America's First Amateur Champion

About this Photograph: The USGA came into existence thanks to the urging of Charles Blair Macdonald, who wanted to have a governing body in charge of running national championships. A dispute emerged in 1894 when two clubs held national amateur competitions, with each claiming that their winner was the national champion. Macdonald argued that there needed to be one national championship. After the USGA was formed in 1894, the inaugural U.S. Amateur was held in 1895 at Newport (R.I.) G.C., where Macdonald came away victorious. But Macdonald is probably better known for his golf architecture, having designed Chicago Golf Club and The National Golf Links of America on the eastern end of Long Island.