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February 8, 2008 - by
USGA Awards 2015 U.S. Open and 2 U.S. Amateurs
Chambers Bay to Host 2015 US Open, 2010 US Amateur
Far Hills, N.J. - The United States Golf Association has
announced that it has awarded the 2015 U.S. Open Championship
to Chambers Bay, the spectacular municipal links course located
on the scenic lower Puget Sound in University Place, Wash.
The USGA also announced from the Annual Meeting that Chambers
Bay, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Bruce Charleton,
will play host to the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2010.
Chambers Bay will be the third municipal course to host the
U.S. Open, following Bethpage Black in New York (2002, 2009)
and Torrey Pines in California later this year. Chambers Bay
will be the first golf course in the Pacific Northwest to hold
the U.S. Open.
"We are excited to take the U.S. Open Championship and the U.S.
Amateur to such an awesome site," said Jim Hyler, chairman of
the USGA Championship Committee. "This is the first time the
U.S. Open has been to Washington and we are confident that the
golf course will provide a challenging test for the best
players in the world, as well as a great spectator experience
for those who attend the event and watch it online and on
television.
"The local leadership provided by Pierce County has been superb
and we look forward to partnering with them and the great
sports fans in Washington to host a truly unique Open
Championship. And, the U.S. Amateur will give us great insight
into the golf course architecture and championship setup. For
the first time, the National Open will be played on fine fescue
grasses, including the putting greens."
Chambers Bay, opened in June 2007, is the centerpiece of a
930-acre park purchased by Pierce County, Wash., in 1992 that
today features scenic trails and coastline vistas where a sand
and gravel quarry once stood.
"Our hard work has paid off as we have done everything possible
to attract the attention of a prestigious championship," said
Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg. "Even so, we never
dreamed we'd be chosen by the USGA to host both the U.S.
Amateur and U.S. Open championships. Especially not so close to
the opening of the course. It is a true honor."
"Chambers Bay golf course is a jewel for the entire state of
Washington and the Pacific Northwest," said Washington Gov.
Chris Gregoire. "The U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Championships
will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the natural beauty
of our state and share it with golf enthusiasts from around the
globe. I applaud County Executive John Ladenburg for his hard
work on delivering the championship events to Pierce
County."
The USGA also announced that Erin Hills Golf Course in
Wisconsin will play host to the 2011 U.S. Amateur. Erin Hills
is located in Hartford, Wis., about 30 minutes northwest of
Milwaukee, and is also home to the U.S. Women's Amateur Public
Links Championship in 2008 - a USGA championship awarded to
Erin Hills before the golf course had opened in 2006.
Erin Hills is a links-style championship course designed by
Mike Hurdzan and Dana Fry of Hurdzan-Fry Architects, and Ron
Whitten, Architecture Editor of Golf Digest magazine. Golf
Magazine named Erin Hills its Best New Golf Course in January
2007.
"Erin Hills is a wonderfully unique golf course that really
takes a minimalist approach to the golf course design and
architecture," said Hyler. "The course is cleverly routed on a
great piece of golf landscape. The venue will be a terrific
test for the competitors in the U.S. Amateur."
"On behalf of the entire state of Wisconsin, we look forward to
the incredible opportunity to host the 2011 U.S. Amateur at
Erin Hills Golf Course," said Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle. "As a
public course open to all, Erin Hills fulfills the USGA promise
and is a world-class facility that showcases Wisconsin's future
as a premier golf destination."
"Everyone associated with the journey of Erin Hills is pleased
and we look forward to the unique opportunity to host the 2011
U.S. Amateur," said Bob Lang, owner of Erin Hills.
The awarding of championships to Chambers Bay and Erin Hills
was approved by the USGA Executive Committee at its Annual
Meeting in Houston. The formal approval of all three
championships is pending contractual agreement.
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country
and Mexico, a combined territory that includes more than half
the world's golfers and golf courses.
The Association's most visible role is played out each season
in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S.
Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. Ten additional
USGA national championships are exclusively for amateurs, and
include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women's Amateur.
The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment
testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations,
funds research for better turf and a better environment,
maintains a Handicap System and administers an ongoing "For the
Good of the Game" grants program, which has allocated more than
$58 million over 11 years to programs that seek to grow the
game.
Source: http://www.usga.org
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