Amateur Champions to Receive USGA Exemptions
Full Exemptions into USGA Championships in 2024
OMAHA (December 15, 2023) - The Nebraska Golf Association is excited to announce that starting in 2024, four of its champions will receive exemptions to USGA national championships.
The USGA has made changes to its qualifying structure, including these exemptions. So, starting in 2024, the champions of the Nebraska Amateur (U.S. Amateur), Nebraska Women's Amateur (U.S. Women's Amateur), Nebraska Junior Amateur (U.S. Junior Amateur) and Nebraska Girls' Amateur (U.S. Girls' Junior) will receive full exemptions into their respective national championships.
"These exemptions are an exciting way to reward our champion golfers," Craig Ames, NebGolf Executive Director, said. "The path remains for qualified players to earn their way into a national championship, but these exemptions provide another path to the biggest stage in amateur golf, USGA championships, and also allows them to compete for a meaningful state title at the same time."
NebGolf has made some tweaks to its championship schedule to accommodate these exemptions, and provide its champions with ample time to plan to compete in the respective USGA championships.
The Nebraska Women's Amateur, Nebraska Girls' Amateur and Nebraska Junior Amateur have all been moved into June, due to cutoff dates in July for the exemptions. The Nebraska Amateur remains in July for 2024, but will be moved into June as well in future years. These championships must be completed by certain dates, respective to the USGA championships, to qualify for the exemptions.
"Our competitions schedule will look quite different moving forward," Ames said. "We're doing everything with the players in mind, so that we can put our champions in the best possible position to compete in these USGA championships."
In 2024, the 50th Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship will take place June 4-6 at Oak Hills Country Club in Omaha. The champion will advance to the 124th U.S. Women's Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 5-11.
The 116th Nebraska Amateur is scheduled for July 16-19, 2024 at Fremont Golf Club, with the champion earning a spot in the 124th U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
On the junior side, the champions will earn the exemption, as long as they meet the age requirement and do not turn 19 by the final day of the USGA championship. The 24th Nebraska Girls' Amateur and 57th Nebraska Junior Amateur will take place at Awarii Dunes Golf Club in Axtell, June 10-12. The girls' champion advances to the 75th U.S. Girls' Junior at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, California, July 15-20, while the boys' champion will play in the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, July 22-27.
Check out the full NebGolf and USGA Championship Schedules at the buttons below.
About NebGolf
The Nebraska Golf Association (NebGolf), founded in 1966, is comprised of all members of public and private clubs and/or municipal or regional golf associations which utilize an approved handicap service recognized by the USGA and provided by NebGolf. Our mission is to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values to all golfers in Nebraska. Among the duties of the Association include governance of member clubs and service as their handicapping and course rating authority, conduct of state golf championships, local USGA qualifying & other notable competitions, promotion of junior golf, presentation of worthwhile educational programs and support of allied golf organizations in Nebraska. The Nebraska Golf Association is an Allied Golf Association of the USGA and carries out core services including Handicap Administration and Oversight, Course Rating, Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status, Tournaments and USGA Championship Qualifiers and USGA Initiatives and Community Programs.
