Event History


The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship has been an unqualified success since its inception in 1922, giving exposure to many public-course players who otherwise might not have an opportunity to compete in a national championship.

The championship's prime mover was James D. Standish Jr., of Detroit, who convinced his colleagues on the 1922 USGA Executive Committee that the time was right for such a grass-roots competition. Standish pointed to the public-course golfer, whose ranks were swelling following World War I, and to the growing number of municipal and daily-fee courses in America.

The first championship was conducted at the Ottawa Park Course in Toledo, Ohio. The USGA had no way of knowing how many players to expect, but a satisfying 140 entries were received. Less than half that number wore golf shoes. The first champion was Eddie Held of St. Louis, who joined a private club soon after his victory and thus became ineligible to defend his title in 1923.

In 1923, the first team championship was conducted at the same time as the individual competition. East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., was selected as the site, causing a great deal of excitement in the nation's capital. President Warren G. Harding, a golf enthusiast, donated the team trophy. Harding wanted to enter the championship himself, but time didn't permit, and besides, he was a member of at least one private club, which would preclude his entry.

That those earliest championships drew upward of 18 teams representing cities from coast to coast, was a tribute to the spread of public-course golf in America. From the initial entry of 140 players, today's annual entry has surged to a massive 6,000 competitors or more.

The championship continues to attract bus drivers, bartenders, firemen, waiters, riveters, engineers, and college professors. It has also been a springboard for the likes of U.S. Open champions Ed Furgol, Tommy Bolt, and Ken Venturi; British Open champion Tony Lema; PGA champions Dave Marr and Bobby Nichols; and Masters winner George Archer. In 1959, it produced the first black winner of a USGA championship in William A. Wright, who later became a golf instructor.

