-Story by Rory Sharrock and Conner
Penfold
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (August 10, 2014) — Nestled
quietly in the Northern outskirts of Atlanta,
Johns Creek is a quaint community where local
residents enjoy scenic imagery and the
familiarity of neighborhood staples.
However, for a seven-day period from August 11
through the 17, the normally low-key area will
be transformed into an epicenter of golf with top
players from across the globe converging in
town for the 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship at
Atlanta Athletic Club.
This signature USGA event features a field of
312 players competing in stroke play for the first
two days. From there, the field will be cut to the
low 64 scorers. Afterwards, there will be six
rounds of match play beginning August 13. The
tournament concludes with a 36-hole
championship tilt on Sunday, August 17.
A tournament of this magnitude requires a venue
with a unique setting fit for the sport’s top
amateurs. With its superb layout and deep-
rooted historical ties as the former home of
Bobby Jones, Atlanta Athletic Club is the ideal
place to host this marquee event. Although this
year marks the first time the U.S. Amateur will
be played at the club, this site is no stranger to
hosting primetime competitions. Among the top-
flight tournaments held on these grounds include
the U.S. Open (1976), PGA Championship (1981,
2001 and 2011), U.S. Women’s Open (1990) and
U.S. Junior Amateur (2002).
“It means a lot for us to host the U.S. Amateur
Championship because of the history and
tradition of our club,” said Kevin Carroll, General
Manager and Chief Operating Officer at Atlanta
Athletic Club. “We’ve had a number of amateur
tournaments here and we have strong ties to the
USGA. We take pride in welcoming people here
and to Johns Creek.”
There will be herds of players traveling from
multiple states and countries for the U.S.
Amateur Championship, including six of the top-
10 amateurs according to
the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Player Rankings.
 |
Corey
Conners |
Canada's top-ranked player Corey
Conners is coming off a second
place finish in the Canadian Amateur, and will be
a favorite this week considering his semifinal
appearance in last year's event. The 22-year-old
former Kent State University golfer was a three-
time All-MAC selection and was co-player of the
year in the MAC in the 2013-2014 season — his
senior year.
The highest ranked player from the United
States in the field is University of South Carolina
senior Will Murphy, who is having a spectacular
year including winning at prestigious amateur
events like the Azalea Invitational and the
Sunnehanna Amateur.
 |
Beau
Hossler |
Right
behind Murphy in the rankings is Mission Viejo,
Calif. native Beau Hossler, who has had a week
and a half break since capturing the Western
Amateur. The soon-to-be sophomore at the
University of Texas made a name for himself by
making the cut at the age of 17 at the 2012 U.S.
Open at Olympic Club, which had not been done
since World War II.
The youngest player in the field is 13-year-old
Will Thomson of Pittsford, N.Y. Thomson
qualified for his first USGA event by medaling at
the Mendon, N.Y. sectional qualifier with rounds
of 66 and 68, and has been playing fantastic golf
of late, including a ten-shot win at the 2013 New
York State Boys' Amateur and a Porter Cup
appearance.
 |
Zander
Lombard |
Two
of South Africa's top amateurs will be at Atlanta
Athletic Club, including No. 4 in the world Zander
Lombard. The 19-year-old was runner-up at this
year's British Amateur and was the first South
African since Trevor Immelman in 1997 to reach
the tournament's final match.
The last two U.S. Amateur Public Links
champions are present in Johns Creek as Jordan
Niebrugge (2013) and Byron Meth (2014) will
compete in this year's event. Niebrugge was part
of the United States' 2013 Walker Cup winning
team and had a stellar 2013 season, winning
three other events to go along with his U.S.
Public Links victory, including the Western
Amateur and Wisconsin State Amateur.
 |
Nathan
Smith |
The
nation's best mid-amateur Nathan Smith will be
playing in his fifth consecutive U.S. Amateur.
Smith became the first golfer to win four U.S.
Mid-Amateurs with his title in 2012. He had
previously won the event in 2003, 2009, and
2010. Smith has also been a member of three
consecutive Walker Cup teams.
This year’s tournament also has its share of
homegrown talent with 16 Georgia residents
teeing off in their backyard. Three of these
Peach State heroes are listed on
Golfweek/amateurgolf.com’s top-100 player
rankings, including Seth Reeves (13), Oliver
Schniederjans (28), and Jimmy Beck (60).
 |
Seth
Reeves |
“This is
the biggest amateur event. This is my third time
playing in this tournament. Whether you’ve
earned an exemption or went through qualifying,
it’s special to be here. The fact it’s in my
hometown adds to the excitement too,” said
Reeves, a former Georgia Tech golfer who is
competing in his final event as an amateur
before turning pro later this month. “I’ve played
Atlanta Athletic Club. Highlands is a great test.
Every single hole is challenging. Riverside is a
great secondary course. There’s always drama in
this tournament and this should be one of the
best amateurs ever.”
The Highlands Course, which will host the 18
holes of the stroke play and the entire match
play portion of the event, will set up at
7,490/7,428 yards and play to a par of 35-36-71.
The Riverside Course will split the 36 holes of
stroke play and is stretched out to 7,381 yards
and play to a par 36-36-72.
ABOUT THE
US Amateur
The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA
championship, was first played in 1895 at
Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The
event,
which has no age restriction, is open to
those
with a Handicap Index of .4 (point four) or lower. It is
one
of 15 national championships conducted
annually by the USGA.
A new two-stage qualifying process went into effect in 2024, providing exemptions through local qualifying for state amateur champions and top-ranked WAGR playres. See the USGA website for details -- applications are typically placed online in the spring
at www.usga.org.
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