The USGA’s State Team Championships are being ‘retired’ after this year’s Women’s event at The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe in September.
Each event will have been contested 12 times in its history, with the Men’s event having been played last fall at the Country Club of Birmingham, won by Michigan.
The only victory by an Ohio contingent was the Ohio Women’s Team in 2003, comprised of Emily Bastel of Upper Sandusky, Heather Zielinski of Sylvania, and Lynn Thompson of Cincinnati.
“The USGA continually evaluates its championships and the way in which they are conducted,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “The decision to discontinue the State Team Championships follows a thorough review and analysis, including consultation with representatives from state and regional golf associations.”
John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director, Championships and Governance, added, “In our reviews and discussions, it became quite clear that the conditions of competition had evolved, and there were significant differences in the respective team selection processes. After considering the matter for more than a year, the review supported increased focus toward other areas of USGA competition, both present and future, including the continued enhancement of the local and sectional qualifying experience for players across all USGA championships.”
