Lemieux, Bettis selected as honorary chairmen of U.S. Amateur

Pittsburgh hall-of-fame athletes Mario Lemieux and Jerome Bettis will serve as honorary chairmen of the 121st U.S. Amateur golf championship set for Aug. 9-15 at famed Oakmont Country Club and Longue Vue Club, the USGA announced.

Lemieux and Bettis are members at Oakmont.

“For the event to be held at Oakmont, in my adopted hometown, on the course where I play, makes this incredibly special,” said Bettis, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back who was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. He played 10 years in Pittsburgh. “I know Oakmont will be the ultimate test for these incredible amateur golfers.”

Lemieux, who spent his entire NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins (1942-2006), shared Bettis’ thoughts.

“Our community is already buzzing with excitement, and we cannot wait to welcome the greatest amateurs in the country to Oakmont and Longue Vue,” Lemieux said.

The U.S. Amateur is the USGA’s oldest championship. It was first played in 1895, one day before the first U.S. Open. Oakmont has hosted 16 USGA championships, tied for the second-most overall, including the U.S. Amateur in 1919, ‘25, ‘38, ‘69 and 2003.

Nick Flanagan, of Australia, won the championship in ‘03.

The U.S. Open was played at Oakmont nine times: 1927, ‘35, ‘53, ‘62, ‘73, ‘83, ‘94, ‘07 and ‘16. The course will host a 10th Open in 2025.

The U.S. Women’s Open was played at Oakmont in ‘92 and ‘10.

Renovated Longue Vue will be one of the two stroke-play sites. The 312 players will play one round at each course with the top 64 advancing to match play, exclusively at Oakmont.

Ticket information will be announced later.

For information on volunteer opportunities, visit oakmont-countryclub.org.