Daniel Island Club, in Charleston, S.C., has been selected by the USGA as the host site for the 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships. These will be the first two USGA championships held at the 36-hole facility.
“The commitment of two USGA championships to Daniel Island is a testament to the enthusiasm of the club and the challenge that its two courses will provide to competitors in both stroke play and match play,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director, Championships. “We are proud to add Daniel Island Club as a championship host site and look forward to bringing the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Four-Ball Championships back to the state of South Carolina.”
Located on 4,000-acre Daniel Island, just north of historic downtown Charleston between the Cooper and Wando Rivers, Daniel Island Club features 36 holes that weave through a Lowcountry landscape of saltwater marsh, tidal creeks and waterways. Designed by Tom Fazio, the Beresford Creek Course opened in 2000, followed by the Ralston Creek Course designed by Rees Jones, which opened in 2006.
A starting field of 264 players will compete in the 75th U.S. Junior Amateur, which will be held July 24-29, 2023. Both courses will be used for the 36-hole, stroke-play portion of the championship, with Ralston Creek hosting match play. The 11th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball will take place May 2-6, 2026. The specific course has yet to be determined.
“On behalf of Daniel Island Club, we are honored to host the 75th U.S. Junior Amateur and the 11th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships,” said Greg Keating, president and CEO of Daniel Island Club. “Our golf courses and community will provide an outstanding environment for the competitors to showcase their best game. We look forward to partnering with the USGA to deliver two world-class amateur championships.”
Daniel Island Club has hosted five USGA qualifiers, including three U.S. Open local qualifiers. From 2009 to 2011, the Ralston Creek Course hosted the Nationwide Tour Championship (now Korn Ferry Tour), with winners including Brendan Steele and Matt Every. Daniel Island Club also played host to the 2005 South Carolina Golf Association Amateur Championship and the 2018 Trusted Choice Big “I” National Championship, as well as several collegiate events, including the 2021 Daniel Island Intercollegiate.
South Carolina has previously hosted three U.S. Junior Amateurs – 1963 (at Florence Country Club, won by Gregg McHatton), 1979 (at Moss Creek Golf Club on Hilton Head Island, won by Jack Larkin) and 2015 (at Colleton River Plantation Club in Bluffton, won by Philip Barbaree) – and the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, won by Alice Chen and Taylor Totland.
The 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball will be the 21st and 22nd USGA championships held in The Palmetto State. South Carolina most recently hosted the 2021 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at Berkeley Hall Club in Bluffton, won by Blakesly Brock. In 2023, Kiawah Island Club will host the 8th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship on its Cassique and River courses.
Established in 1948 by the USGA, the U.S. Junior Amateur is open to amateur golfers who have not reached their 19th birthday by the conclusion of the championship and who have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 4.4. Among the notable champions are three-time winner Tiger Woods, two-time winner Jordan Spieth, Johnny Miller, David Duval, Hunter Mahan, Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris. The winner receives an exemption into the following year’s U.S. Open Championship. The 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur will take place July 25-30 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball is open to two-player sides (or teams) of female amateurs with individual Handicap Indexes not exceeding 14.4. There are no age restrictions, and partners are not required to be from the same club, state, or country. The 2022 championship will be held at the Grand Reserve Golf Club, in Puerto Rico, April 20-24.
