SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. — The Clark's Pump-N-Shop 112th Kentucky Amateur is set for June 16-18 at the University of Louisville Golf Club in Simpsonville, where one of the state's most decorated amateur fields will compete for the title on one of Kentucky's premier championship layouts.

What's at Stake

More than a state title is on the line this week. The champion will earn an exemption into the 126th U.S. Amateur Golf Championship, set for August 10-16 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, one of the most storied venues in the history of the game. Additionally, both the champion and the runner-up will be locally exempt into the 2027 U.S. Amateur final qualifying.

Past Champions Return

The field includes six past champions ready to make another run at the title. A marquee group featuring 2019 champion Nick Johnston, 2023 champion Justin Tereshko, and 2024 champion Trey Wall is set to tee off at 9:50 a.m. off the 10th tee in Round 1, giving fans an early glimpse at three of the most accomplished players in recent Kentucky Amateur history. Also returning to the field are 1995 champion Bryan Conway, 2003 champion Charles Cornett, and 2008 champion Tyler Sharpe, rounding out a past champions contingent that spans four decades of Kentucky Amateur history.

Key Contenders

Denver Haddix enters the week as one of the players to watch, having earned KGA Player of the Year honors in 2025. Joining him in the 9:00 a.m. pairing off the first tee is Joshua Rhodes, the 2024 KGA Player of the Year, who finished third at last year's Amateur. The pairing puts two of the most accomplished players in recent Kentucky amateur golf history in the same group, with both holding Player of the Year hardware and unfinished business at the state's top amateur event.

The afternoon wave off the first tee features three compelling storylines. Brady Smith is a sophomore on the University of Louisville men's golf team who was part of the Cardinals' run to the NCAA Championship this past spring, and he will be competing on what is effectively his home course. Alongside him is Bradford Lacefield, a Versailles, Kentucky native and incoming University of Kentucky commit who recorded 12 top-10 finishes in AJGA competition during his junior career, including multiple event victories. Rounding out the group is Rafe Blankenship of Western Kentucky University, who finished in the top five at last year's Amateur.

A Field Spanning Generations

This year's field is on full display at both ends of the age spectrum. At 14 years old, Charlton Zhuang is the youngest competitor in the field. At the other end, Mark Knecht, the oldest player in the field at 63, serves as a reminder of what has always made the Kentucky Amateur special: it is open to any eligible amateur willing to compete.

About the Course

The University of Louisville Golf Club, is a 7,192-yard Spencer Holt layout featuring pristine bent grass fairways and expertly manicured greens. Opened in 2001, the private course in western Shelby County has established itself as one of Kentucky's premier championship venues.

Several holes figure to play a significant role in determining the champion. The par-3 third will demand precision from the start, as players must carry the water and find a green shouldered by water on the right. The par-5 13th presents one of the week's most compelling decisions, a genuine risk-reward hole where bold play could separate the contenders. The long, challenging par-4 14th will test even the best players in the field. And the par-5 17th may prove to be the week's most pivotal hole, with a narrow, tight approach to the green that can make or break a round at a critical stage of the championship.

The stage is set at one of Kentucky's finest venues, with a field full of past champions, rising stars, and everything on the line. First tee times are set for Tuesday, June 16. Tee times and the full field are available here. You can follow the live leaderboard, or follow along with live updates throughout the championship on the KGA's social media channels.