The 126th U.S. Amateur Championship is this week at the historic Merion Golf Club and Philadelphia Country Club. Matt Fitzpatrick, Bryson DeChambeau, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer are among the past winners of the U.S. Amateur who also went on to win major championships.
A field of 312 players will play two rounds of stroke play, one on each course the first two days. There will be a cut to the low 64 after stroke play. From Wednesday to Sunday the tournament shifts to match play at Merion, with the winner decided Sunday after a 36-hole championship match. The winner and runner-up receive exemptions into next year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
In the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club, Mason Howell became the third youngest winner of the event by defeating Jackson Herrington 7&6 in the championship match.
About Merion Golf Club and Philadelphia Country Club
Philadelphia Country Club plays 7,201 yards as a par 70. The course has hosted two U.S. Women’s Amateurs, a U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and the 1939 U.S. Open, won by Byron Nelson.
Merion Golf Club (East Course) plays 6,921 yards as a par 70. This is Merion’s 20th USGA championship and seventh U.S. Amateur. It has also hosted five U.S. Opens, with the last being in 2013 when Justin Rose won.
Tune into the latest episode of “The Teacher and The Pro” to hear about the holes at Merion that will play the largest roles in match play. Lead instructor Nick Iacono breaks down each hole.
Who to Watch at the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship
The field includes defending champion Howell and last year’s runner-up Herrington. The top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Preston Stout, will be in a group with Tyler Watts (No. 3 in the WAGR) and Miles Russell (No. 4).
Stout won the NCAA Individual title in June and is the preseason No. 1 in the 2027 PGA Tour University rankings. Watts finished fifth at the Western Amateur and won the Northeast Amateur Invitational in June. Russell finished third at the Western Amateur and second at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Noah Maclauchlan won the U.S. Junior Amateur by defeating Russell 6&5 in the championship match, clinching his spot in this championship.
How to Watch the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship
You can watch coverage of the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship on NBC Sports Network, Peacock and NBC.
Wednesday, August 12: Round of 64: Peacock/NBCSN, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Thursday, August 13: Round of 16: Peacock/NBCSN, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Friday, August 14: Quarterfinals: Peacock/NBCSN, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Saturday August 15: Semifinals: Peacock, 3:00pm-4:00pm, NBC, 4:00pm-6:00pm
Sunday August 16: Championship match: Peacock, 3:00pm-4:00pm; NBC, 4:00pm-6:00pm
