Oakmont Country Club and Merion Golf Club, two classic American layouts, now have an enduring place in the national championships for men’s and women’s golf.
The USGA announced Wednesday that Oakmont and Merion will host five U.S. Opens and four U.S. Women’s Opens between them through 2050, while designating Oakmont a second anchor site for the big events, joining Pinehurst Resort as perpetual hosts of the USGA’s most important championships.
“Oakmont and Merion are iconic in every sense of the word – they’re in rare company in golf and continue to test the best in the game,” John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships, said in a media release.
“We’re making history and kicking off a new era for our national championships in Pennsylvania and we couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead.”
In speaking with players in the past few years, USGA officials found a common thread: Players care not just about winning national championships but where they win them.
Adding Oakmont and Merion to the USGA’s commitment to Pinehurst further entrenches the U.S. Opens at some of the game’s most revered courses.
“Our members and all of Pittsburgh are so excited to host the USGA and the best players in the game at Oakmont, which we believe to be one of the most exacting tests of golf anywhere in the world.” – Oakmont president Ed Stack
Oakmont, which is hosting the U.S. Amateur this week outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also will host the 2025 U.S. Open (previously announced), the 2028 and 2038 U.S. Women’s Opens, the 2034, 2042 and 2049 U.S. Opens, the 2033 Walker Cup matches and the 2046 U.S. Amateur.
The notoriously difficult Oakmont has hosted U.S. Opens won by Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson as well as Women’s Opens won by Paula Creamer and Patty Sheehan. Bobby Jones won one of his five U.S. Amateur titles at Oakmont.
“Our members and all of Pittsburgh are so excited to host the USGA and the best players in the game at Oakmont, which we believe to be one of the most exacting tests of golf anywhere in the world,” Oakmont president Ed Stack said.
“It is the perfect venue to identify the best golfers around the globe, in concert with the USGA’s mission for championship golf. The new champions who will be crowned over the next 30 years will join a distinguished list of past champions and etch their names in golf history.”
Merion, already scheduled to host the 2022 Curtis Cup matches and the 2026 U.S. Amateur, will add the 2030 U.S. Open, the 2034 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2046 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2050 U.S. Open to its future events. The 2030 U.S. Open will mark the centennial of Bobby Jones’ Grand Slam, having won the final leg in the U.S. Amateur at Merion in September 1930.
As host of 18 previous USGA events, Merion owns the distinction of having hosted more of the association’s championships than any other site. It is where Jones won two U.S. Amateur championships and Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, David Graham, Olin Dutra and Justin Rose have won U.S. Open titles.
“Starting with its formation, the desire to host significant championships has been at Merion’s core. It is no wonder Merion has hosted more USGA championships than any club in America,” said Buddy Marucci, championship chair for Merion.
“Our friendship with the USGA dates to its first decade and has produced some of the most incredible moments in golf history. We are thrilled to celebrate those moments by announcing four more Open championships and we look forward to bringing the best players in the world to compete on Hugh Wilson’s timeless masterpiece.”
In addition to the events announced Wednesday, the USGA also committed to bringing more of its championships to Pennsylvania beyond the 18 now scheduled to be played.