Latest news with #USAmateur
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
San Juan Oaks Golf Club Selected as U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifying Site
Hollister, CA June 05, 2025 --( )-- San Juan Oaks Golf Club has been selected as one of 45 local qualifying sites across the United States, Canada and Mexico for the upcoming U.S. Amateur Championship, to be held this August at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The qualifying event will be held at San Juan Oaks on Tuesday, June 24, bringing top amateur players from across the region to compete on one of Northern California's most celebrated prestigious honor highlights San Juan Oaks' significant recent upgrades and its growing reputation as a premier destination for championship-level golf. Designed by PGA legend Fred Couples and architect Gene Bates, San Juan Oaks offers a layout that is both challenging and fair—a rare combination that has earned praise from top amateur and professional players alike. With its strategic bunkering, rolling elevation and meticulous conditioning, the course is ideally suited to test the skills of the game's best emerging talent. 'We're honored to welcome the USGA and the U.S. Amateur to San Juan Oaks,' said Manny Freitas, general manager of San Juan Oaks Golf Club. 'This is a proud moment for our entire team and a testament to the tremendous work that has gone into elevating this course. Our team put a lot of thought into updating the course to test every aspect of a player's game. With strategic bunkering and firm, fast greens, San Juan Oaks is designed to challenge top amateurs while still offering a fair and rewarding experience.' The recent course enhancements—part of a broader reimagining of the San Juan Oaks experience—have further elevated its profile. Players and guests now enjoy not only world-class conditions, but also fine dining at 36° North, casual fare at McCann's and Slices and a fully renovated Pro Shop and clubhouse experience. San Juan Oaks Golf Club is located just outside San Juan Bautista in the rolling hills of Hollister, California, and is widely regarded as one of the top golf destinations in Northern California. Contact Information: Gunn Jerkens Jennifer Stoddard 562-499-6707 Contact via Email Read the full story here: San Juan Oaks Golf Club Selected as U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifying Site Press Release Distributed by
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
LIV Golf signs controversial Masters star who urinated in Rae's Creek
Josele Ballester was one of the most highly-rated amateur golfers in the world before he caused controversy at The Masters by urinating in Rae's Creek Josele Ballester, who turned heads at The Masters, has been revealed as the newest recruit for LIV Golf, joining forces with Sergio Garcia's Fireballs squad. The Spanish prodigy, currently ranked 6th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is set to make his professional bow at this weekend's event in Virginia. The competition kicks off this Friday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Ballester, 21, replaces Luis Masaveu on the Fireballs' roster - although the 22-year-old remains in play as a reserve and will be in action this weekend with David Puig sidelined due to injury. Ballester shares a deep connection with Garcia, with both hailing from Spain's Castellón province, More pertinently, Garcia's father, Victor, has been coaching Ballester since his early days. "We are very excited about Josele joining the team," an enthusiastic Garcia said. "Personally, I have known him since he could pick up a golf club and he has worked with my father as his coach throughout his golf career. Josele is going to be a great addition not only to the Fireballs but also to the LIV League and I can't wait to be with him by his side as he makes his professional debut." An Arizona State alum, during his final college year, Ballester was a standout, securing fourth place in the NCAA Championship. His stellar play earned him third spot in the PGA Tour University rankings, granting him a Korn Ferry Tour card. And he now joins LIV, despite other invites. He said: "First and Foremost, I want to thank my family, coaches, friends, and Arizona State University for supporting me and believing in me to make it to this step of my career. I am very excited about the opportunity to join Fireballs GC and continue to learn from Sergio and other greats." Ballester boasts an impressive track record, capturing the US Amateur title last year and triumphing at the European Amateur in 2023. His US Amateur victory at Hazeltine snagged him an invitation to The Masters at Augusta National, where he played alongside top golfer Scottie Scheffler and two-time major winner Justin Thomas - although he didn't make the cut. At Augusta National, Ballester not only brushed shoulders with golfing legends but also learnt valuable lessons about the club's revered traditions. During his debut round, spectators caught him relieving himself in Rae's Creek, a move that surprisingly earned him a hearty applause upon his return. However, others were less impressed by his actions, especially when he reiterated in a press conference that he would repeat his actions. After his second round, though, he backtracked and apologised. "I already apologised to the club, and I think we just move on from this moment. It will not happen again," Ballester told reporters. "I know there has been a lot said about what happened on social media, but I try to stay away from all that. "A couple of friends reached out just to say 'Hey, you'll be fine. I'm still your friend.' So it's good to have those friends that have your back when the news is not that good about you."
