New Event at U.S. Open will Honor USGA Champions

FAR HILLS, NJ (April 11, 2018) - The USGA announced today that it will introduce a new event, the Celebration of Champions, as a way of honoring the 2017 USGA champions during U.S. Open week. In what will become an annual tradition, the Celebration of Champions will be an exhibition pairing 2017 USGA champions as two-player mixed teams. Each team will play alternate shot on holes 10-13 of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and the exhibition will be televised on FS1. “Our championships are open to all players who have the dream and desire to compete at the highest level,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “We believe hosting the inaugural Celebration of Champions – with our longtime partner Rolex – at the 118th U.S. Open is a fitting way to celebrate each champion’s incredible achievement and acknowledge their place in golf history.” Jack Nicklaus, who won 8 USGA championships, will be on hand to help kick off the new event. The event is reminiscent of the Champions Challenge exhibition held at St. Andrews in conjunction with the British Open Championship, when all living past Open champions played a four-hole exhibition on the Old Course. The participants in the Celebration of Champions will include: Frankie Capan (U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion), Alice Chen (U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion), Kelsey Chugg (U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion), Noah Goodwin (U.S. Junior Amateur champion), Sean Knapp (U.S. Senior Amateur champion), Judith Kyrinis (U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion), Matt Parziale (U.S. Mid-Amateur champion), Kenny Perry (U.S. Senior Open champion), Doc Redman (U.S. Amateur champion), Sophia Schubert (U.S. Women’s Amateur champion), Taylor Totland (U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion) and Ben Wong (U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion). Defending U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka will help with the festivities but will not play in the exhibition.