Fact Sheet

July 21-26, 2008
Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek, Ala.

PAR AND YARDAGE – Shoal Creek will play at 7,251 yards and par 36-36--72.

SHOAL CREEK – Shoal Creek was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1977. It has been host to two PGA Championships (1984 and 1990) and one U.S. Amateur Championship (1986).

COURSE SET UP – Shoal Creek will be set for green speeds of approximately 10½ feet on the Stimpmeter. The fairways will generally be about 30 yards wide. The first five feet just off each side of the fairways (intermediate rough) will be grown to 1 inch. The primary rough will be grown incrementally higher and higher moving away from the fairways; with the first primary cut at 2 inches, the second cut at 3 inches and the deepest of the rye/blue grass rough at nearly 5 inches.

SLOPE AND COURSE RATINGS – The set up at Shoal Creek will result in a USGA Course Rating™ of 74.9 and a Slope Rating® of 136. An "average" Slope Rating® in the U.S. is about 113.

ONLINE COVERAGE – Log on to the USGA Internet site at www.usjunioram.org for the latest and most complete U.S. Junior Amateur Championship information.

FREE ADMISSION – Spectators are invited to attend the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship free of charge.

HOLE BY HOLE – 7,271 yards, par 36-36 – 72;

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT SHOAL CREEK – The 1986 U.S. Amateur was held at Shoal Creek. Buddy Alexander defeated Chris Kite for the title, 5 and 3. Alexander was then 33 and the golf coach at LSU. He now coaches at the University of Florida. Len Mattiace was the low scorer for the two rounds of stroke play prior to heading into the match play segment of the championship.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS – Quarterfinalists from 2007 are fully exempt from having to qualify for the 2008 championship as well as anyone who has advanced to match play at the U.S. Amateur or qualified for a U.S. Open, provided they still meet the age restrictions, etc. Those exempt and entered (3) are Michael McGowan of Southern Pines, N.C.; Anthony Paolucci of Dallas, Texas; and Cory Whitsett of Houston, Texas. McGowan not only was a quarterfinalist but also qualified for match play at the 2006 U.S. Amateur.

2007 FINALISTS RETURN – Whitsett and Paolucci met in last year’s 36-hole final match. Paolucci, now 15, won two of the first six holes, but Whitsett, now 16, rallied back and held a 5-up lead after the first 18 holes. He won the match, 8 and 7.

TOTAL ENTRIES – The USGA accepted 3,148 entries for the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 13th consecutive year that entries have topped 3,000. The most entries ever received for a Junior Amateur championship was 4,508 in 1999 when the U.S. Junior Amateur was played at the Country Club of York (Pa.).

WHO CAN ENTER – The U.S. Junior Amateur Championship is open to amateur golfers who will not have reached their 18th birthday on or before July 26, 2008, and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 6.4.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING – Sectional qualifying was conducted over 36 holes at 63 sites from June 16-July 1.

THE SCHEDULE – Following 36 holes of stroke play (July 21-22), the field will be trimmed to the lowest 64 scorers, who will advance to match play. From there, the schedule is as follows:

• July 23 (Wednesday) – First round, match play
• July 24 (Thursday) – Second and third rounds, match play
• July 25 (Friday) – Quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, match play
• July 26 (Saturday) – Final round, match play (36 holes)

THE CHAMPION RECEIVES -

• A gold medal and custody of the Junior Amateur Championship Trophy for the ensuing year
• An exemption from local qualifying at the 2009 U.S. Open Championship, if still an amateur
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship, if otherwise eligible
• An exemption from sectional qualifying at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, if otherwise eligible
• An exemption from qualifying at the 2009 British Amateur Championship

NOTEABLE PLAYERS IN U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR HISTORY -

Gay Brewer – Champion in 1949
David Duval – Champion in 1989
Al Geiberger – Runner-up in 1954
Charles Howell – Runner-up in 1996
Trevor Immelman – Runner-up in 1997
Gary Koch – Champion in 1970
Hunter Mahan – Champion in 1999
Johnny Miller – Champion in 1964 (U.S. Open winner in 1973)
Ryan Moore – Runner-up in 2000
Andy North – Runner-up in 1967
Jay Sigel – Runner-up in 1961
Scott Simpson – Runner-up in 1972 (U.S. Open winner in 1987)
Ken Venturi – Runner–up in 1948 (U.S. Open winner in 1964)
Camilo Villegas – Runner-up in 1999
Willie Wood – Champion in 1977
Tiger Woods – Champion in 1991, 1992 and 1993 (U.S. Amateur winner in 1994-96; U.S. Open winner in 2000, 2002 and 2008)

TIGER WOODS AND THE U.S. JUNIOR – Tiger Woods is the only three-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion (1991-1993) and the only player to have won the championship more than once. With nine USGA championships to his credit, Woods stands tied with Bob Jones for the most USGA titles won. He won the 1991 U.S. Junior at age 15 to become the youngest male USGA champion in history. He still holds that record.

"Winning the first of my three straight U.S. Junior Amateur titles in 1991," Woods has said is his greatest golf achievement, according to a printed piece in the Honolulu Advertiser. "I was 15 years of age playing kids three years older. I was four down with five to play (against Brad Zwetschke) in the final before winning at the 19th at Bay Hill."

U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR HISTORY – The U.S. Junior Amateur was first played in 1948. The first Junior Amateur was played at the University of Michigan Golf Course and drew 495 entries. The starting field of 128 players was determined by sectional qualifying rounds at 41 sites. Dean Lind of Rockford, Ill., was the first champion. Lind defeated Ken Venturi of San Francisco, a future U.S. Open champion, in the final.

By 1963, entries had surged to 2,230, a record for the 14th consecutive year. At the time, there was no handicap limitation for entrants. That changed in 1964 when a handicap limit of 10 strokes was introduced.

The Junior Amateur is among the most difficult of all USGA championships to win, because of the age limit and the number of fine young players who enter each year. Only one player, Tiger Woods, has won the Junior Amateur more than once, winning in 1991, 1992 and 1993. In fact, only five players have reached the finals more than once. Woods, who was 15 years, six months, and 28 days old when he won in 1991, remains the youngest champion.

FUTURE JUNIORS AMATEURS – The Junior Amateur will be conducted at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J., from July 20-25, 2009.

MEDIA INFORMATION – For more information on the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur, please contact Craig Smith of the USGA media relations staff at (908) 781-1040. He will be on site at Shoal Creek as of July 19. He can also be reached by cell phone at (908) 216-3229.