CHERRY HILLS, Colo. — Ben James and Michael Brennan shake hands following their first round of stroke play on Monday at the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship at co-host Colorado Golf Club. | Chris Keane/USGA
The 123rd U.S. Amateur returns this week as Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado will host this tournament for a third time.
One of golf’s most extraordinary events, the U.S. Amateur, returns to Cherry Hills Country Club this week.
The Denver-area course has hosted this competition two times before, most recently in 2012, when Steven Fox captured the title on the 37th hole.
Twenty-two years earlier, in 1990, Phil Mickelson won his only U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills, defeating South African Manny Zerman 5 & 4 in the finals.
Last year, Sam Bennett of Texas A&M defeated Ben Carr 1-up at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. As defending champion, Bennett received an invitation to Augusta National, where he caught the attention of the entire golfing world at the 2023 Masters.
Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
AUGUSTA, Ga. — 2022 U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett during the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament on April 09, 2023.
This year, the USGA accepted a record 8,253 entrants, which was eventually whittled down to 312 competitors through various qualifying stages.
Those 312 players will play two 18-hole stroke play rounds, one at Cherry Hills and one at nearby Colorado Golf Club. Then, the USGA will take the top-64 players and create a bracket for match play.
Should there be ties, the USGA will create a playoff to ensure 64 players advance to the match-play stage.
Schedule:
Monday, August 14
One 18-hole stroke-play round for all competitors at either Cherry Hills or Colorado Golf Club. Every U.S. Amateur venue has a co-host, as a full field of 156 players tee it up at each course on both days.
Tuesday, August 15
One 18-hole stroke-play round for all competitors at either Cherry Hills or Colorado Golf Club.
USGA enforces cut; the top 64 players advance to the match-play bracket.
Wednesday, August 16
The round of 64 marks the first day of television coverage. Peacock will show live coverage from 5 to 6 p.m. ET while Golf Channel will air matches from 6 to 8 p.m. ET.
Thursday, August 17
Both the round of 32 and round of 16 matches take place. Peacock will cover the round of 16 from 5 to 6 p.m. ET while Golf Channel continues showing live coverage from 6 to 8 p.m. ET.
Friday, August 18
The top eight remaining players square off in the quarterfinal matches. Coverage on Peacock runs from 5 to 6 p.m. ET while Golf Channel will air the quarterfinals from 6 to 8 p.m. ET.
Saturday, August 19
The final four golfers left standing play in the semifinal matches concurrently. Golf Channel begins coverage at 3 p.m. ET, then NBC picks it up at 4 p.m. ET and carries the live broadcast until 6 p.m. ET.
Sunday, August 20
The championship match is always 36-holes, with both rounds being played at Cherry Hills. Coverage of the final match will air on Golf Channel from 3-4 p.m. ET. NBC then picks up the coverage, airing the championship from 4-6 p.m. ET or until the winner hoists the elusive Havemeyer Trophy.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
