Charlie Woods is going to have to wait to play in the U.S. Open.
Charlie Woods is going to have to wait to play in the U.S. Open.
The 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods played Thursday in local qualifying for the United States Golf Association’s national championship, set for June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Charlie played at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and he shot 9-over 81.
Charlie’s round featured a bogey on his opening hole, the par-4 first. He then doubled the par-5 second. A pair of pars followed before his lone birdie on the front, but another double the next hole, the par-4 sixth, had him turn in 4-over 40.
On the back nine, he had another double, three bogeys and five pars for a 41.
Only the top-five placers and two alternates will advance out of local qualifying.
Charlie Woods on the third hole at the 2024 U.S. Open qualifying at the Legacy Golf and Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo: Eric Hasert/Treasure Coast News)
With his appearance in the PGA Tour pre-qualifier and U.S. Open local qualifying, it shouldn’t be surprising to see the young Woods attempt to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills or the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine later this summer. His dad won both events three times.
Whan has worked for Wilson, TaylorMade, the LPGA and the USGA, but this is where he started.
“This doesn’t look anything like it did back then,” Mike Whan laughed before sitting down at a high-top table in the bar area of Coldstream Country Club.
Whan has spent 95% of his adult life in golf between Wilson Sporting Goods, TaylorMade Golf Company, the LPGA and his current position as the United States Golf Association (USGA) CEO.
On Friday, Whan, an Anderson High School graduate, returned to Coldstream Country Club, one of the places that helped fuel his passion for golf. It was his first time back in nearly 40 years.
USGA CEO Mike Whan (middle) became an honorary member at Coldstream Country Club on Friday, April 19, 2024. Whan became a grounds crew member at the club when he was a student at Anderson High School. (Photo courtesy USGA)
Tough, hourly work
Driving down Asbury Road Friday morning was a blast from the past for Whan, who now resides in Gladstone, New Jersey. Everything came back to him.
He remembered the lake near the road, where he shocked himself while working on a pump with a screwdriver, waking up a few moments later on his back. One fairway jogged a memory of a one-sided battle with a hornet’s nest that he hit with his head while cutting fairway aprons. With the wave of hornets chasing and stinging him, he jumped into the lake. A few hours later, he was left with severe swelling while watching Jimmy Buffett serenade a sold-out Riverbend crowd with “Margaritaville.”
“I wasn’t missing the concert,” he laughed.
Whan had caddied in Illinois before moving to Cincinnati as a sophomore in high school. He wanted a job on a local grounds crew and was introduced to Coldstream Superintendent Cal Gruber.
USGA CEO Mike Whan putts on the 10th green during the first round of the 2023 American Express in La Quinta, California. (Photo: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun)
Gruber showed Whan a barn full of every piece of equipment needed to maintain a golf course. The only problem? It was off-limits to the rookie.
“He (Gruber) goes, ‘Here’s my deal with all my people. You have to make it through one summer as a bunker boy. If you don’t quit, then next year I’ll teach you to ride all that stuff,’” Whan said.
Like many high school students, Whan spent his summers in the sand – and nowhere else. From 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 in the afternoon, Whan was edging, weeding and raking bunkers and working on drainage.
“It’s a miserable experience. It’s tough, hourly work,” Whan said. “I worked here every summer until I graduated from college.”
‘Where I learned the game.’
Being the USGA CEO comes with plenty of perks. One week ago, Whan had birdies on 9 and 12 at Augusta before the Masters. Forty years ago, Whan’s interest peaked at free golf in the evenings at Coldstream and weekly showdowns with grounds crews across the city.
Whan would tee off at 4:50 p.m. on the weekdays and get 18 holes in before supper. He’d return home and impress his dad by playing at local courses like Hyde Park and Camargo.
“I got to play all these courses that probably wouldn’t have me as a member,” he said. “Those were two great perks as a young kid.”
‘I can get passionate about golf.’
USGA CEO Mike Whan speaks during a press conference during a practice round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at The Country Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
When he graduated from Miami Ohio in 1987, Whan took a job at Proctor & Gamble as the brand manager for Crest Toothpaste. A recruiting call about joining Wilson Sporting Goods’ golf division was enough to lure him away.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘you don’t leave P&G for Wilson. Play golf on the weekends, but have a real job,’” said Whan, who was a 23-year-old member of Maketewah Country Club at the time.
“I love P&G, but it’s hard to get passionate about tartar control. I can get passionate about golf.”
‘Weird career path’
Suddenly, Whan’s career in golf was revived. The leap to Wilson launched a unique journey that’s taken him to every facet of the game.
After grounds crew duties, he was on the manufacturing side of things at Wilson. He later helped lead the LPGA to unprecedented growth as its commissioner from 2010 to 2021 by embracing the international talent coming on tour and making million-dollar deals for TV rights, leading to more tournaments, higher purses and popularity.
