Full Exemption Criteria

1. State Amateur Championships
   • Defined by the geographic boundaries of the United States (50 states)
   • Must be a WAGR-ranked event in the previous year
   • Must have eligibility requirement that limits participation to residents or association members of that state.
   • Only one championship per state may qualify for exemption under this category.
2. AGA Amateur Championships not defined by specific state boundaries
   • Must be a WAGR-ranked event with an average WAGR event Power of 50 or greater (3-year rolling average)
   • Only applies to those AGA’s who are not defined by specific state boundaries. Only one championship per AGA may qualify for exemption.
3. Regional Amateur Championships with affiliation to an AGA
   • Must be a WAGR-ranked event with an average WAGR event Power of 100 or greater (3-year rolling average)
   • Must be affiliated with or conducted by an AGA (i.e. Pacific Northwest Amateur, New England Amateur, etc…)
4. National Amateur Championships conducted within the United States
   • A full exemption will be granted to any National Amateur Championship conducted within the United States that has an average event Power of 600 or greater (3-year rolling average)

Local Exemption Criteria

1. State/AGA Amateur Championships
   • All State/AGA Amateur champions who received a full exemption to the Championship in previous year will be locally exempt for the following year’s championship.
     • A 2024 state amateur champion is fully exempt to the 2024 U.S. Amateur and will receive a local exemption in 2025 (1 year full exemption, 1 year locally exempt)
     • A 2024 state amateur champion who is fully exempt in 2025 (due to the date of the championship) would be locally exempt in 2026.
   • For State/AGA amateur championships with a 3-year average event Power of 100 or greater, the top 5 or quarterfinalists will receive an exemption from local qualifying for the following year.
   • For State/AGA amateur championships with a 3-year average event Power of 50 or greater, the top 3 or semifinalists will receive an exemption from local qualifying for the following year.
   • For State/AGA amateur championships with a 3-year average event Power below 50, the runner-up will receive an exemption from local qualifying for the following year.
   • For State/AGA amateur championships that do not meet the WAGR threshold or are not ranked in WAGR, the champion will receive an exemption from local qualifying for the following year.
   • For 2024 only, all 2023 State/AGA Amateur Champions will be locally exempt.