Former Broncos great Peyton Manning named honorary chair for 2023 U.S. Amateur that Cherry Hills CC and Colorado GC will host; tickets for event now on sale
By Gary Baines – 4/12/2023
The last time the U.S. Amateur was held in Colorado — in 2012 at Cherry Hills Country Club — John Elway, who led the Denver Broncos to the first two Super Bowl titles in franchise history, served as a de facto honorary chair of the event. Among other things, Elway, a Cherry Hills member, was on hand several times during that U.S. Am and he spoke at the players’ dinner on the eve of the championship.
Fast forward to this year’s U.S. Amateur — set for Aug. 14-20 at Cherry Hills, with Colorado Golf Club serving as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the championship — and the man just named honorary chair of the event is none other than the other quarterback to lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl title, Peyton Manning.
The USGA, which runs the U.S. Amateur, made the announcement on Wednesday.
“I am honored to represent the state of Colorado, the city of Denver and Cherry Hills as the honorary chair of the 2023 U.S. Amateur,” said Manning, a Cherry Hills member. “As someone who has great enthusiasm for not only the game of golf, but also for competitive athletics and all the great things that can be learned through sports, I’m thrilled to have a role in this championship. I’m confident Colorado’s golf fans will join me in welcoming the game’s best amateur players to Denver.”
Peyton Manning (left) with Tiger Woods at The Match in 2020.
Manning is no slouch as a golfer himself, owning a 4.0 USGA Handicap Index at Cherry Hills and Castle Pines Golf Club. Manning, a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, earned five Most Valuable Player Awards during his NFL career. With brother Eli, he hosts the “ManningCast” — an alternate telecast of Monday Night Football games on the ESPN networks.
A total of 312 of the world’s best amateurs will compete in this summer’s U.S. Am. After two rounds of stroke play — one each at Cherry Hills and Colorado Golf Club — the top 64 players will advance to match play, with the scheduled 36-hole championship match set for Aug. 20.
Among the big names who have won the U.S. Amateur in recent decades are Phil Mickelson (1990 at Cherry Hills), Justin Leonard, Tiger Woods (three times), Matt Kuchar, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland and Sam Bennett.
Also on Wednesday, the USGA announced that tickets for the U.S. Amateur are now on sale. A five pack of “gallery” passes, used over multiple days or shared with others, runs $100. A ticket purchased individually for any one day costs $25. Spectators 17 and under, accompanied by a ticketed adult to the ticket office for a hand stamp, will be free of charge, with a maximum of four such junior passes for each ticketed or credentialed adult. For more ticket information, CLICK HERE.
This year’s U.S. Amateur is looking for more volunteers, including those serving as marshals/forecaddies, walking scorers, standard bearers, practice range assistants and in other roles. For more information, CLICK HERE.
About the Author: Gary Baines owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com