2022 U.S. Amateur features some must-watch groups of golf’s future stars

Although all eyes are currently on Washington watching the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay, another USGA championship is just days away.

The 2022 U.S. Amateur begins Aug. 15 with the first of two rounds of stroke play at both Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. The top 64 players will advance to match play on Aug. 17, with the 36-hole final scheduled for Aug. 21.

The USGA announced the tee times for the first two rounds of stroke play on Tuesday, and a few of the groups will be must-see action. Check out the top groups to watch for the 2022 U.S. Amateur.

U.S. Amateur: Tee times

World’s top amateurs

In total, the field of 312 players features 18 of the top 20 amateurs in the world. The group of Ludvig Aberg (No. 2), Gordon Sargent (No. 4) and Michael Thorbjornsen (No. 5) features three of the top five players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Dylan Menante (No. 6), Sam Bairstow (No. 7) and David Puig (No. 9) is another group loaded with top-ranked talent. Menante recently transferred from Pepperdine, where he won a team national championship in 2021, to North Carolina. Puig, an Arizona State senior, is a two-time competitor on the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Ludvig Aberg after winning the 2022 Ben Hogan Award in Fort Worth, Texas on May 23, 2022. (Photo: Sharon Ellman)

U.S. Open ams

Not only are Austin Greaser, Sam Bennett and Travis Vick big-time players, all three have some deep history in USGA events, like when they all qualified for and then made the cut at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, this summer. Vick earned low-am honors at T-43, with Bennett a couple shots back at T-49. Greaser, winner of the recent Western Amateur, finished T-61.

Stewart Hagestad was the fourth amateur to make the cut, but more to come on him later.

Amateur Travis Vick (R) of the United States shakes hands with Mike Whan (L), USGA CEO, after being honored with the low-amateur award after the final round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 19, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Summer stars

Want to watch winners? These groups are for you.

David Ford, 2022 Southern Amateur
Luke Clanton, 2022 North/South Amateur
William Mouw, 2022 Trans-Miss Amateur

Jose Antonio Safa, 2022 Mexican Amateur
Luis Carrera, 2022 Canadian Amateur
Aaron Jarvis, 2022 Latin America Amateur

David Ford gives us an inside look into his Final Round. Congratulations, Champ! #SouthernAm pic.twitter.com/nqruxVHN3S

— Southern Golf Association (@sgagolf) July 16, 2022

USGA champions  

Speaking of winners, these two groups are full of players who have won USGA titles.

Wenyi Ding, 2022 U.S. Junior
Stewart Hagestad, 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur
Davis Womble, 2022 U.S. 4-ball

Chad Wilfong, 2022 U.S. 4-ball
Nick Dunlap, 2021 U.S. Junior
Matt Parziale, 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur

Wenyi Ding hits an approach shot during the 74th U.S. Junior Amateur. (Chris Keane, USGA)

Elite Amateur Golf Series Cup Top 3

Caleb Surratt, Jiri Zuska and Bryce Lewis all had big summers, finishing as the top three in the Elite Amateur Cup, a points race in the seven historic Elite Amateur Golf Series championships: Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur, North & South Amateur, Trans-Miss Amateur, Southern Amateur, Pacific Coast Amateur and the Western Amateur.

The Elite Amateur Cup point system is the cumulative total of World Amateur Golf Ranking points earned from competing in the seven EAGS events.

The 2022 Final Standings are in.

Caleb Surratt is the #BestOfTheBest in 2022, winning the inaugural Elite Amateur Cup with a total of 75.5607 points. 🏆 Congratulations to our exceptional #FinalFive! pic.twitter.com/6LMZckjzsR

— Elite Amateur Golf Series (@eliteamseries) August 9, 2022