USGA News May 3, 2023

USGA News May 3, 2023

Here is a random selection of news items from the USGA that I’ve received via press releases in the last couple of weeks.

• 2nd U.S. Adaptive Open Set to Welcome a Global Field to Pinehurst in July
• USGA announces that Jupiter Hills Club will host two USGA championships
• USGA Expands Funding for P.J. Boatwright Jr. Internship Program, Connecting More People to Careers in Golf
• USGA, Cisco Announce Partnership Extension Designed to  Drive More Connected Championships, Foster Innovation and Inclusion in the Game of Golf

2nd U.S. Adaptive Open Set to Welcome a Global Field to Pinehurst in July

11 countries and 28 states will be represented in a field with an age range from 15 to 75

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (May 23, 2023) – The field for the 2nd U.S. Adaptive Open – a national championship that showcases the world’s best golfers with disabilities on Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 6 from July 10-12 – has been set, the USGA announced today.

The USGA received 285 entries for the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open, and the 96-player final field includes competitors from 28 states and 11 countries. The championship’s youngest competitor is 15-year-old Russell Aide from Canada, and Linda Port, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is the championship’s oldest player at 75 years old. Of the 96 players in the field, 66 played last year, and 30 will be making their championship debut. 

A player’s Handicap Index® was the primary factor in determining the field, with the USGA reserving at least five male player spots and two female player spots per impairment category.  

The championship is open to both male and female professional and amateur golfers with a World Handicap System™ Handicap Index of 36.4 or less and an eligible impairment confirmed by a WR4GD Pass. The impairment categories are as follows: 

• Arm Impairment 
• Intellectual Impairment 
• Leg Impairment 
• Multiple Limb Amputee 
• Neurological Impairment 
• Seated Players 
• Short Stature 
• Vision Impairment 

The championship will be contested over 54 holes of stroke play. Multiple sets of tees will be utilized. Carts will be permitted for all players and caddies. 

Kim Moore, 42, of Battle Creek, Mich., and Simon Lee, 25, of the Republic of Korea, both return to this year’s U.S. Adaptive Open to defend their titles. Moore, who was born without a right foot and a slight case of spina bifida, went wire-to-wire last July to win the overall women’s division. She has served as the head golf coach for the Western Michigan University women’s golf team since 2020. Lee was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum at a young age and, last year, earned the overall men’s division victory after defeating Felix Norrman of Sweden in a playoff. He will compete in the intellectual impairment category. 

Kipp Popert, 24, of England, who was diagnosed with a form of cerebral palsy called Spastic diplegia, is currently the No.1 golfer in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) and will be competing in his second U.S. Adaptive Open in the neurological impairment category. Last year he finished fourth overall in the men’s division and won the neurological impairment category to earn his spot in this year’s U.S. Adaptive Open. 

USGA announces that Jupiter Hills Club will host two USGA championships

2027 U.S. Mid-Amateur and 2032 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur to be contested at Florida club

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (May 30, 2023) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Jupiter Hills Club, in Tequesta, Fla., will be the host site for two USGA championships: the 2027 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 2032 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. This will be the third and fourth USGA championships held at the club.

“The USGA is pleased to return to Jupiter Hills Club and continue a partnership that enthusiastically supports amateur competition on many levels,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director, championships. “We know that the club’s courses will challenge the best male and female mid-amateurs from around the world and that South Florida will embrace these two championships.”

Jupiter Hills Club’s Hills Course will be used for both stroke-play qualifying and the match-play portion of the 2027 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the entire 2032 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. The course was designed by George Fazio and opened for play in 1970. Fazio, who had three top-five finishes in the U.S. Open, including a playoff loss to Ben Hogan in 1950 at Merion Golf Club, partnered with auto industrialist William Clay Ford Sr., comedian and actor Bob Hope and William Elliott to purchase the land where the course was built in the late 1960s. Tom Fazio, George’s nephew, renovated the Hills Course in 2006 and again with his son, Logan, in 2020.

USGA Expands Funding for P.J. Boatwright Jr. Internship Program, Connecting More People to Careers in Golf

Interns gather in Liberty Corner, N.J., for first in-person summit held in three years at USGA headquarters

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (May 25, 2023) – This week, the USGA welcomed its largest class of P.J. Boatwright Jr. interns to the annual Boatwright Summit as the organization kicks off the 32nd year of the career development initiative that provides on-the-job training across the USGA’s network of 58 Allied Golf Associations (AGAs).

