The Minikahda Club to Host 2017 USGA Senior Amateur Championship

(Far Hills, NJ) - The Minikahda Club, in Minneapolis, Minn., has been chosen by the United States Golf Association to host the 2017 USGA Senior Amateur Championship. This will be the sixth USGA championship held at The Minikahda Club. The dates of the championship are Aug. 26-31.

"The USGA is thrilled to be bringing our Senior Amateur Championship to a venue so rich in tradition and championship history," said Ben Kimball, director of the U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Amateur Championships. "The Minikahda Club has always been a great supporter of amateur golf and we look forward to challenging the best senior amateur players in the world on this classic venue come 2017."

The club has previously hosted the 1916 U.S. Open, won by Charles "Chick" Evans Jr.; the 1927 U.S. Amateur, one of nine USGA championships garnered by the legendary Robert T. Jones Jr.; and the 1988 U.S. Women's Amateur, which was captured by Pearl Sinn, the first woman to win two USGA titles in the same year. In 1957, Minikahda hosted the Walker Cup, which brings together male amateurs from the United States and Great Britain and Ireland in a biennial team competition. In 1998, the club held the Curtis Cup Match, a biennial amateur team event for women that is conducted in a similar format to the Walker Cup. The USA won both competitions.

"The Minikahda Club is proud to continue its support of amateur golf as the host of the 2017 USGA Senior Amateur," said Jim Jennings, general manager of The Minikahda Club. "The Senior Amateur will mark 101 years since Minikahda hosted the 1916 U.S. Open. Players today will find the course challenging and enjoyable and the hospitality of the membership unsurpassed."

The Minikahda Club dates to 1898. The name Minikahda comes from the Sioux and is a combination of two words meaning "by the side of the water." In fact, the club is adjacent to Lake Calhoun, the largest in the Minneapolis area. Willie Watson, the club's first golf professional, and Robert Foulis designed the original nine-hole course. Robert Taylor and C.T. Jaffray joined Foulis to create an 18-hole layout that opened in 1907. A redesign of the course by Donald Ross opened in 1920 and Ron Prichard restored the course in 2001.

The USGA Senior Amateur Championship was first played in 1955. It is open to amateur golfers who are age 55 and older and have a USGA Handicap Index® not exceeding 7.4. In 2012, the USGA Senior Amateur Championship will be played at Mountain Ridge Country Club, in West Caldwell, N.J., from Sept. 29-Oct. 4. In 2013, the Senior Amateur will be conducted at Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, N.C., from Sept. 21-26.

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