The last two times the USGA has visited Cherry Hills Country Club, the venerable Colorado facility has produced Cinderella stories. Nobody will ever forget Birdie Kim’s remarkable hole-out from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to win the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open as a stunned 17-year-old amateur, Morgan Pressel stood dumbfounded back in the fairway.

When the USGA returned seven years later, Steven Fox emerged as the U.S. Amateur champion, rallying for a 37-hole victory to become just the second No. 63 seed to win a USGA title since seeding began in 1985 (Jensen Castle became the third in 2021).

Will a similar storyline follow when the U.S. Amateur returns to historic Cherry Hills in mid-August? Remember, this is a place where Arnold Palmer carded a final-round 65 to rally from seven back in the 1960 U.S. Open. It’s also where Andy North registered the first of his two U.S. Open titles (1978 and 1985).