Tag: 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur

Son of PGA Tour player captures title at 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills

In the process, he earned a spot in the 2025 U.S. Open.

Scott Gutschewski has continued to grind, working through the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 at the age of 46 to get his card for the 2024 PGA Tour season. He’s amassed nearly $4 million in career earnings since turning pro in 1999.

His son Trevor, set to attend the University of Florida in 2025, has a similar fighter’s mentality.

Despite playing in a field with bigger names like Charlie Woods and Miles Russell, the unheralded Trevor Gutschewski emerged with the hardware at the U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan. Gutschewski defeated Tyler Watts, 4 and 3 in the final. Gutschewski came into the event ranked 3,570 in the world amateur golf rankings.

Trevor Gutschewski signing autograph after winning the finals of the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Logan Whitton/USGA)

“I don’t even know,” Gutschewski said of what it means to be a USGA champion. “Probably hasn’t sunk in yet. I have to sit on it for a bit.”

In the process, Gutschewski earned a spot in the 2024 U.S. Amateur and the 2025 U.S. Open.

“That match was a grind,” Gutschewski said of his battle with Watts. “I had probably a 15-footer and a 30-footer where if I didn’t make them I’m going home and now we’re here. It’s crazy how match play goes. Every match is a new match. Just got to keep winning, keep doing your best.”

Dad Scott, who was playing in this week’s 3M Open, missed the cut Friday, which allowed him to make it to Oakland Hills in time to see his son hoist the trophy.

76th U.S. Junior Amateur
Trevor Gutschewski is interviewed while standing next to dad Scott after winning the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. (Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

Miles Russell ousted at U.S. Junior Amateur; final will be Tyler Watts vs. Trevor Gutschewski

Russell’s run in the U.S. Junior Amateur ended on Friday.

Miles Russell’s run in the U.S. Junior Amateur ended on Friday with another match that went the distance.

Russell, the 15-year-old Jacksonville Beach native and the No. 1 player on the American Junior Golf Association Rankings, fell to Jay Leng of San Diego 1 up after rallying from three holes down with seven to play at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Russell won the 12th and 15th holes with pars but Leng, who will enroll at Stanford next month, matched Russell over the last three holes to advance to the semifinals later Friday against Tyler Watts of Huntsville, Alabama. In that match, Watts, the match play portion’s No. 2 seed, prevailed 3 and 2.

The other semifinal featured Trevor Gutschewski of Omaha, Nebraska, who ousted stroke-play medalist Brian Blades in the second round, against Xihuan Chang of China. Gutschewski won that match, 2 and 1, as the No. 33 seed.

Gutschewski is the son of PGA Tour veteran Scott Gutschewski, competing this week at the 3M Open. He’s set to attend Florida this fall.

The 36-hole final is Saturday at 8 a.m. ET. Peacock will have live streaming of the second 18.

Russell was the last surviving Floridian and the only one to reach the third round. He also faced three consecutive opponents who will be playing college golf within a month: Leng (Stanford), CJ Winchenbaugh (Georgetown) and Billy Davis (Auburn).

Blades Brown joins Tiger Woods in USGA history after winning U.S. Junior medalist honors

It has been a week for Blades Brown at the U.S. Junior Amateur, and it’s only Wednesday.

It has been a week for Blades Brown at the U.S. Junior Amateur, and it’s only Wednesday.

Brown, a 17-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, shot 2-under 68 on Tuesday on the difficult South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to earn medalist honors at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur. Shortly after, Brown got to meet Tiger Woods, who was on property to watch his son, Charlie, competing in his first USGA Championship.

For Blades, he joined Woods in an exclusive USGA club. Brown became the third person to win medalist honors at a U.S. Amateur and U.S Junior, joining Woods and Bobby Clampett. Brown won low am honors last summer at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado in the U.S. Amateur when he was 16.

“It gives me so much momentum and fuel and confidence,” Brown said. “But in match play anything can happen. I’m looking forward to it.”

Photos: Charlie Woods at the U.S. Junior Amateur

Brown will face Alex Huang on Wednesday morning, who advanced out of a 13-for-9 playoff for the final spots in match play. The top 64 seeds advanced from stroke play.

Also among those advancing to match play is Alabama signee Chase Kyes, who has Jeff Curl as his caddie. Curl was the caddie for Nick Dunlap at both his 2021 U.S. Junior win and last summer at the U.S. Amateur.

Five of the seven members of the USGA’s inaugural U.S. National Junior Team in the field also advanced to match play. Joining Brown were Tyler Watts, Henry Guan, Michael Riebe and Miles Russell, the No. 1 junior in the American Junior Golf Association rankings.

Photos: Charlie Woods at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills

Charlie Woods teed off Monday morning in the biggest event of his life thus far.

Charlie Woods teed off Monday morning in the biggest event of his life thus far.

Charlie, the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods, is playing in his first USGA Championship this week at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He won a qualifier last month to punch his ticket to the U.S. Junior, an event Pops won three straight times from 1991-93.

Charlie’s day began early Monday, playing Oakland Hills’ North Course with the South Course to come Tuesday. There are 256 players in the U.S. Junior field, and only 64 of them make the cut for match play set to begin Wednesday.

In the opening round, Charlie shot 12-over 82, and while he birdied both par 5s, four doubles were his undoing. The leaders are at 5 under after the opening wave. It got a little better Tuesday on the South Course, as he shot 10-over 80, but a 22-over mark was enough to miss the cut in his first USGA Championship.

Tiger was on hand Sunday walking with Charlie during the practice round. Tiger isn’t caddying, but he was following Charlie along with a big gallery during the first round Monday.

U.S. Junior: Scores from Oakland Hills

Here’s a look at photos of Charlie Woods and the whole scene around him during the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur:

Every venue hosting USGA championships in 2024, including Pinehurst No. 2 and Hazeltine

There are some fantastic venues on the slate for 2024.

Another busy year is on tap for the United States Golf Association in 2024, and several of the organization’s biggest events are headed to the best golf courses in the world.

On the men’s side, Wyndham Clark claimed the U.S. Open title at Los Angeles Country Club in California in 2023. Next year, the best male players in the world will take on historic Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Martin Kaymer won the last U.S. Open staged at No. 2 (2014).

As for the women, Allisen Corpuz won the first-ever U.S. Women’s Open staged at Pebble Beach Golf Links. In 2024, the ladies are headed to Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.

Here are all 17 of the USGA’s events on the 2024 calendar. And here are all the trophies the USGA hands out at its championships.