Tiger Woods has been bestowed with two huge honors by the USGA…
A slew of announcements arrived in the wake of the USGA’s annual meetings in New York last week.
The first was that the Inverness Club in Ohio is returning to the US Open rota – with the caveat being that the Donald Ross course won’t be staging the major until 2045. Mark your diaries accordingly.
Meanwhile, the bosses at the governing body also decided upon a fitting way to recognise the dominance of Tiger Woods in its historic tournaments.
Woods, widely considered to have had the greatest amateur career of the modern era, will have two of the USGA’s most prestigious titles named after him beginning this year.
Among the most impressive feats of his astonishing career, Woods captured three consecutive US Junior Amateur trophies and then three straight US Amateur titles between 1991 and 1996. It was an extraordinary and surely unrepeatable run that paved the way for his dominance on the elite stage.
And so from 2026, the US Amateur champion will receive the Tiger Woods Medal alongside the famed Havemeyer trophy, while the US Junior Amateur trophy will be renamed the Tiger Woods trophy.
“The USGA and its championships have played an enormous role in my life,” said Woods.
“The US Junior Amateur and US 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.”
Woods, of course, went on to win three US Opens and holds the record for the most USGA Championship wins with nine alongside the great Bobby Jones.
“Tiger Woods redefined what was possible in amateur golf,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA.
“His achievements as a junior and amateur didn’t just set records — they set a new standard of excellence. Naming our U.S. Amateur Medal and U.S. Junior Amateur Trophy in his honor ensures that every future champion is forever connected to a legacy that helped shape the modern game.”