Now he’s part of the governing side of golf, working to advance, sustain and make accessible a game that is 50% bigger than it was 10 years ago.
“Usually, people in golf are in equipment, tour work or they are in governance, but nobody is in all three,” Whan said. “It’s a really weird career path.”
Still, Whan’s passion for golf can be traced back to Cincinnati. Professional golfers would laugh at him for evening strolls on the course to watch a grounds crew get a hole ready for a tournament.
“I loved that 15 people showed up on a hole and 15 minutes later it was ready for tomorrow’s championship,” Whan said. “That’s what we did.”
Whan was never edging a bunker in cut-off shorts and a helmet thinking he’d one day be great in the golf business. But those long hours on sun-splashed summer days in Cincinnati had a bigger impact than he realized at the time.
The youngest entrant this year is 12-year-old Beck Patrick, while the oldest is 74-year-old Keith Crimp.
For the third time in history, the United States Golf Association has accepted more than 10,000 entries for the U.S. Open.
Golf’s governing body in the States announced Thursday that 10,052 entries have been accepted for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, June 13-16. All 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., and 70 countries will be represented in qualifying for this year’s championship.
The record for entries was set last year when 10,187 were accepted for the championship at Los Angeles Country Club. The second-most entries were accepted in 2014 (10,127), the last time the U.S Open was held at Pinehurst No. 2.
“The U.S. Open’s two-stage qualifying process is unique among major championships in that it provides thousands of professional and amateur golfers worldwide an opportunity to earn a place in the 156-player field,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “The USGA is excited to once again showcase Pinehurst Resort and Country Club’s Course No. 2 while welcoming fans to what has become the home of American golf.”
Local qualifying will take place April 22-May 20 and feature 18 holes of play at 109 sites across 44 states and Canada. Players who advance will join a group of locally exempt players in final qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 10 U.S. and three international sites on May 20 and June 3 (location depending). Eligible players must have a Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4 or be a professional.
The youngest entrant this year is 12-year-old Beck Patrick from Houston. Keith Crimp, a 74-year-old amateur from Ellensburg, Washington, is the oldest entrant.
There are currently 52 golfers who are already fully exempt into the 2024 U.S. Open, including past champions Wyndham Clark (2023), Matt Fitzpatrick (2022), Jon Rahm (2021), Bryson DeChambeau (2020), Gary Woodland (2019), Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018), Dustin Johnson (2016), Jordan Spieth (2015) Martin Kaymer (2014), Rory McIlroy (2011), and Lucas Glover (2009).
The USGA accepted a record number of entries for both championships in 2023.
The USGA announced Wednesday qualifying sites for the 124th U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Amateur, to be held at Southern Hills Country Club, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Aug. 5-11, and Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, from Aug. 12-18, respectively.
U.S. Amateur local qualifying will be held between June 4 and July 3, with final qualifying between July 15 and July 31. U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifying will be held between June 17 and July 18.
Online entry applications for both championships, as well as the full list of qualifying sites, are available at champ-admin.usga.org. U.S. Amateur entries will close Wednesday, May 29, at 5 p.m. EDT and U.S. Women’s Amateur entries will close Wednesday, June 12, at 5 p.m. EDT.
The USGA accepted a record number of entries for both championships last year. The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club received 1,679 entries, beating the previous record set in 2021 with 1,650 entries. The 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club received 8,253 entries, breaking the previous mark set in 2022 with 7,749 entries.
The USGA announced significant modifications to its amateur championship qualifying model last year for the first time in more than 20 years. These changes will allow USGA championships to retain their openness while ensuring that high-caliber players are provided with ample opportunity to earn a spot in the field, and that qualifying can be conducted at the highest level among growing entries and field sizes.
The most significant revisions are to the U.S. Amateur, which will move from a one-stage, 36-hole qualifying format to a two-stage qualifying format with 45 18-hole local qualifying sites and 19 18-hole final qualifying sites. Other adjustments included modifications to exemptions.
These modifications will result in a net reduction of 94 qualifying sites, while providing more opportunities for players to earn a spot in a USGA championship through expanded exemptions, state/AGA amateur championships and traditional qualifying.
Meet the first group of players to represent the newly formed U.S. National Development Program.
Meet the future stars of American golf.
On Tuesday the United States Golf Association announced the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team, comprised of 10 girls and eight boys. The USGA plans to grow the National Junior Team to 30 boys and 30 girls over the next three years and will announce two additional teams as part of the U.S. National Development Program, which was launched last year. The Amateur Team will be announced in 2025 with the Young Professional Team to follow in 2026.
The goal of the U.S. National Development Program is to “ensure that American golf is the global leader in the game by focusing on six key pillars: talent identification, access to competition, national teams, athlete resources, player development and relations and athlete financial support.”
“We are thrilled to introduce the first U.S. National Junior Team, a group of 18 exceptionally talented young athletes who represent the bright future of American golf,” said Chris Zambri, head coach of the U.S. National Development Program. “Nearly every other golf country in the world has long enjoyed the benefits of a developmental program and national teams, and the announcement of this team is a major milestone in the USGA’s commitment to the growth of our American athletes and ensuring we remain the global leader in the junior, amateur and professional game.”
U.S. National Junior Team Roster
Boys
Blades Brown, 16, Nashville, Tennessee
Phillip Dunham, 16, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Henry Guan, 15, Irving, Texas
Will Hartman, 17, Marvin, North Carolina
Tyler Mawhinney, 16, Fleming Island, Florida
Michael Riebe, 17, Encinitas, California
Miles Russell, 15, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Tyler Watts, 16, Huntsville, Alabama
Girls
Shyla Brown, 15, McKinney, Texas
Gianna Clemente, 16, Estero, Florida
Mia Hammond, 16, New Albany, Ohio
Ryleigh Knaub, 17, DeBary, Florida
Chloe Kovelesky, 17, Boca Raton, Florida
Nikki Oh, 16, Torrance, California
Emerie Schartz, 16, Wichita, Kansas
Scarlett Schremmer, 17, Birmingham, Alabama
Asterisk Talley, 15, Chowchilla, California
Angela Zhang, 14, Bellevue, Washington
The team is reevaluated annually by a selection committee of U.S. National Development Program staff members, and selections are made in accordance with eligibility criteria and based on a variety of competitive factors including scoring, results, statistics, rankings, sportsmanship and scouting.
All 18 players will participate at bi-annual camps and compete internationally under the U.S. flag throughout the 2024 season. The team’s first training camp will be held May 8-11 at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia, and the first international friendly match will take place this summer against Australia.
Back in January, the USGA announced the creation of a state team pilot program to expand the pipeline for elite junior golfers into the U.S. National Development Program. Seven states are currently active, and the USGA has a goal to have all 50 states participate by 2033.
“He is in a class of his own when it comes to the impact he has made on the game.”
The USGA has given the 2024 Bob Jones Award — the organization’s highest honor — to 15-time major champion Tiger Woods.
“This award goes beyond playing performance, recognizing the lasting impact of one person’s journey that has forever changed the image and growth of golf,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, in a statement. “There are very few who stand alongside Tiger Woods in terms of on-course accomplishments, and he is in a class of his own when it comes to the impact he has made on the game and future generations who will play it.”
The nine-time USGA winner has impacted the world of golf on and off course thanks to his charitable work with his TGR Foundation.
“Bob Jones was a pillar of our game because of the integrity with which he played it, and I’m truly humbled to receive the award that bears his name and join the many who have received it before me who continue his legacy,” said Woods in a statement. “It’s especially fitting to receive this honor from the USGA, which has meant so much to my career and the entire game of golf.”
Woods won three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs (1991-93) and three straight U.S. Amateurs (1994-1996).
“Throughout his playing career and along with his incredible work outside the ropes, Tiger Woods has quite literally changed the game, and he has done it while embodying the characteristics recognized by this award and shared by others who have received it,” said Fred Perpall, USGA president, in a statement. “His impact on the game is incalculable, and there is no doubt that golf would not be the same without Tiger in it.”
In another first for the U.S. Women’s Open, the USGA has announced that Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will host the championship in 2036. But the good news doesn’t stop there. Shinnecock will become only the second venue to host back-to-back U.S. Open championships as the men and women will compete in consecutive weeks at the illustrious Southampton, New York, club.
Ten years ago, Pinehurst No. 2 became the first venue to host the men and women in back-to-back weeks, and it was a wildly successful campaign for the women, with champion Michelle Wie West drawing in massive television numbers, up 92 percent from the year prior.
Pinehurst will once again host back-to-back championships in 2029.
The U.S. Open trophy as seen at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in the Southampton, N.Y. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)
One of five founding members clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock’s roots date to 1891. Its nine USGA championships include the second U.S. Amateur and second U.S. Open, both in 1896. Five U.S. Open championships have been held at Shinnecock, with Brooks Koepka winning the latest in 2018.
While the 91st U.S. Women’s Open will be the first contested at Shinnecock, the club does boast the distinction of becoming the first golf club in America to have women members at its founding.
When LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park won the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open down the road at Sebonack Golf Club, which opened in 2006, it naturally raised questions about whether the women would ever get their chance to become part of golf history, a mere 2 ½ miles away.
At long last, the answer is yes.
“Few places can match the historic importance of Shinnecock Hills to golf in the United States,” said USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer in a release. “As an organization, we felt that this iconic venue would be an ideal stage for both our men’s and women’s premier championships. It will offer the perfect opportunity to bring the game’s best to one course and provide fans the chance to watch them compete for a national championship in back-to-back weeks.”
