10th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship Starts This Weekend

The USGA has announced that the 10th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship will run May 17-21 at the Plainfield Country Club in Plainfield, N.J.
 

PAR AND YARDAGE

Plainfield Country Club will be set up at 6,965 yards and play to a par of 35-35–70. Echo Lake Country Club, which will serve as the stroke-play co-host course for the first two days, will be set up at 7,094 yards and play to a par of 34-36–70.

 

PLAINFIELD COUNTRY CLUB HOLE BY HOLE

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
Par	4	4	3	4	3	4	5	4	4	35
Yards	430	440	193	480	200	361	601	423	400	3,528

 

Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
Par	4	3	5	4	4	3	4	4	4	35
Yards	409	146	588	326	490	160	468	485	365	3,437

ECHO LAKE COUNTRY CLUB HOLE BY HOLE

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
Par	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	4	4	34
Yards	395	478	140	478	395	422	170	427	443	3,348

 

Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
Par	4	5	5	4	3	4	4	3	4	36
Yards	455	563	582	457	241	458	425	184	428	3,793

 

ABOUT PLAINFIELD COUNTRY CLUB
Established in 1890, Plainfield Country Club has enjoyed a revered reputation as one of the oldest clubs in America. Originally designed by Donald Ross in 1916, the club acquired land to expand its footprint in the 1930s to construct three new holes. Over the past 10 years, Plainfield has undergone an extensive restoration and renovation program under the direction of architect Gil Hanse, involving the removal of more than 1,200 trees, the rediscovery of lost bunkers covered in prior years, expansion of several greens and the lengthening of tees.

ABOUT ECHO LAKE COUNTRY CLUB

Echo Lake Country Club was founded in 1921 when the Cranford Golf Club and the Westfield Golf Club merged properties. In 1928, three new holes were designed by Willard Wilkinson, and the present practice range was opened. The course was played for 75 years as it was after those three holes were completed. The present course was mutually designed by Donald Ross (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 17 and 18), Willard Wilkinson (6, 7 and 9) and Bob White 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16). Echo Lake has hosted eleven national and state championships over its 104 years.

 

ENTRIES       

The championship is open to teams (or sides) of amateurs, with each player’s Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4. The deadline for entries was Aug. 7, 2024. There are no age restrictions and partners are not required to be from the same club, state or country. The USGA accepted 2,495 entries (4,990 players) for the 2025 championship. A record 2,638 entries were accepted in 2024.

 

QUALIFYING

Qualifying, conducted over 18 holes, was held at 53 sites nationwide between Aug. 15 and Dec. 9, 2024. Click here for a full list of qualifying results.
 

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD      

A starting field of 128 sides (256 players) will play two rounds of stroke play, with the low 32 sides (64 players) advancing to match play. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the champion.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY

Practice rounds will take place May 15 and 16, followed by the championship proper:
May 17 (Saturday): First round, stroke play
May 18 (Sunday): Second round, stroke play
May 19 (Monday): Round of 32, match play
May 20 (Tuesday): Round of 16 and quarterfinals, match play
May 21 (Wednesday): Semifinals and championship match, match play
 

WHAT THE WINNERS RECEIVE

• A 10-year exemption from qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, provided the side remains intact and amateur
• Exemption for each player into the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, Calif.
• Exemptions into the 2025 U.S. Junior, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur (if age-eligible)
• Gold medals and custody of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Trophy for one year
• Their names inscribed on a plaque recognizing all 2025 USGA champions that will reside in the Hall of Champions at the USGA Golf Museum, in Liberty Corner, N.J.

EXEMPT PLAYERS: A total of sixteen sides or 32 players are fully exempt into the 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball based on performances in USGA championships. Four players (two sides) gained exemption into the championship by being in the top 400 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ (WAGR) as of the close of entries on Aug. 7, 2024.
 

• Nathan Smith/Todd White (2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions)
• Benjamim Baxter/Andrew Buchanan (2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions)
• Scott Harvey/Todd Mitchell (2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions)
• Brian Blanchard/Sam Engel (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions)
• Chad Wilfong/Davis Womble (2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions)
• Drew Kittleson/Drew Stoltz (2022 and 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball runners-up)
• Evan Beck/Dan Walters (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball quarterfinalists)
• Bryce Haney/Tyler Goecke (2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinalists)
• Will Davenport/Mike Smith (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinalists)
• Bradley Bastion/Anthony Sorentino (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball quarterfinalists)
• Payne Denman/Brett Patterson (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball quarterfinalists)
• Ricky Shilts/Chester Vandenberg (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball quarterfinalists)
• Trey Diehl/Mac Scott (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinalists)
• Cameron Beal/Andrew Gladden (Special Exemption from USGA)
• Jonathan Bale/Joseph Deraney (Side with both players among top 400 points leaders in World Amateur Golf Ranking as of July 31)
• Miles Russell/Tyler Watts (Side with both players among top 400 points leaders in World Amateur Golf Ranking as of July 31)

2024 CHAMPIONSHIP

Scottsdale, Ariz., residents Brian Blanchard, 31, and Sam Engel, 29, held off Tennessee teenagers Blades Brown and Jackson Herrington, 1 up, in the 18-hole final at Philadelphia Cricket Club, in Flourtown, Pa. Both Blanchard and Engel, a left-hander, work in the software industry. Engel played his collegiate golf at Cal State Northridge, while Blanchard did not play on the team while attending Arizona State University.
 