Newsweek
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
2-Time U.S. Amateur Champion, Golf Legend, Passes Away at 81
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. One of the most decorated amateur players in golf history, Jay Sigel, has passed away due to pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. The Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania native left a lasting legacy for fans of the sport. Sigel began his golf career as a child, excelling as a junior. He went on to play collegiate golf at Wake Forest University, where he graduated with a degree in sociology. Despite his extraordinary talent and skill, Sigel chose to remain an amateur after injuring an arm in an accident. In the years that followed, he became one of the country's top amateur stars. Although he never left the elite ranks of amateur golf during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, his greatest successes came when he had reached full maturity. In 1979, at the age of 36, he won his first major world tournament, the British Amateur. Three years later, he won the US Amateur for the first time. Jay Siegel hits a shot during the final round of the Toshiba Classic at the Newport Beach Country Club on March 8, 2009 in Newport Beach, California. Jay Siegel hits a shot during the final round of the Toshiba Classic at the Newport Beach Country Club on March 8, 2009 in Newport Beach, California. Getty Images/Jeff Gross In 1983, he achieved one of the greatest feats of his career by winning the US Amateur and the US Mid-Amateur, becoming only the third player in history to win two USGA titles in the same year (Chick Evans, Bobby Jones). His extraordinary results opened the doors to numerous editions of three of the four major championships. He demonstrated his exceptional quality by winning the low amateur prize in all of them. He did it three times at the Masters Tournament, in 1980 (T26), 1981 (T35) and 1988 (T39), at the US Open in 1984 (T43) and at the Open Championship in 1980 (T38). He also participated in 10 editions of the Walker Cup, winning eight times. Sigel was both player and captain in 1983 and 1985. When he turned 50 in 1993, he decided to start his professional career to play in the senior circuit (current PGA Tour Champions). This new phase of his career was equally successful, with eight victories between 1994 and 2003. "Best amateur since Bobby Jones hands down," Kevin Hammer, the USGA's president-elect, said after learning of Sigel's passing, according to Golf Digest. Outside of his golf career, Sigel was a successful insurance agent who built his own company in the Philadelphia area. He was also a well-known philanthropist for causes such as prostate cancer. More Golf: Joel Dahmen 'In Shock,' Misses Tap-In to Lose PGA Tour Event
Boston Globe
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Jay Sigel, considered America's best amateur golfer since Bobby Jones, dies of cancer at 81
His intention was to turn pro when he starred at Wake Forest on an Arnold Palmer scholarship. But his left hand went through a pane window on a swinging door that required 70 stitches. Sigel decided to remain amateur and started a successful insurance business. 'I always thought things happen for a reason,' Sigel once said. 'The hand injury was the best thing to happen to me.' Advertisement At the age of 38, he defeated David Tolley, 8 and 7, at The Country Club to win his first US Amateur in 1982, and the following year became the first player to win the US Amateur and the US Mid-Amateur — for players at least 25 years old — in the same year. He also captured some of the nation's most prestigious titles, such as the Sunnehanna Amateur, the Northeast Amateur, and the Porter Cup — winning each three times. Sigel joined the PGA Tour Champions when he turned 50 in 1994 and won eight times, though his legacy was amateur golf. He was on eight winning Walker Cup teams, and played as the captain in 1983 and 1985. Advertisement
CNN
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Bryson DeChambeau says nothing is better than a major win – but a nailing a hole-in-one over his house was pretty close