Last year, the U.S. Women’s Open was hosted at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time. The lineup of courses for the women’s championship leading up to 2036 is dreamlike: The Los Angeles Country Club (2032), Chicago Golf Club (2033), Merion Golf Club (2034) and Pebble Beach Golf Links (2035).
But before the women get their chance, Shinnecock will once again host the men in 2026.
“Shinnecock is deeply proud of our founding association with the USGA and our role in setting the course of history for golf in America,” said Brett Pickett, Shinnecock Hills club president. “And we are extremely excited to build on that legacy through this historic, back-to-back presentation of men’s and women’s major championship golf in Southampton in 2036.
“The seventh U.S. Open at Shinnecock will be played 140 years after the first, as we continue to be the only club to have hosted the U.S. Open in three different centuries.”
Here’s a look at the five players who have hoisted the U.S. Open trophy at Shinnecock Hills:
The U.S. Adaptive Open will feature more changes than just a new course in 2024.
Now in its third year, the United States Golf Association’s 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open will feature some key changes compared to the first two editions.
This year’s championship, scheduled for July 8-10 at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas, includes three new exemption categories as well as a cut for the first time.
The Adaptive Open is for male and female professional and amateur golfers who hold a Handicap Index of 36.4 or less, as well as an eligible impairment confirmed by a World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) Pass. Multiple sets of tees are used for the championship, which is contested over 54 holes of stroke play.
After the first two rounds, a cut will be administered with the low score (top 20 for men, top 10 for women), plus low two and ties from each impairment category advancing to the final round.
The first two Adaptive Open fields, held at Pinehurst No. 6 in North Carolina, were largely determined by Handicap Index. This year, qualifiers will be held at six sites across the country from April 15-May 31. The low overall female and male scorers from each qualifying site will earn spots in the championship, with ties resolved via a playoff. The remaining qualifying spots will be determined by Impairment Category and gender across all six qualifying sites using an adjusted Score Differential.
Effective this year, the USGA will employ the following three new exemption categories:
Overall male champion and overall female champion from the 2023 Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO (Chris Willis and Natasha Stasiuk)
Overall male champion and overall female champion from The 2024 G4D Open (to be contested May 15-17)
From the current WR4GD Gross Ranking – the top 10 men’s point leaders and ties, and the top five females and ties, as of April 3 (one week before entries close)
Online entry applications are now open and will close Wednesday, April 10, at 5 p.m. ET.
2024 U.S. Adaptive Open qualifying sites
Tuesday, April 16
Cedar Crest Golf Course, Dallas, Texas
Wednesday, Apr. 17
Bobby Jones Golf Course (Magnolia Route), Atlanta, Georgia
Wednesday, Apr. 24
Haworth Country Club, Haworth, New Jersey
Monday, Apr. 29
Goose Creek Golf Club, Jurupa Valley, California
Tuesday, May 7
Heritage Oaks Golf & Country Club, Sarasota, Florida
The classic course is a favorite among pretty much everyone on Tour.
Famed Riviera Country Club is the annual host for the Genesis Invitational on the PGA Tour. The classic course is a favorite among pretty much everyone on Tour.
Previous championships held there include the 1995 PGA Championship, the 1983 PGA Championship, the 1948 U.S. Open as well as the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship.
Here’s a closer look at three significant events coming to Riviera.
There are 14 local qualifying sites in California, the most of any state. Florida is second with 13 local qualifiers.
On Monday the United States Golf Association announced the local and final qualifying sites for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, June 13-16, 2024.
Online player registration begins on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at champs.usga.org and will continue through Wednesday, April 13. Players must have a Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4, or be a professional.
There will be 109 local qualifying sites across the United States and Canada, April 22-May 20. For the 45th consecutive year, Illini Country Club in Springfield, Illinois, will hold a U.S. Open qualifier. Riverton (Wyoming) Country Club and Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert, California, will host local qualifying for the 26th and 23rd years, respectively. There are 14 local qualifying sites in California, the most of any state. Florida is second with 13 local qualifiers.
Players who advance from 18-hole local qualifiers will join a group of exempt players in final qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes. International final stages will be held in England and Japan (May 20) and Canada (June 3). Nine final qualifiers in the U.S. will end on June 3, with one set for May 20. One local qualifying site in Texas and Massachusetts will be added at a later date.
The USGA accepted a record 10,187 entries for the 2023 championship at Los Angeles Country Club. The previous mark of 10,127 entries was established for the 2014 championship held at Pinehurst No. 2. The famed course in the Carolina sandhills, now an anchor site for the USGA, is hosting for a fourth time this year and will also host in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.
Check out the dates and locations for all 2024 U.S. Open local and final qualifying sites below.