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship was played for the first time in 2015, along with the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball. The championships were the first additions to the USGA competition roster since the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur was first conducted in 1987. The addition of the two Amateur Four-Ball championships to the USGA competition schedule was announced on Feb. 11, 2013. The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship Trophy and its companion trophy for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship were the first new commemorative pieces commissioned by the USGA since 1953. The etching on its face reflects golfers in contemporary attire, while the design pays homage to the Association’s storied traditions. The trophy was designed by Colin Hellier, with engravings by David Williams, and manufactured by Nicholas Winton, Ltd., of Cheshire, England.


CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

2015: Nathan Smith & Todd White def. Sherrill Britt & Greg Earnhardt, 7 and 5; The Olympic Club (Lake Course), San Francisco, Calif.

2016: Benjamin Baxter & Andrew Buchanan def. Brandon Cigna & Ben Warnquist, 3 and 2; Winged Foot Golf Club (East Course), Mamaroneck, N.Y.

2017: Frankie Capan & Shuai Ming Wong def. Clark Collier & Kyle Hudelson, 2 and 1; Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
2018: Garrett Barber & Cole Hammer def. Chip Brooke & Mark Dull, 4 and 3; Jupiter Hills Club (Hills Course), Tequesta, Fla.

2019: Scott Harvey & Todd Mitchell def. Blake Taylor & Logan Shuping, 2 and 1; Bandon Dunes (Old Macdonald Course), Bandon, Ore.
2020: No championship (COVID-19)

2021: Kiko Francisco Coelho & Leopoldo Herrera III def. Brendan McDougall & Sam Meek, 1 up (19 holes); Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash.

2022: Chad Wilfong & Davis Womble def. Drew Kittleson & Drew Stoltz (19 holes); Birmingham Country Club, Birmingham, Ala.

2023: Aaron Du & Sampson Zheng def. Drew Kittleson & Drew Stoltz, 2 and 1; Kiawah Island (S.C.) Club (Cassique Course)

2024: Brian Blanchard & Sam Engel def. Blades Brown & Jackson Herrington, 1 up; Philadelphia Cricket Club, Flourtown, Pa.

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PLAINFIELD COUNTRY CLUBB

1978 U.S. Amateur (John Cook)

1987 U.S. Women’s Open (Laura Davies)

 

OTHER NOTABLE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PLAINFIELD COUNTRY CLUB

The Barclays, PGA Tour (2015 – Jason Day, 2011 – Dustin Johnson)

Met Amateur (2021, 1988, 1976, 1967, 1955, 1932)

Met Open (2012, 1997, 1979, 1963, 1957)

Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship (2005)

New Jersey Open Championship (2024, 2007, 1990, 1975, 1968, 1961, 1952, 1940)

New Jersey Senior PGA Professional Championship (2019)

New Jersey Amateur (1983, 1970, 1965, 1946, 1929)

New Jersey Women’s Amateur (1970, 1955, 1939, 1931, 1927)

New Jersey PGA Professional Championship (2016, 2004)

AJGA Junior Presidents Cup (2017)
 

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NEW JERSEY

This will be the 64th USGA championship and first U.S. Amateur Four-Ball contested in New Jersey. The Garden State features a number of historic venues, including Baltusrol Golf Club, which has hosted 16 USGA championships, including seven U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs and two U.S. Women’s Opens. The state of New Jersey has held the fourth-most USGA championships, only trailing Pennsylvania (94), California (90) and New York (75).

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOUR-BALL AND FOURSOMES?

While each involves four players, four-ball and foursomes are different formats.

• In four-ball, matches are played in pairs (a player and a partner, called a side, against another player and partner), with each golfer playing his or her own ball on each hole. At the end of each hole, the player with the lowest score wins that hole for the side. In stroke play, the low score is the side’s score for that hole.
• Foursomes matches are also played in pairs (one side against another side), but each pair plays with only one ball. In this format, each player takes turns hitting the ball from the teeing ground and during play of each hole, with “Player A” hitting the tee shot, “Player B” the second shot, “Player A” the third, and so on. While the side can choose the order, if “Player A” hits the tee shots on odd-numbered holes, “Player B” must hit them on even-numbered holes.

FUTURE SITES

May 16-20, 2026: Desert Mountain Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.
May 22-26, 2027: Erin Hills, Erin, Wis.
May 20-24, 2028: Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash.
TBD, 2037: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore.