Monthly Archives: March 2026
Champions Golf Club Awarded Three USGA Championships
The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Champions Golf Club, in Houston, Texas, will host the 2029 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, 2034 U.S. Mid-Amateur and 2040 U.S. Senior Open. The trio of championships will mark the sixth, seventh and eighth USGA championships contested at the historic Texas club, the most of any course in the state.
“We are proud to return to Champions Golf Club,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director, Championships. “The club’s rich history and commitment to excellence give us great confidence in extending our decades-long relationship into the 2040s. We look forward to Champions once again delivering an exceptional experience for our players, loyal fans and the Houston community.”
Champions Golf Club was founded in 1957 by three-time Masters champion Jimmy Demaret and Jack Burke Jr., who was fresh off winning both the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship in 1956. The pair recruited Ralph Plummer to design the Cypress Creek Course, which opened for play in 1959. A major restoration of the Cypress Creek Course, led by Chet Williams, was completed in 2018 ahead of the COVID-19-delayed 2020 U.S. Women’s Open.
Following Demaret’s passing in 1983, Burke remained the club’s majority owner and President until 2021, when ownership and management of the club were transitioned to Jack’s son, Mike Burke, and his grandson, Dean Burke.
Jack Burke Jr., who passed away in 2024 just days shy of his 101st birthday, recorded 16 PGA Tour victories, competed on five U.S. Ryder Cup teams and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000. He also received the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award, in 2004.
“Champions Golf Club is honored to host these future USGA championships,” said Mike Burke. “Our club takes pride in offering a true championship test while honoring the game’s traditions. We are grateful for the USGA’s continued trust in the Burke family and look forward to celebrating Jack’s legacy by providing the championship experience and hospitality that define Champions.”
Champions Golf Club last hosted a USGA championship in 2020, when A Lim Kim, of the Republic of Korea, captured the U.S. Women’s Open. After COVID-19 forced the championship to be moved from June to December of that year, Kim overcame a five-stroke final-round deficit, birdieing her final three holes to hoist the Harton S. Semple Trophy.
In the 1969 U.S. Open held at Champions Golf Club, Orville Moody recorded a one-stroke victory over Deane Beman, Al Geiberger and Bob Rosburg, to win the lone major of his career.
In 1993, then-41-year-old John Harris defeated Danny Ellis, 5 and 3, to win the U.S. Amateur at Champions. Harris remains the last mid-amateur to claim the Havemeyer Trophy. The Minnesota native and four-time USA Walker Cup Team member passed away last September after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
The club has also hosted two U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs (1998, 2017). In 2017, Kelsey Chugg rebounded from an opening-round 85 to earn the No. 50 seed in match play before defeating Mary Jane Hiestand, 3 and 1, in the 18-hole championship match. In 1998, Virginia Derby Grimes defeated Robin Weiss, 4 and 3, to earn her lone career USGA title.
The Cypress Creek Course has also hosted the 1967 Ryder Cup, five PGA Tour Championships (1990, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003) and five Houston Opens from 1966-71.
The state of Texas has hosted 35 overall USGA championships. The 2029 U.S. Senior Women’s Open and 2040 U.S. Senior Open will mark the first time each championship will be played in the Lone Star State. The 2034 U.S. Mid-Amateur will be the fourth contested in the state and the first since 2011 at Shadow Hawk Golf Club, in Richmond, a Houston suburb.
The U.S. Senior Women’s Open is open to professional golfers, and amateurs with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 7.4, who are at least 50 years of age by the start of championship play. The field of 120 players competes in two rounds of stroke play, after which the field is reduced to the low 50 scorers and ties for the final 36 holes. The 2026 championship is scheduled for Barton Hills Country Club, in Ann Arbor, Mich., Aug. 20-23.
The U.S. Senior Open Championship is for golfers 50 and older and open to any professional or amateur with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4. The field of 156 players competes in two rounds of stroke play, after which the field is reduced to the low 60 scorers and ties for the final 36 holes. The 2026 U.S. Senior Open is set to be contested at Scioto Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio, July 2-5.
The U.S. Mid-Amateur is open to any amateur who is 25 years old by the start of the championship with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4. The field of 264 players will compete in two rounds of stroke play, after which the field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers for six rounds of match play. The 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur will be held at Sand Valley Resort (Lido), in Nekoosa, Wis., Sept. 26-Oct.1.
Old Barnwell to Host 2031 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball
The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Old Barnwell, in Aiken, S.C., will host the 2031 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
“We’re thrilled to bring this championship back to South Carolina and to initiate this partnership with Old Barnwell,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director of championships. “Old Barnwell’s commitment to thoughtful course design, player development and growing the game aligns perfectly with the values of this championship, and we’re confident it will provide an outstanding test for the competitors.”
A par-73 layout, Old Barnwell opened in 2023 and was designed by Brian Schneider and Blake Conant. Set across 575 acres of sandy soil and rolling hills, Schneider and Conant emphasized a blend of strategic, modern golf course design with elements of classical golf course architecture. The club also features a 15-hole kids’ course and plans to open a third course, The Gilroy, in 2027.
“Hosting a USGA championship is a tremendous honor for Old Barnwell, and one that aligns closely with our mission,” said Nick Schreiber, founder of Old Barnwell. “We are proud to welcome this group of players to Aiken and to partner with the USGA in delivering a championship that reflects our values, our community and our commitment to the future of the game.”
Old Barnwell is dedicated to creating programs that empower, invite and celebrate people and communities historically underrepresented in the game of golf. To do this, the club is partnered with organizations such as the ANNIKA Foundation, the Evans Scholars Foundation and local historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Since opening, the club has hosted numerous NCAA events, including the Derby Matchplay hosted by the University of South Carolina, which features eight of the top women’s college teams in the country, and the More Than Golf Invitational, a collaboration with the ANNIKA Foundation that brings together mid-major conference champions each year. In advance of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship, Old Barnwell is set to host NCAA Regionals in 2027 and the Western Women’s Junior Amateur in 2028.
There have been 21 USGA championships contested in the state of South Carolina through the 2025 season. Most recently, Bryan Kim of Brookeville, Md., defeated New Zealander Joshua Bai in the 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, 2 up, at Daniel Island Club in Charleston. Daniel Island Club will also host the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball from May 2-6.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball was last conducted in the Palmetto State in 2017, when Alice Chen and Taylor Totland defeated Sammi Lee and Mary Ellen Shuman, 4 and 3, at Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach. The championship was first conducted in 2015 and is open to female amateur golfers whose handicaps do not exceed 14.4.
A starting field of 64 sides (128 players) play two rounds of stroke play, with the low 32 sides (64 players) advancing to match play. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the champions. The winning side receives an exemption into that year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur, which in 2031 will be held at Baltimore (Md.) Country Club. The champions are also exempt into any other USGA amateur competition for which they are eligible that year.
Future U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Sites:
2026 – Daniel Island Club, Charleston, S.C.
2027 – Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville, Va.
2028 – Blessings Golf Club, Johnson, Ark.
2029 – Desert Mountain Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.
2030 – Erin Hills, Erin, Wis.
2031 – Old Barnwell, Aiken, S.C.
2035 – Country Club of York, York, Pa.
2037 – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore.
Limited Corporate Hospitality Remains for 2027 PGA Championship
FRISCO, Texas. ー Following extraordinary interest since hospitality offerings launched last summer, the PGA of America announced today a limited selection of corporate hospitality packages remain available for the 2027 PGA Championship, scheduled for May 17-23 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco, with some locations already sold out. The current availability follows the release of additional hospitality inventory in response to the unprecedented initial demand.
Awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, remaining hospitality experiences include private on-course chalets, premium suites, as well as reserved tables. All on-course venues provide a comfortable, climate-controlled setting with all-inclusive food and beverage service and parking access.
The 2027 PGA Championship marks the 100-year anniversary of Walter Hagen’s historic victory in the 1927 PGA Championship at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas. It also represents the first men’s Major Championship contested in Dallas-Fort Worth in 64 years (1963 PGA Championship won by Jack Nicklaus at Dallas Athletic Club) and the first in the state of Texas in 58 years (1969 U.S. Open at Champions Club in Houston).
Designed by renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse, Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco will host the strongest field in golf for the first time in 2027— its third Major Championship following the 2023 Senior PGA Championship and 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“We are humbled by the tremendous local and regional support since going on-sale, and this response is a great reminder of the magnitude of the historic return of a men’s major to North Texas,” said Jason Mengel, Championship Director. “We encourage those interested in hospitality to act quickly as we are down to single-digit availability across multiple locations, and larger packages traditionally sell out 10-12 months ahead of the event.”
Hospitality Packages Available for Purchase:
- 100-person Private Chalets (on-course, private bar and private buffet)
- 17 Green – Limited number remaining
- 50-person Premium Suites (on-course, private bar and shared buffet)
- 16 Green – SOLD OUT
- 17 Tee – Limited number remaining
- 17 Fairway – SOLD OUT
- 30-person Suites (on-course, shared bar and shared buffet)
- 16 Fairway – Limited number remaining
- 10-person Tables (coming soon)
Additionally, hospitality purchasers will be provided with options to bundle hotel rooms, Ranch Houses (4-bedroom golf cottages) and VIP experiences at Omni PGA Frisco Resort.
Those interested in securing hospitality for the 2027 PGA Championship should complete the interest form at https://rsvp.pgahq.com/2027pgachampionship or contact Casey Dadio, Corporate Hospitality Sales Manager, at cdadio@pgahq.com.
Blake Rowling, CEO of TRT Holdings, has been named General Chair of the 2027 PGA Championship. Rowling will lead the Championship Host Committee, overseeing more than 50 committee chairs and over 3,000 volunteers, while also supporting the Championship’s sales initiatives. Rowling, a Texas native and University of Texas graduate, leads TRT Holdings which operates as a diversified holding and investment company with major interests in hospitality, energy, real estate and retail.
“It’s an honor and privilege to accept the position of General Chair for the 2027 PGA Championship,” said Rowling. “Hosting a men’s major at the Home of the PGA of America and Omni PGA Frisco Resort is a dream come true. The 660-acre campus was designed with hosting a major championship in mind, and we’re excited for the destination to shine on a global stage. I look forward to collaborating with the Championship staff as well as the business and community leaders as we prepare to deliver a world-class experience in 2027.”
Check the Source Before Purchasing
The PGA of America strongly advises interested parties to check the source before purchasing 2027 PGA Championship corporate hospitality packages. The PGA of America is the only source to offer official hospitality packages to the event, and only official hospitality packages are located on the actual championship grounds at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.
Due to high demand and limited availability, it has become common practice for independent companies to market unofficial hospitality packages to the corporate community. These packages often falsely imply an affiliation with PGA of America and the 2027 PGA Championship, and will not provide access to the grounds of the event.
Other Opportunities
Those interested in receiving information on Championship tickets and volunteer opportunities can visit here. Additional details on both will be available later this spring.
