y.
Tumble Creek Club, Cle Elum, Wash.
Monday, May 23 (1)
Palmer (Alaska) G.C.
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2022 U.S. Open Final Qualifying Sites (11)
International (2)
Monday, May 23
Asia – Caledonian Golf Club, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Monday, June 6
Canada – RattleSnake Point Golf Club (CopperHead Course), Milton, Ontario
United States (9)
Monday, May 23
Lakewood Country Club & Royal Oaks Country Club, Dallas, Texas
Monday, June 6
The Olympic Club (Ocean Course), San Francisco, Calif.
The Club at Admiral’s Cove (North and West Courses), Jupiter, Fla.
Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga.
Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Md.
Century Country Club & Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.
Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club & Wedgewood Golf and Country Club, Columbus, Ohio
Springfield (Ohio) Country Club
Pronghorn Resort (Nicklaus Resort), Bend, Ore.