U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship
The United States Junior Amateur Championship is one of the thirteen U.S. national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association. It is open to amateur boys who are under 18 on the last day of the competition and have a USGA Handicap Index of 6.4 or less. The competition was established in 1948. It consists of two days of stroke play, with the leading 64 competitors then playing a match play competition to decide the champion.
The first tournament in 1948 was won by Dean Lind from a field of 495 entries. In 1999, the tournament set a record with 4,508 entries. Only two players have won the championship multiple times: Tiger Woods won the tournament for three consecutive years beginning in 1991; Jordan Spieth won in 2009 and 2011.[1] In 2010, Jim Liu, at 14 years, 11 months, became the youngest champion ever, breaking Woods' mark of 15 years and 220 days.[2]
The number of winners who have gone on to become leading professionals is quite modest. This reflects not only the young age of the competitors, but the more random results of match play tournaments compared to stroke play events. Apart from Woods, well known winners include Johnny Miller (1964), David Duval (1989), Hunter Mahan (1999) and Jordan Spieth (2009 and 2011). Jack Nicklaus's best result was a semifinal loss.
The equivalent competition for girls is the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Min Woo Lee |  Australia | The Honors Course | 2 & 1 |  Noah Goodwin |
| 2015 | Philip Barbaree | United States | Colleton River Plantation Club | 37 Holes | Andrew Orischak |
| 2014 | Will Zalatoris | United States | The Club at Carlton Woods | 5 & 3 | Davis Riley |
| 2013 | Scottie Scheffler | United States | Martis Camp | 3 & 2 | Davis Riley |
| 2012 | Andy Hyeon Bo Shim | United States | The Golf Club of New England | 4 & 3 | Jim Liu |
| 2011 | Jordan Spieth | United States | Gold Mountain Golf Club | 6 & 5 | Chelso Barrett |
| 2010 | Jim Liu | United States | |||
| 2009 | Jordan Spieth | United States | Trump National Golf Club | 4 & 3 | Jay Hwang |
| 2008 | Cameron Peck | United States | |||
| 2007 | Cory Whitsett | United States | |||
| 2006 | Philip Francis | United States | |||
| 2005 | Kevin Tway | United States | |||
| 2004 | Sihwan Kim |  South Korea[3] | |||
| 2003 | Brian Harman | United States | |||
| 2002 | Charlie Beljan | United States | |||
| 2001 | Henry Liaw | United States | |||
| 2000 | Matthew Rosenfeld | United States | |||
| 1999 | Hunter Mahan | United States | |||
| 1998 | James Oh | United States | |||
| 1997 | Jason Allred | United States | |||
| 1996 | Shane McMenamy | United States | |||
| 1995 | D. Scott Hailes | United States | |||
| 1994 | Terry Noe | South Korea | |||
| 1993 | Tiger Woods | United States | Waverley Country Club | 19 Holes | Ryan Armour |
| 1992 | Tiger Woods | United States | Wollaston Golf Club | 1 Up | Mark Wilson (golfer) |
| 1991 | Tiger Woods | United States | Bay Hill Club and Lodge | 19 Holes | Brad Zwetschke |
| 1990 | Mathew Todd | United States | |||
| 1989 | David Duval | United States | |||
| 1988 | Jason Widener | United States | |||
| 1987 | Brett Quigley | United States | |||
| 1986 | Brian Montgomery | United States | |||
| 1985 | Charlie Rymer | United States | |||
| 1984 | Doug Martin | United States | |||
| 1983 | Tim Straub | United States | |||
| 1982 | Rich Marik | United States | |||
| 1981 | Scott Erickson | United States | |||
| 1980 | Eric Johnson | United States | |||
| 1979 | Jack Larkin | United States | |||
| 1978 | Donald Hurter | United States | |||
| 1977 | Willie Wood | United States | |||
| 1976 | Madden Hatcher III | United States | |||
| 1975 | Brett Mullin | United States | |||
| 1974 | David Nevatt | United States | |||
| 1973 | Jack Renner | United States | |||
| 1972 | Bob Byman | United States | |||
| 1971 | Mike Brannan | United States | |||
| 1970 | Gary Koch | United States | |||
| 1969 | Aly Trompas | United States | |||
| 1968 | Eddie Pearce | United States | |||
| 1967 | John T. Crooks | United States | |||
| 1966 | Gary Sanders | United States | |||
| 1965 | James Masserio | United States | |||
| 1964 | Johnny Miller | United States | |||
| 1963 | Gregg McHatton | United States | |||
| 1962 | Jim Wiechers | United States | |||
| 1961 | Charles S. McDowell | United States | |||
| 1960 | William L. Tindall | United States | |||
| 1959 | Larry J. Lee | United States | |||
| 1958 | Gordon Baker | United States | |||
| 1957 | Larry Beck | United States | |||
| 1956 | Harlan Stevenson | United States | |||
| 1955 | Billy J. "Cotton" Dunn | United States | |||
| 1954 | Foster Bradley, Jr. | United States | |||
| 1953 | Rex Baxter | United States | |||
| 1952 | Donald M. Bisplinghoff | United States | |||
| 1951 | Tommy Jacobs | United States | |||
| 1950 | Mason Rudolph | United States | |||
| 1949 | Gay Brewer | United States | |||
| 1948 | Dean Lind | United States |
Multiple winners
- 3 wins: Tiger Woods
- 2 wins: Jordan Spieth
Notes
- ↑ "Live Championship Match Blog". Junior Amateur Blog. USGA. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ↑ Lavner, Ryan (24 July 2010). "Liu, 14, becomes youngest U.S. Junior champ". Golfweek.com. Turnstile Publishing Company. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ↑ Shin was born in South Korea and moved to California with his family in October 2000. His citizenship at the time of winning the Championship is unknown. The USGA lists him as "of Fullerton, California".