2009 U.S. Amateur Championship Moved to Southern Hills

Based on a joint agreement, Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., will host the 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship, replacing Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., the United States Golf Association has announced. The dates of the 2009 championship are August 23-30.

Southern Hills was originally scheduled to host the 2010 Amateur and Congressional, the 2009 championship. The site of two previous U.S. Opens, Congressional is also scheduled to host the 2011 Open.

Recent weather trends in the mid-Atlantic region were extreme this past August and ere exacerbated by prolonged drought, causing course condition problems at Congressional and other clubs. In order to begin specified U.S. Open course revisions and complete them on time for the 2011 Open, the USGA and Congressional agreed to move the 2009 Amateur from Congressional and Southern Hills accepted the switch. The site of the 2010 U.S. Amateur is to be determined.

"We are grateful to Southern Hills for its flexibility as Congressional prepares for the U.S. Open in 2011," Jim Hyler, chairman of the USGA championship committee said. "In this way, the players at both the 2009 U.S. Amateur and the 2011 U.S. Open will have the kind of playing conditions that are the hallmark of USGA championships. We and Congressional agreed that the movement of the 2009 Amateur made a great deal of sense and will provide enough time for Congressional to embark on plans that will result in a terrific venue for the 2011 U.S. Open. We see this move as the right decision for both the 2009 Amateur and the 2011 U.S. Open."

"Congressional Country Club is in total agreement with the USGA that relocating the 2009 Amateur would be in all parties' best interests while allowing for a successful 2011 U.S. Open," said Stuart Long, president of Congressional Country Club. "The drought and unwavering high heat have proved to be tough on our courses and highlighted several areas that needed attention. By relocating the Amateur, we can give our courses time to recover from the stresses of the notorious D.C. summer, and make some course renovations for the Open Championship and implement several other course rehabilitation projects that will provide long-term benefits for our members, as well as for our involvement in future events at Congressional."

The 2009 Amateur is the ninth USGA championship and second U.S. Amateur (Bob Murphy won in 1965), to be conducted at Southern Hills, a classic Perry Maxwell design built in 1936. Previously, the club has hosted three U.S. Opens (1957, 1977, 2001), the 1946 Women's Amateur, the 1953 Junior Amateur, and the 1987 Women's Mid-Amateur.

The 2008 U.S. Amateur will be played at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort August 18-24.