The US Junior Amateur has rarely had a higher profile than in 2024 thanks to a debut appearance from 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie.
While the 15-year-old struggled at the tournament and failed to reach the Match Play section, plenty of other talented youngsters shone at Oakland Hills, including Blades Brown and Miles Russell, who each made their PGA Tour debuts this year. However, it was little-known Trevor Gutschewski who eventually took the title after he best Tyler Watts in the final.
Aside from the prestige of winning the event, here are some of the other perks of becoming champion.
Gold Medal
This year, 17-year-old Trevor Gutschewski won the title after he defeated Tyler Watts 4&3 in the 36-hole final at Oakland Hills. Like other USGA events, that handed him a coveted keepsake in the form of a gold medal.
US Junior Amateur Trophy
The winner also gets to keep the trophy – but only for a year. The large sterling silver effort was made by JE Caldwell and Co and is a replica of a bowl originally made by revered US silversmith Samual Williamson that currently resides in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Name On A Plaque
The winner is also immortalized by having his name engraved on a plaque to honor all champions of 2024 USGA events. The plaque will be kept in the Hall of Champions inside the USGA Museum in Liberty Corner, New Jersey.
Exemptions
As well as hardware, there are some other potentially career-changing benefits for the winner, none more so than an exemption into the following year’s US Open, which in 2025 takes place at Oakmont, providing he remains an amateur.
After his win, Gutschewski admitted that was already something he was looking forward to, saying: “It's going to be awesome. I don't know, it's going to be awesome. It's going to be really cool to play in those tournaments after watching my dad [PGA Tour pro Scott] play in those for my whole life really. So it'll be really cool to play with them, especially in the US Open.”
Gutschewski is 17 and has eligibility to US Junior Amateur until he turns 19. Thanks to his win, he won’t need to worry about qualifying in the future either. The winner is also granted exemptions into the next two editions of the US Amateur, the top US event for amateur players.
