USGA Revisions

PROVIDENCE – Change is coming to competitive golf.

The USGA announced Wednesday significant modifications to its amateur championship qualifying model that will take effect in 2024. According to a USGA press release, the most significant revisions will be for the U.S. Amateur, which will move from a one- stage, 36-hole qualifying format to a two-stage qualifying format with 45 18-hole qualifying sites and 19 18-hole final qualifying sites.

Other adjustments include:

Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
Expansion of World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR) exemption category to top 100 ranked players (previously 50);
Establishment of local exemptions, which include top finishers in USGA championships, state/AGA amateur championships and top 600 WAGR players.

Changes are also being made to the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the U.S. Junior Amateur, and U.S. Girls’ Amateur.

U.S. Women’s Amateur

Modest reduction in qualifying sites through the establishment of geographic rotations;
Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
Expansion of WAGR exemption category to top 50 players (previously 25).

U.S. Junior Amateur/U.S. Girls’ Junior

Alignment of qualifying structure to promote AGAs to conduct joint or concurrent qualifying;
Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national junior amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
U.S. Junior Am expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 100 (previously 85);
U.S. Girls’ Junior expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 50 (previously 40).