Every golfer is chasing the elation of a major tournament victory, but Bryson DeChambeau has found something that almost compares: Sinking a hole-in-one over his house. Last November, the reigning and two-time US Open champion embarked on a wildly entertaining challenge. He lined the ball up in his driveway and launched it blind over the roof, hoping it would find its way into the bottom of the cup on the green in his back yard. On the first day, he allowed himself one shot, the next day, saying, 'This is ridiculous,' he took two swings, and so on, until his 14th shot on the 16th day. On his 134th attempt, when he finally made it, DeChambeau ran whooping onto the green. He rolled on the turf, picked out the ball, kissed it and threw it into the air, shouting, 'Let's go, baby!' Asked by CNN to compare the joy of a major victory with this most unusual accomplishment, DeChambeau smiled. 'I was definitely excited! I had the adrenaline running through my body, chills in my body, because I knew it was going to be a cool piece of content,' he explained. 'Not as cool as winning a major championship, but it's up there. I'd say it's 90% there.' Millions of fans had been following his challenge, which went viral online. They'd witnessed agonizingly close calls at the end of the first week and four days later they saw the ball hit the lip on one occasion and bounce out of the hole on another, as DeChambeau discovered another way to share his love of the game with the world. When he burst onto the scene in 2015, DeChambeau was known as the Golf Scientist. A physics major from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, he seemed to be obsessed with finding an original way to succeed in the game. In 2015, he became only the fifth player to win both the NCAA and US Amateur titles in the same year, joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in an elite group of legendary achievers. Once on the PGA Tour, everybody was keen to peek into his golf bag to see the iron set that he'd engineered to be all the same length, and he'd share stories about dunking his balls in salt water to check that they'd been correctly balanced. But the curiosity in him became uncomfortable when he was criticized for slow play and a feud developed with compatriot Brooks Koepka. By 2019, DeChambeau had become a polarizing figure in the game and – despite winning the US Open Championship in 2020 – he endured further stinging judgement when he left the PGA Tour and joined LIV two years later. Speaking to the media ahead of his ninth Masters appearance, DeChambeau admitted that he'd been hurt by the criticism earlier in his career. 'I was very sensitive to it,' he said. 'There was a time where it was definitely more difficult to hear. I think as time has gone on, you realize that we're all human and it's OK if somebody has a perspective. You just try to show through your actions what you're doing for this great game of golf.' 'I don't want to be just known for winning a bunch of tournaments,' he added, 'I want to be known for entertaining and inspiring and hopefully growing the game in some capacity. That's all I focus on now.' So, DeChambeau sought to take control of his own image, launching a YouTube channel to engage with his fans and showcase his personality. Three years later, he's posted almost 200 videos, which have been viewed almost 300 million times. On the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, DeChambeau at first seemed reluctant to discuss his role as a content creator, but he said that he'd be interested in shooting segments about the history of arguably the most revered golf course in the world. But the thought has crossed his mind that maybe his video content has become a distraction for his day job as a competitive golfer. 'There are times I've gotten a little overzealous and been like, 'Wow, I need to focus on my game a little bit,'' he said. 'But sometimes the content I create actually helps me focus for the next week.' DeChambeau admits that if he's shooting a quirky challenge with an economy set of clubs from Amazon or Walmart it won't help him before a major tournament, but if the whole point of a video feature is to shoot a low score, then it probably will aid his preparation. 'I've got to absolutely play my best golf if I'm going to break the course record,' he said, 'So it gets me in that mentality. I'm really strategizing and planning what's going to work best for me. But I certainly love it, I won't stop. I'll continue to do it because I think it's hopefully inspiring for people.' In the meantime, DeChambeau returns to his day job this week as a serious tournament player. Despite now being a multiple-time major champion, he says he gets nervous during the competition, but he still finds joy in such pressured situations. And if he can triumph in The Masters, he'll have a new green jacket to wear in his videos for the next 12 months. You can bet the house on it.
