The 4th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship Kicks off in Tequesta

TEQUESTA, FL – May 20, 2018 – Some of the best amateur golfers in the country and the world with a Handicap Index® of 5.4 or lower are currently out in the Jupiter Hills Club links as the 4th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship got officially underway yesterday. This was the first of five days of the tournament, which runs through Wednesday, May 23.

Day one’s action consisted of 128 teams consisting of 256 different golfers playing 18 holes of stroke play seeking to qualify for the first round of match play at the 7,253-yard Hills Course and the 6,630-yard Village Course of the Tequesta-based golf club. Due to three weather suspensions totaling four hours and five minutes, it created a situation where 52 of the 128 sides did not finish their first round when darkness suspended play for the day. 

2017 semifinalists Marc Dull of Winter Park, Fla. comments on the challenging weather conditions, “Patience. We just kept saying patience, patience, patience. Just understanding the effort and energy [you need to succeed]. It becomes an exhausting week. And it becomes a track meet at the end, a fitness test.”

Round 1 of the 4th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship resumed this morning at 6:55 a.m. EDT and is now complete. Round 2 began at 7:30 a.m. and original tee times were pushed back 30 minutes. There will be another 18 holes of stroke play during Round 2, after which the 128 different teams (256 players) will be reduced to the low 32 teams (64 players) for match play. There will be five rounds of match play: The first round is slated to start on May 21, the second and quarterfinal rounds are slated for May 22, the semifinals will be played the morning of May 23, and the 18-hole championship match (scheduled for 1 p.m. ET) will close out the tournament.

U.S. Amateur-Four Ball Winner's Cup

Among the players swinging away on the course was Jesse Daley, who along with Justin Goodhue are representing Palm Beach Gardens in the tournament. They finished with a score of 35-37--72 HC on the first day.

Jesse Daley from Palm Beach Gardens tees off at 7 a.m. on May 19, 2018

"USGA events are the best of the best. Jupiter Hills is perfect and it is a privilege to play at an event such as this," notes Justin Goodhue. "They roll out the red carpet for us. Jesse and I were one of the two teams from South Florida to qualify for this tournament and it is great to represent our area. We are trying to do our best and make our kids proud!"

Justin Goodhue from Palm Beach Gardens tees off at the first hole

The U.S. Amateur-Four Ball Championship is steeped in history and heritage and only the best courses in America are chosen to hold it. This is the first time that the prestigious U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship is held in Florida and the second time that Jupiter Hills Club hosts a national golf championship that hosts over 1000 spectators, officials, and players, making the Tequesta-based club the first club in the State of Florida to host multiple tournaments of this magnitude. They also held the U.S. Amateur in 1987 that was won by Billy Mayfair.

Although thunderstorms delayed play with more than two inches of rainfall on Saturday, the two courses, which were constructed on a sand dune, drained extremely quickly allowing the players to resume when it was safe to play

“The USGA is pleased to return to Jupiter Hills Club with the 2018 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship,” said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman in a press release. “The USGA is committed to supporting and advancing amateur competition, and we know the club will provide a comprehensive test for the players. The more than 2,000 entries we received for the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball have proven this will be a widely popular championship.”

As the event is open to the public, don’t miss the chance to check out some of the greatest golfing talents in the world at play at Jupiter Hills Club, which is located in 11800 SE Hill Club Terrace, Tequesta, FL 33469. Spectators are asked to park at Tequesta Park located at 2280 County Line Rd, Jupiter, FL 33469 and shuttle service is provided into the courses.

About Jupiter Hills Club: In the late 1960’s, William Elliott, George Fazio, William Clay Ford, Sr., and Bob Hope joined ranks for the purpose of establishing an exclusive, private golf club in southeast Florida – a club that would eventually rank among the finest in the world. The Jupiter Hills Club they formed, with its two marvelous 18-hole championship courses, has achieved the singular distinction the original founders conceived for it. It is today considered one of America’s finest private golf clubs. For more information, please www.jupiterhillsclub.org

About the USGA: The USGA celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world’s golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.

Photos courtesy Darren Carroll/USGA