Laramie, Wyo. (July 17, 2023) -- University of Wyoming golfer Jimmy Dales has earned a spot in the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship by virtue of winning the U.S. Amateur Qualifier at Weymouth Country Club in Medina, Ohio, on Thursday, July 6.  Dales will play in the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship to be played at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., and Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo., on Aug. 14-20, 2023. 
 
This is the second time in Dales career that he will play in a U.S. Amateur.  He also earned a qualifying spot and played in the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship played at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., and Longue Vue Club in Verona, Pa., in August of 2021.
 
Dales earned one of the two qualifying berths at the U.S. Amateur Qualifier at Weymouth Country Club by tying for first place with Drew Salyers of Indiana University.  Dales and Salyers earned their qualifying berths against a field of 81 amateur golfers entered in the Medina, Ohio, qualifier.  Dales, a native of Northville, Mich., fired rounds of 67-66 for a 133 (-11) total.  Salyers shot rounds of 64-69 for his 133 (-11).  The two qualifiers won by five strokes over the two alternates, Cooper Hrabak of Medina, Ohio, and Robert Holden of Letchworth, Ohio, who both finished at 138 (-6).
 
"It was one of those days where everything was going my way," said Dales.  "I was making putts and I was hitting my driver well.  I played the par fives really well.  I caught fire early and then was able to keep hitting fairways and greens and kept it going all day."
 
Asked if he thought playing in the 2021 U.S. Amateur will help him in this year's U.S. Am, Dales replied, "Absolutely, it even helped me in the qualifier, I wasn't nearly as nervous as last time coming down the stretch because I'd been there before.  To have the experience of knowing what to expect, I think will help me the second time around."
 
Dales is excited about getting to play this year's U.S. Amateur in familiar territory in Denver.
 
"This almost feels like a home game," said Dales.  "To have all the Wyoming fans in the area and to be able to play close to Wyoming is exciting.  I've not played Cherry Hills before, but I've played Colorado Golf Club many times because we used to play in a college tournament there.  I'm really excited to get the opportunity to play Cherry Hills.  I've heard so many great things about the course and the history of the course."
 
"Jimmy is a very capable player and he won his qualifier by a good margin," said University of Wyoming Director of Golf Joe Jensen.  "To have the U.S. Am in Denver and to have a Wyoming player as part of the U.S. Am is a big deal for our program.  We're going to have donors and Wyoming fans there and it is going to be neat to have a Wyoming bag in the field. 
 
"I do think playing in Denver will give Jimmy a level of comfort and familiarity that will be a positive.  I think highly of Jimmy, and I want him to have a great experience.  He has earned his way into the highest ranked amateur tournament in the world and to play it in our backyard is great."
 
The 2023 U.S. Amateur will mark the 123rd U.S. Am.  The USGA accepted a record 8,253 entries into qualifying tournaments this year, breaking the previous record of 7,920 in 1999.  The original field will be narrowed down to only 312 individuals after all qualifying tournaments are completed between June 28 and July 27.
 
The format for this year's U.S. Amateur will be two 18-hole rounds of stroke play on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 14 and 15, with the top 64 golfers advancing to match play.  The first match play round will take place on Aug. 16.  On Aug. 17, the remaining 32 golfers will play a second match-play round followed by the remaining 16 golfers in a match-play round later that same day.  The quarterfinal matches will be contested on Friday, Aug. 18, with the semifinal matches to follow on Saturday, Aug. 19.  The championship match will be a 36-hole match between the final two participants.
 
Cherry Hills Country Club measures 7,405 yards and plays to a Par 71.  Colorado Golf Club measures 7,560 yards and plays to a Par 72. 
 
Among the former winners of the U.S. Amateur include some of the greatest names in golf, including: Bobby Jones (1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930), Arnold Palmer (1954), Jack Nicklaus (1959, 1961), Phil Mickelson (1990) and Tiger Woods (1994, 1995, 1996).
 
Television coverage of the 123rd U.S. Amateur will begin with the round of 64 match-play events on Wednesday, Aug. 16 and carry through the quarterfinal round on Friday, Aug. 18 on Peacock and the Golf Channel.  The Golf Channel and NBC will televise the semifinals and the championship match on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19 and 20.  The exact television schedule is as follows:
 
(All times listed below are Mountain Time)
 
Wednesday, August 16 (Round of 64)
3 p.m.-4 p.m. (Peacock)
4 p.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Thursday, August 17 (Round of 16)
4 p.m.-5 p.m. (Peacock)
5 p.m.-7 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Friday, August 18 (Quarterfinals)
3 p.m.-4 p.m. (Peacock)
4 p.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Saturday, August 19 (Semifinals)
1 p.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel)
2 p.m.-4 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, August 20 (Championship Match)
1 p.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel)
2 p.m.-4 p.m. (NBC)