Past Champions 1922 - 2007


1922 Edmund R. Held; Ottawa Park, Toledo, Ohio
1923 Richard J. Walsh; E. Potomac Park, Washington, D.C.
1924 Joseph Coble; Community C.C., Dayton, Ohio
1925 Raymond J. McAuliffe; Salisbury C.C., Garden City, N.Y.
1926 Lester Bolstad; Grover Cleveland Park, Buffalo, N.Y.
1927 Carl F. Kauffmann; Ridgewood G.L., Cleveland, Ohio
1928 Carl F. Kauffmann; Cobb's Creek, Philadephia, PA.
1929 Carl F. Kauffmann; Forest Park, St. Louis, MO.
1930 Robert E. Wingate; Municipal Links, Jacksonville, Fla.
1931 Charles Ferrera; St. Paul, MN.
1932 R. L. Miller; Shawnee G.C., Louisville, KY.
1933 Charles Ferrera; Eastmoreland G.C., Portland, OR.
1934 David A. Mitchell; S. Park Allegheny C.L., Pittsburgh, PA.
1935 Frank Strafaci; Coffin Course, Indianapolis, IN.
1936 B. Patrick Abbott; Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, N.Y
1937 Bruce N. McCormick; Harding Park, San Francisco, CA.
1938 Al Leach; Highland Park G.C., Cleveland, OH.
1939 Andrew Szwedko; Mt. Pleasant Park G.C., Baltimore, MD.
1940 Robert C. Clark; Rackham G.C., Detroit, MI.
1941 William M. Welch Jr.; Indian Canyon G.C., Spokane, WA.
No championships 1942-1945, World War II
1946 Smiley L. Quick; Wellshire G.C., Denver, CO.
1947 Wilfred Crossley; Meadowbrook G.C., Minneapolis, MN.
1948 Michael R. Ferentz; North Fulton Park G.C., Atlanta, GA.
1949 Kenneth J. Towns; Rancho G.C., Los Angeles, CA.
1950 Stanley Bielat; Seneca G.C., Louisville, KY.
1951 Dave Stanley; Brown Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee, WI.
1952 Omer L. Bogan; Miami C.C., Miami, FL.
1953 Ted Richards Jr.; West Seattle G.C., Seattle, WA.
1954 Gene Andrews; Cedar Crest G.C., Dallas, TX.
1955 Sam D. Kocsis ; Coffin Municipal G.C., Indianapolis, IN.
1956 James H. Buxbaum; Harding Park G.C., San Francisco, CA.
1957 Don Essig III; Hershey Park G.C., Hershey, PA.
1958 Daniel D. Sikes Jr.; Silver Lake G.C., Orland Park, IL.
1959 William A. Wright; Wellshire G.C., Denver, CO.
1960 Verne Callison; Ala Wai G.C., Honolulu, HI.
1961 Richard H. Sikes; Rackham G.C., Detroit, MI.
1962 Richard H. Sikes; Sheridan Park G.C., Tonawanda, N.Y.
1963 Robert Lunn; Haggin Oaks Mcpl. G.C., Sacramento, CA.
1964 William McDonald; Francis A. Gross G.C., Minneapolis, MN.
1965 Arne Dokka; North Park G.C., Pittsburgh, PA.
1966 Lamont Kaser; Brown Deer Park G.C., Milkwaukee, WI.
1967 Verne Callison; Jefferson Park G.C., Seattle, WA.
1968 Gene Towry,; Tenison Mem. Mcpl. G.C., Dallas, TX.
1969 John M. Jackson Jr.; Downing Golf Course, Erie, PA.
1970 Robert Risch; Cog Hill No. 4 G.C., Lemont, IL.
1971 Fred Haney; Papago G.C., Phoenix, AZ.
1972 Bob Allard; Coffin Municipal G.C., Indianapolis, IN.
1973 Stan Stopa; Flanders Valley G.C., Flanders, NJ.
1974 Charles Barenaba Jr.; Brookside G.C., Pasadena, CA.
1975 Randy Barenaba; Wailua G.C., Kauai, HI.
1976 Eddie Mudd; Bunker Hills G.C., Coon Rapids, MN.
1977 Jerry Vidovic; Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee, WI.
1978 Dean Prince; Bangor Municipal G.C., Bangor, ME.
1979 Dennis Walsh; West Delta G.C., Portland, OR.
1980 Jodie Mudd; Edgewood Tahoe G.C., Stateline, NV.
1981 Jodie Mudd; Bear Creek Golf World (Masters Course), Houston, TX.
1982 Billy Tuten; Eagle Creek G.C., Indianapolis, IN.
1983 Billy Tuten; Hominy Hill G.C., Colts Neck, NJ.
1984 Bill Malley; Indian Canyon G.C., Spokane, WA.
1985 Jim Sorenson; Wailua C.C., Lihue, HI.
1986 Bill Mayfair; Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC.
1987 Kevin Johnson; Glenview G.C., Cincinnati, OH.
1988 Ralph Howe III; Jackson Hole G. & T.C., Jackson, WY.
1989 Tim Hobby; Cog Hill G. & C.C., Lemont, IL.
1990 Michael Combs; Eastmoreland G.C., Portland, OR.
1991 David Berganio Jr.; Otter Creek G.C., Columbus, IN.
1992 Warren Schutte; Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park, MN.
1993 David Berganio Jr.; Riverside Dunes G.C., Brighton, CO.
1994 Guy Yamamoto;  Eagle Bend G.C., Bigfork, MT.
1995 Chris Wollmann; Stow Acres C.C., Stow, MA.
1996 Tim Hogarth; Wailua Golf Course, Wailua, HI.  
1997 Tim Clark; Kearney Hill Golf Links, Lexington, KY.
1998 Trevor Immelman; Torrey Pines Golf Course, (S. Course) LaJolla, CA.
1999 Hunter Haas; Community G.C., Alton, IL.
2000 D.J. Trahan; Heron Lakes (Great Blue), Portland, OR.
2001 Chez Reavie; Pecan Valley G.C., San Antonio, TX.
2002 Ryan Moore; The Orchards G.C., Washington, MI.
2003 Brandt Snedeker; Blue Heron Pines G.C. (East Course), Galloway, NJ.
2004 Ryan Moore; Rush Creek G.C., Maple Grove, MN.
2005 Clay Ogden; Shaker Run G.C., Lebanon, OH.
2006 Casey Watabu; Gold Mountain G.C. (Olympic Course), Bremerton, WA.
2007 Colt Knost; Cantigny Golf, Wheaton, IL.