Tiger Woods has left his prints all over the USGA by winning the U.S. Open by a record 15 shots, winning three straight times in the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur, and sharing the record with Bobby Jones of claiming nine USGA titles.
And now his name will be etched into a medal and a trophy.
The USGA announced at its annual meeting last week in New York that the winner of the U.S. Amateur now will receive the Tiger Woods Medal, and the winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur will get the Tiger Woods Trophy.
“The USGA and its championships have played an enormous role in my life,” Woods said in a statement. “The U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur were defining moments in my development, both as a golfer and as a person. To be recognized in this way is incredibly humbling, and I hope it inspires young players to chase their dreams and appreciate the history and values of the game.”
The U.S. Amateur already has named its trophy for Theodore Havemeyer, the first USGA president.
The U.S. Open awards the Jack Nicklaus Medal to the winner, while the U.S. Women’s Open winner gets the Mickey Wright Medal. The USGA previously announced the JoAnne Carner Medal for the U.S. Women’s Amateur champion. Carner, known then as JoAnne Gunderson, is a four-time winner of the Women’s Amateur.
