Fall 2023 | Tri State Golf 47 TOURNAMENT NEWS The USGA announced today that Montclair Golf Club, in West Orange, N.J., will be the host site for the 2026 U.S. Women’s MidAmateur Championship. The club has previously hosted two USGA championships, the 1973 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 1985 U.S. Amateur. “We are excited to return to Montclair Golf Club, which not only has a challenging golf course, but a supportive and engaged membership,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director, Championships. “We are appreciative of the invitation and look forward to welcoming the best female mid-amateurs from around the world.” Montclair Golf Club, founded in 1893, is one of the nation’s oldest golf courses, with its original 18-hole course by Tom Bendelow opening in 1899. In 1920, renowned architect Donald Ross designed the presentday first, second and third nines, and in 1928, Charles Banks designed the fourth. “Montclair Golf Club is honored to be hosting the 2026 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur,” said Robert Scalzo, club trustee. “Montclair Golf Club has a storied history, and we are proud to once again partner with the USGA for what is sure to be an amazing week. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and all the members, we are excited to welcome this championship to our club.” Robert Trent Jones Sr. and son Rees Jones, both longtime club members, redesigned and improved the original layouts. Legendary amateur and nine-time USGA champion Bob Jones once spoke of Montclair as the “longest short course” he had ever played. Carol Semple Thompson won the first of her seven USGA titles at Montclair, the 1973 U.S. Women’s Amateur, defeating fellow seven-time USGA champion Anne Sander in the final. Sam Randolph, a Haskins Award winner and low amateur at the Masters Tournament in 1985 and 1986, won the 1985 U.S. Amateur at Montclair. Montclair was also one of the founding member clubs of the Metropolitan Golf Association. Club member Isaac “Ike” Grainger served as USGA president in 1954-55, and the USGA’s award that recognizes 25 years of volunteer service is named after Grainger. Fellow Montclair member Charles Littlefield served as USGA president in 1946-47. The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship is open to female amateur golfers who have reached their 25th birthday by the first day of the championship and have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 9.4. A starting field of 132 players will compete in two rounds of stroke play, after which the field is cut to the top 64 players for match play. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the finalists, who will square off in an 18-hole championship match. This year’s championship will be held at Stonewall (North Course) in Elverson, Pa. from Sept. 9-14. The 2024 championship will be held at Brae Burn Country Club, in West Newton, Mass., from Sept. 7-12. The dates of the 2026 championship have not been determined. Uneekor, makers of the world’s most innovative and meticulously engineered golf simulator technologies, is proud to announce a partnership with Muni “Lily” He, LPGA Tour golfer. He is the first female LPGA player to join Team Uneekor. Says Lily He, “Throughout my years of training, I’ve learned how critical understanding data is to improving aspects of my golf game. In my search for finding the right technology to take me to the next level, I found Uneekor to be the most accurate launch monitor in the industry. I’m thrilled to partner with Uneekor and excited to take full advantage of the SimKit, Uneekor’s full simulator set up in my home.” Hailing from China, Lily He was introduced to golf at an early age – already playing in tournaments by the age of five. She eventually moved to San Diego, where she won multiple tournaments as an amateur before grabbing headlines as a teenager by qualifying for the 2015 US Open before officially turning professional in December 2017. Lily He continues to compete in the LPGA and has garnered a massive following on social media as an ambassador for the game of golf. Says Yun Lee, Uneekor Chief Operations Officer, “We are so proud to be working with an amazing young woman and a professional with such a strong passion for improving her game. Lily is a trailblazer who has broken down barriers in the game of golf since she was a child. Not only is she a role model for women, Lily has an incredibly wide-reaching fan base that will continue to help us make the game of golf accessible to as many people as possible. Lily He is the perfect addition to Team Uneekor.” With unrivaled speed, accuracy and consistency, paired with a wide range of software options including Refine and Refine+, Uneekor delivers the technology suite needed to take any player’s game to the next level. Additionally, Uneekor features third-party software compatibility allowing users to play thousands of courses without ever having to leave the comforts of their own environment. Montclair Golf Club To Host 2026 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Uneekor Partners with LPGA Tour Golfer Muni “Lily” He USGA returns to West Orange, N.J., club for first time since 1985 He Joins Team Uneekor As The First Female LPGA Professional Golfer
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