Revisions, Exemptions Also Coming to Qualifying for U.S. Women’s Am, U.S. Junior Am, U.S. Girls’ Junior
Starting in 2024, the United States Golf Association is making a series of changes to qualifying for its four major amateur tournaments: the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the U.S. Junior Am and the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
These changes will also affect the location of where these qualifiers will be played, and how often they are played in Northern Ohio.
The most significant revision for 2024 is to U.S. Amateur Qualifying, which will change from a one-stage, 36-holes-in-a-day to two-stages of qualifying at 18 holes each, with 45 Local Qualifying sites feeding 19 Final Qualifying sites.
The other big change coming to all four of these amateur majors is an increase in the type and number of exemptions from qualifying, in an effort to expand World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR) exemptions and to provide local and regional exemption categories.
The modifications will result in a net reduction of qualifying sites, but more opportunities for players to earn a spot in a USGA championship through expanded exemptions, state/AGA amateur championships and traditional qualifying.
The changes will also affect where these local qualifiers will be played. The Northern Ohio Golf Association (NOGA) will no longer host many of these qualifiers each and every year, as has been the case in the past.
Beginning in 2024, NOGA will host the U.S. Amateur qualifier every other year (’24, ’26, etc.) while rotating with the Dayton-area Miami Valley Golf Association. NOGA will also host the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier and the U.S. Girl’s Junior qualifier every other year (’25, ’27, etc.) rotating with the Columbus-based Ohio Golf Association.
Not all of the details on these changes have been worked out fully by the USGA just yet. To see the full list of changes that have been determined for all four of these championships and to see what details are still to come, see the USGA press release below:
