Cassique and River Courses will play host to a USGA championship for the second time
(LIBERTY CORNER, N.J.) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced The Kiawah Island Club, in Kiawah Island, S.C., as the host site for the 9th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. The dates of the championship, which will be the second USGA event hosted by the club, are May 20-24, 2023.
“The Kiawah Island Club continues to support and advance amateur competition, and the USGA is appreciative of this continued and passionate commitment,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of Championships. “U.S. Amateur Four-Ball continues to be one of our most popular championships and provides for a spirited and dynamic team competition. We look forward to identifying an Amateur Four-Ball champion in the state of South Carolina for the first time in 2023.”
The Kiawah Island Club’s Cassique Course opened in 2000 and was designed by Tom Watson, the 1982 U.S. Open champion and a five-time winner of The Open Championship, conducted by The R&A. The links-style course is named for the Kiawah Indian chief who settled in an area where the Kiawah River meets the Atlantic Ocean.
The River Course, which was designed by Tom Fazio, was the club’s first course, opening in 1995. It overlooks the Kiawah River to the north and Bass Pond to the southeast. Six holes play to the river’s edge while the others play through marsh and maritime forest.
"We are honored to partner with the USGA and are thrilled to be bringing another USGA championship to the club,” said Chris Randolph, of Kiawah Partners. “We believe our award-winning Cassique and River Courses will prove to be a challenging test for the top amateurs and a great experience for golf fans to take in premier team golf in an unparalleled setting.”
The Kiawah Island Club previously hosted the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur, in which Nathan Smith defeated Tim Spitz, 7 and 6, in the 36-hole championship match for the second of his record four U.S. Mid-Amateur titles.
The Cassique Course has also played host to the 2001 UBS Cup, a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. Arnold Palmer, who won three USGA championships, including the 1960 U.S. Open, captained the USA to a 12.5-11.5 victory over the World Team. The River Course was the site of the 2000 South Carolina Amateur, which was won by Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion.
The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship is limited to amateur golfers, with no age restrictions. Partners comprising teams or sides are not required to be from the same club, state or country. Entry is limited to individuals with a Handicap Index not to exceed 5.4.
First conducted in 2015, the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball consists of 128 two-player teams, each playing their own ball throughout the round. Each team’s score is determined by using the lower score of the partners for each hole. After 36 holes of stroke play, the field is reduced to the low 32 teams for the championship’s match-play bracket (all matches contested at 18 holes).
The 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball will be the 20th USGA championship in South Carolina. In 2019, the Palmetto State will host the U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston from May 30-June 2. The 2020 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur will be played at Berkeley Hall Club, in Bluffton.
The 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball will be contested May 25-29 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore. The 2020 championship will be played at Philadelphia (Pa.) Cricket Club, the 2021 championship will be conducted at Chambers Bay, in University Place, Wash., and the 2022 championship will be held at the Country Club of Birmingham, in Birmingham, Ala. The USGA will begin to accept online entry applications for the 2020 championship on May 8 and the process will continue through Aug. 14 at 5 p.m. EDT (usga.org/champs/apply).
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