7 Perks Of Winning The US Amateur Championship

The US Amateur Championship is one the most prestigious prizes in golf where the champion will look to follow in the footsteps of men like Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland.

A total of 312 players teed it up at the start of this week at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, who qualified for a field that had 5,245 entries from amateur golfers with a Handicap Index of 0.4 and below.

The eventual champion will end up playing nine rounds of golf this week in San Francisco across seven days but the rewards at the end, which do not include any kind of prize money, are certainly worth the toil.

Here is everything the US Amateur champion will receive in 2025:

The Havemeyer Trophy

The US Amateur champion takes home the original Havemayer Trophy for the full year. The trophy was first presented to the USGA in March 1895 by its first president, Theodore A. Havemeyer. 

The original trophy was silver and was handed to the winner every year until it was lost in a fire during 1925.

Rather than trying to replicate the original, the USGA produced a stunning new gold-plated steeple cup which has been awarded annually since 1926.

A Gold Medal

A gold medal accompanies the trophy.

It has the USGA's logo on and is worn around the neck by red, white, and blue material.

Over the years, it has been donned by the likes of five-time winner Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau.

World Amateur Golf Ranking Points

Historically, the winner has received just below 25 WAGR points for coming out on top at the US Amateur while the runner up has earned around 20.

That bundle of points can make a serious difference to a player's position in the WAGR.

Major Exemptions

The victorious player will receive an automatic invite into the 2026 Open Championship (Royal Birkdale) - as long as they remain an amateur - and the US Open (Shinnecock Hills) next year even if they turn pro. The USGA introduced a rule in 2019 where the winner can turn professional and still take up their spot.

A Masters invite will also be sent in the post around the turn of the year, which remains valid as long as said player retains their non-pro status, although a trip to the PGA Championship is off the table regardless. 

As an added bonus, the US Amateur champion tees it up at Augusta National with the defending Masters champion at the next Masters tournament. The same is true at the US Open as well.

Tee times with Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun await.

Name On A Wall At The USGA Museum

Every champion of a USGA tournament is recognized by having their name inscribed on a bronze plaque on the wall of the USGA's museum - the oldest sports museum in the US - in Liberty Corner, New Jersey.

At the end of 2019, there were 954 names on the wall, including Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods, whose names appear a record nine times each.

10-Year US Amateur Exemption

Not only do amateur stars earn an automatic tee time at the next 10 US Amateur Championships, but they are also exempt into the next decade of British Amateur Championships, the following year's Northeast Amateur, and the 2025 Monroe Invitational too.

The 2026 US Amateur is due to be held at Merion and the 2027 championship is set for Oak Hill.

PGA Tour University Points

This week's champion earns 2 PGA Tour University Points.

The no.1 finisher receives a PGA Tour card while other top finishers earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas.