The Olympic Club hosted the 2012 U.S. Open

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The USGA has had quite a presence in Northern California throughout its history. Although located approximately 3,000 miles away in New Jersey, the USGA has hosted many events in the region and rarely goes more than a couple years without hosting a championship event. In 2013, two USGA championships will be held in NCGA territory, the U.S. Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship at Martis Camp and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at CordeValle GC.

The Northern California course that has the most enduring relationship hosting USGA events is none other than Pebble Beach Golf Links. The world famous golf course has hosted 11 USGA Championships dating all the way back to 1929 when it hosted the U.S. Amateur and most recently hosted the 2010 U.S. Open. The course has hosted five U.S. Opens (1972, 1982, 1992, 2000, 2010) and is scheduled to host the 2019 Championship when the course celebrates its 100^th year in existence. Besides the 1929 U.S. Amateur, the event was also held there in 1947, 1961 and most recently 1999 when it co-hosted the event with Spyglass Hill. The U.S. Women’s Amateur was held there in 1940 and 1948. Not far behind, Pebble Beach GL in hosting USGA Championships is The Olympic Club, which has hosted nine in its history. The San Francisco-based club has hosted five  U.S. Opens  (1955, 1966, 1987, 1998 and 2012), three U.S. Amateurs (1958, 1981, 2007) and a U.S. Junior Amateur (2004).

Pebble Beach GL has hosted 11 USGA Events

Other golf courses which have been repeated hosts include Del Paso CC, Del Rio GCC, Haggin Oaks GC, Harding Park GC, Lake Merced GC, Monterey Peninsula CC and Pasatiempo GC. Of this group Monterey Peninsula CC has the most with four, hosting two U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs (1968, 1976), a U.S. Senior Amateur (1958) and a U.S. Girls’ Junior (1952). Del Paso CC will soon match Monterey Peninsula with four when it hosts the 2015 U.S. Senior Open. The three events it has previously hosted are the U.S. Women’s Amateur (1957, 1976) and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur (1964). Lake Merced GC has hosted two championships before, the 1990 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2012 U.S Girls’ Junior, and is also a biennial host of U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying in even years. Del Rio GCC hosted the 1976 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 1990 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. Sacramento’s Haggin Oaks hosted the 1963 U.S. Amateur Public Links and nearly 30 years later in 1992 hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. Harding Park, which is more recently known as the site of the 2009 President’s Cup, hosted two U.S. Amateur Public Links in 1937 and 1956. Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz was the site of the 1986 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 2004 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

Golf courses which have hosted one USGA event include California GC (1970 U.S. Senior Amateur), Carmel Valley Ranch GC (1975 U.S. Senior Amateur), Cypress Point Club (1981 Walker Cup), Peach Tree GCC (1986 U.S. Girls’ Junior), San Francisco GC (1974 Curtis Cup) San Joaquin CC (2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Stanford GC (1959 U.S. Junior Amateur) and Sunnyside CC (1981 U.S. Junior Amateur).

Johnny Miller won a U.S. Junior and a U.S. Open. Tiger Woods is the only other golfer to win both championships.

Not only have NCGA courses hosted several USGA events, NCGA members have quite a history finding success playing in them. Twenty-five individuals have won 35 USGA Championships over the years, the most recent being Monterey, California native Mina Harigae winning the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. Charles Ferrera was the first from the region to win a USGA Championship winning the 1931 U.S. Public Links. World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster has the most of any player with five, winning three U.S. Women’s Amateurs (1980, 1981, 1982) and two U.S. Women’s Opens (1999, 2002).

Other multiple winners include Verne Callison, Kay Cockerill, Lawson Little, Johnny Miller and E. Harvie Ward. Callison won two U.S. Public Links played in two different formats. His 1960 win was a match play format, but his win seven years later in 1967 was competed as a stroke play event. Kay Cockerill won back-to-back U.S. Women’s Amateurs in 1986 and 1987. Lawson Little is one of 11 golfers to win a U.S. Open and U.S Amateur in a golfing career. His U.S. Open win came in 1940 defeating Gene Sarazen in an 18-hole playoff, this following two U.S. Amateur wins in 1934 and 1935. Before Johnny Miller won the 1973 U.S. Open with an incredible Sunday 63 at Oakmont CC, Miller won the U.S. Junior Amateur only nine years earlier in 1964. Miller is one of only two golfers to win both the U.S. Open and U.S Junior Amateur, the other golfer is Tiger Woods. E. Harvie Ward won a pair of U.S. Amateurs in consecutive years in 1955 and 1956.

Ken Venturi won the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional CC

Ken Venturi headlines the group of one-time winners with his 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional CC. Other winners not previously mentioned include Ricky Barnes (2002 U.S. Amateur), Mike Brannan (1971 U.S. Junior Amateur), William Colm (1975 U.S. Senior Amateur), Nathaniel Crosby (1981 U.S. Amateur), Dorothy Delasin (1996 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Lisa Ferrero (2000 U.S. Girls’ Junior), William Higgins (1964 U.S. Senior Amateur), Pat Hurst (1986 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Jamille Jose (1988 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Robert Lunn (1963 U.S. Amateur Public Links) David Nevatt (1974 U.S. Junior Amateur), Matthew Todd (1990 U.S. Junior Amateur), Ken Towns (1949 U.S. Amateur Public Links), Aly Trompas (1969 U.S. Junior Amateur), Marvin “Bud” Ward (1941 U.S. Amateur) and Jim Wiechers (1962 U.S. Junior Amateur).

Many USGA events involve a stroke-play qualifying for match play events and over the years several NCGA members have earned medalist honors with the most recent coming in 2012 by Shintaro Ban (U.S. Junior Amateur) and the first coming in 1936 by James Molinari (U.S. Public Links). Jeff Wilson has earned medalist honors five times in USGA events, more than any other NCGA member. Most recently he earned medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur in 2010. In 2000 Wilson earned outright medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur and shared medalist honors at the U.S. Mid-Amateur. What made his shared medalist honor unique was that he shared it with three other players two of which were fellow NCGA

Sacramento native Natalie Gulbis earned medalist honors at the 1999 U.S. Women's Amateur

members, Darryl Donovan and Jim Wilson. The follwing year at the 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur, Wilson tied the low record qualifying score with a 132 in 2001. The Fairfield resident went on to earn medalist honors in the 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur for a third time in five years.

Two others have multiple medalist honors to their names: Mina Harigae (2006 U.S. Girls’ Junior, 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links) and Bobby Clampett (1976 U.S. Junior Amateur, 1979 U.S. Amateur). Others who have earned medalist honors at USGA events include Nathaniel Crosby (1979 U.S. Junior Amateur), Dorothy Delasin (1998 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Natalie Gulbis (1999 U.S. Women’s Amateur), Pat Hurst (1989 U.S. Women’s Amateur) and Christina Kim (2001 U.S. Girls’ Junior).

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