As part of the organization’s commitment to foster a more inclusive game and connect more individuals to careers in golf, the USGA funds the program, in part through philanthropic contributions, and works closely with AGAs on intern recruitment and training. In 2023, the USGA is delivering a program-high $2.09 million to pay each intern, provide travel costs to the annual summit and support AGA operations to manage staffing locally.

Representing all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the 2023 class includes undergraduate and graduate students, collegiate athletes, individuals who are new to golf and those looking to make a career change. The program is open to all interested in learning about golf administration, regardless of age, gender or religious belief, and no golf experience is required​.

“The USGA Boatwright Program is a proven framework to identify and develop future leaders of the golf industry​,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “Our collaboration with the Allied Golf Associations to host and train the next generation of golf administrators remains key to connecting more students to the more than 1.65 million careers in golf.”

The three-day orientation included instructional sessions led by USGA staff – including many Boatwright alumni – on Course Rating, agronomy, Rules, championship administration and the World Handicap System. Following the summit, Boatwrights returned to their respective host region for on-the-job training in all aspects of golf administration.

Since 1991, the program has helped launch the careers of more than 3,000 individuals with many alumni holding leadership positions throughout golf, broader sports industries and beyond​. Among USGA staff, two executives and more than two dozen team members started their careers as Boatwright interns.  Approximately 32 percent of AGA executive directors and 35 percent of all AGA staff are Boatwright alumni.

USGA, Cisco Announce Partnership Extension Designed to  Drive More Connected Championships, Foster Innovation and Inclusion in the Game of Golf

Cisco continues as Official Technology Partner of the USGA and its championships; will form innovation committee to explore opportunities for technology to provide positive impact and bring more people into the game

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (May 31, 2023) – Cisco and the United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced a multiyear extension of their partnership, which began in 2018 and established the global technology leader as the Official Technology Partner of the USGA and its championships. Through the new term, the two organizations will leverage Cisco’s industry-leading solutions, innovation and expertise to strengthen the USGA’s technological infrastructure at their championships and foster continued innovation and inclusion in golf.  

Over the past five years, Cisco and the USGA have implemented several innovations benefiting fans, media and event organizers, including debuting the first-ever “Connected Course” at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. That USGA championship marked the first launch of course-wide Wi-Fi. Cisco played a key role in the USGA’s ability to seamlessly and securely deploy virtual connectivity solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing Webex by Cisco to the forefront of both fan engagement and media operations. Additionally, Cisco powered the use of 4D technology as part of the broadcast experience of USGA championships, giving fans watching at home a new perspective on their favorite players’ swings. 

New for 2023, the two organizations will debut USGA ShotCast Powered by Cisco, giving fans the ability to follow the action from both the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open with 3D hole imagery and real-time radar data. Available via both the USGA’s mobile app and website, USGA ShotCast will also archive every televised golf shot and make them available to view in near real-time – a first for the U.S. Women’s Open and women’s golf. 

Cisco’s ongoing support of the USGA furthers the company’s commitment to “Teeing Up Tomorrow” – fostering greater inclusion in golf and creating more opportunities for more people to engage with the game. At this year’s U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, Cisco will provide members of its Networking Academy with opportunities to assist with the installation and servicing of the network leading up to and during the championships by creating Dream Teams at each event, including the first-ever all-female Dream Team at the U.S. Women’s Open. Since its inception in 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy has provided free IT educational courses and career growth opportunities for more than 17.5 million students around the world, while the prestigious Dream Team program provides promising, aspiring IT professionals with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to gain real, hands-on experience at some of the largest events in the world. 

Additionally, Cisco will amplify its support of the USGA’s newest championship, the U.S. Adaptive Open, as part of the brand’s vision to make the sport more inclusive and accessible for all. Cisco will also continue to support USGA programs such as the Pathways Internship Program and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, which strive to grow the game and drive career opportunities in golf for people with diverse backgrounds, as well as open more doors for youth and local community organizations to attend the championships.  

Today’s announcement builds upon Cisco’s ongoing investment in the game of golf, as seen through partnerships with leading organizations, such as the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Stephen Curry’s UNDERRATED Golf Tour; events, including the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Cisco Million Dollar Hole-in-One for Charity, APGA Cisco Invitational and the APGA Billy Horschel Invitational presented by Cisco; and the diverse individuals on Team Cisco across the PGA, LPGA and APGA Tours.