U.S. Junior Amateur qualifying is ready to get underway at Manito Golf and Country Club in Spokane, Wash. on Monday, June 23, 2014. The field of 32 players will look to earn the one available spot at this qualifier to advance to the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, which is being held July 21-26 at The Club at Carlton Woods (Nicklaus Course) in The Woodlands, Tex.

The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) is the local representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and conducts this qualifier for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

This qualifier is being contested over 36 holes.

Two players in the field at Manito were qualifiers into the last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur Championship which was held at Martis Camp Club in Truckee, Calif. Patrick Murphy, of Crossfield, Alta. entered the 2013 event after qualifying at Manito, while Jae Hoon (Ian) Kim, of Surrey, B.C. qualified at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Ore.

Murphy advanced to the match play portion of the championship, but was eliminated on the final hole of his match in the Round of 64.

There were a total of 3,283 entries for the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, an increase of more than 300 from last year. Qualifying rounds will be played over 36 holes at 60 sites across the United States from June 9th to July 1. Any player under 18 years of age by July 26, 2014 could enter with a USGA Handicap no higher than 6.4.

A field of 156 players will compete for the title of U.S. Junior Amateur Champion. Practice rounds are to be played July 19th and 20, with two stroke-play qualifying rounds held over July 21 and 22. The field will then be cut to 64 players, who will participate in six rounds of match play, with the championship match played over 36 holes.

The U.S. Junior Amateur Championship is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.