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see also: U.S. Amateur, a USGA Championship, Merion Golf Club - East Course
The NFL and MLB legends are known golf aficionados and will serve as the representatives of Minnesota for this year's championship
Joe Mauer, a first-ballot National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, and Larry Fitzgerald Jr., an 11-time National Football League (NFL) Pro Bowler, have been named honorary co-chairs of the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be played at Hazeltine National Golf Club, in Chaska, Minn., from Aug. 12-18.
“I am humbled to represent the state of Minnesota, the Twin Cities and Hazeltine National as the honorary chair of the 2024 U.S. Amateur,” said Mauer. “As someone who has great enthusiasm not only for the game of golf, but also for competitive athletics and all the great things that can be learned through sports, I’m thrilled to have a role in this prestigious national championship. I’m confident Minnesota’s golf fans will join me in welcoming the game’s best amateur players to our home.”
Mauer had an illustrious 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July. The St. Paul native is a six-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and was awarded the 2009 American League MVP.
Mauer, who played football, basketball and baseball at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, was the first overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft. He immediately became the face of the franchise, earning three batting titles (2006, 2008 and 2009) while playing the most physically demanding position in the game. He collected 2,123 big league hits in 1,858 games, batted .306/.388/.439 for his career and walked nearly as many times (939) as he struck out (1,034).
“As an avid golfer myself, I am thrilled to be selected as an honorary chair of this year’s U.S. Amateur Championship,” said Fitzgerald. “The sport of golf is so much more than a game. Its unique blend of competition and camaraderie creates community, builds character, and creates lasting connections. I am honored to work with these talented athletes, and I look forward to being out there with some of the world’s best fans.”
Fitzgerald played 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, finishing his career second in NFL receiving yards, second in receptions and sixth in receiving touchdowns. He was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
As a teenager, Fitzgerald worked as a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings. He attended and played high school football at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield. While there, he was a two-time first-team all-state wide receiver. Fitzgerald played collegiately for two years at the University of Pittsburgh and during his sophomore season received the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding receiver in college football. In 2003 as a sophomore, he finished runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and was chosen third overall in the NFL Draft.
Fans have the chance to walk the fairways with the world’s best amateur golfers and future stars of the game as tickets for the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship, scheduled for Aug. 12-18 at Hazeltine National Golf Club are now available for purchase.
The USGA is offering individual single-day Gallery tickets and five-packs of Gallery tickets that can be used over multiple days or shared on the same day with family and friends.
Ticket Pricing
Gallery – Good Any One Day ($30/ticket)
Gallery – Good Any One Day, Five-Pack ($125 total, $25/ticket)
Juniors ages 17 and under will be granted complimentary Gallery admission for any day of the event by visiting the onsite ticket office with a ticketed or credentialed adult. All tickets are available for purchase at usamateur.com.
The 124th U.S. Amateur is currently seeking volunteers for championship week. Available roles include volunteer services, community experience, transportation and marshals, plus many other opportunities to be part of the action. For more information and to register, please visit the volunteer website here.
Future stars of the game shine on the U.S. Amateur stage, as a total of 19 champions have gone on to win major championships at the professional level including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. The last time the U.S. Amateur was played in Minnesota was in 2006, when Richie Ramsay beat John Kelly 4-and-2 in the final to become the first Scotsman to win the U.S. Amateur since 1898. En route to his victory, Ramsay beat Rickie Fowler in the quarterfinals and future U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson in the semifinals.
The starting field of 312 players for the U.S. Amateur Championship will play 18 holes of stroke play on Aug. 12 and 13, with one round at Hazeltine and one at Chaska Town Course, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scores. Six rounds of match play begin on Wednesday, Aug. 14, and the championship concludes with a 36-hole championship match on Sunday, Aug. 18. The winner and runner-up are exempt into the following year’s U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. The championship is open to amateur golfers with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 0.4. Entries are now open at champs.usga.org.
The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA championship, was first played in 1895 at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The event, which has no age restriction, is open to those with a Handicap Index of .4 (point four) or lower. It is one of 15 national champ...
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