U.S. Amateur pairings set at Merion

The USGA has posted full tee times for the 126th U.S. Amateur, putting the championship’s opening two days into place for Aug. 10-11 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. The official tee sheet confirms the stroke-play draw for a 312-player field before the event shifts to match play later in the week. (championships.usga.org) AmateurGolf’s event hub and Golf Digest’s pairings write-up also went live this week, giving the public a single place to track schedules, storylines and viewing windows. (amateurgolf.com) ### When does the championship actually begin, and where is it being played? The 126th U.S. Amateur runs Aug. 10-16, 2026, with practice rounds scheduled for Aug. 8-9 and the first round of stroke play starting Monday morning across both courses. (championships.usga.org) Merion’s East Course serves as the main host site, while Philadelphia Country Club’s Spring/Mill Course shares stroke-play duties for the first two days. The USGA tee-time page lists Round 1 groups at both venues and shows players alternating between Merion and Philadelphia Country Club before switching courses for Round 2 on Aug. 11. That two-course setup is part of the standard U.S. (championships.usga.org) Amateur format when the field is this large. ### How big is the field, and what number matters most? The field is 312 players, and AmateurGolf reported that number was distilled from 5,111 entries. Its event guide says 173 players were exempt and the rest advanced through qualifying. (amateurgolf.com) The USGA’s field list includes defending champion Mason Howell of Thomasville, Georgia, along with players from the United States and abroad. The same list shows a wide age spread, from teenagers such as Louis Klein and Kaden Leivian to veteran amateurs including Louis Brown, 62. (championships.usga.org) ### What do the pairings tell us before a shot is hit? Golf Digest said the pairings released Wednesday were arranged with some “very clever groupings” for the stroke-play portion at Merion next Monday and Tuesday. The publication highlighted at least one trio — Jason Shwartz, Travis Woolf and Kyle An — as an example of the USGA leaning into recognizable name combinations. (amateurgolf.com) The official tee sheet itself is the core document, because it establishes who plays together, where they start and when they go off. That matters in the U.S. Amateur because only the low 64 players after 36 holes move on to match play, with a playoff used to settle ties for the final spots. (championships.usga.org) ### What is the format once stroke play ends? Tuesday, Aug. 11 is the cut line day, with players switching courses for the second 18-hole stroke-play round. AmateurGolf’s schedule says the low 64 then advance to match play beginning Wednesday, Aug. 12. (golfdigest.com) The bracket then narrows quickly: Round of 64 on Aug. 12, Round of 32 and Round of 16 on Aug. 13, quarterfinals on Aug. 14, semifinals on Aug. 15 and a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 16 for the Havemeyer Trophy. (championships.usga.org) ### Where can fans follow tee times, scoring and broadcasts? The USGA has made live championship resources available through its tournament site, including tee times, field lists, tickets and the main event page. AmateurGolf said its coverage hub will carry live scoring, round recaps and the full match-play bracket throughout the week. (amateurgolf.com) AmateurGolf’s viewing guide says broadcast coverage begins with the Round of 64 on Peacock on Aug. 12 and continues through the week across Peacock, Golf Channel and NBC. Golf Digest’s pairings story is already live for readers tracking the opening draw before the first groups go out on Monday, Aug. 10. (championships.usga.org) (amateurgolf.com)