U.S. Senior Amateur begins Saturday at Minikahda

Where: The Minikahda Club, Minneapolis (6,764 yards, par 36-36-72).

When: Saturday through Thursday. Stroke play begins at 7 a.m.

Admission: free

Format: A field of 156 will play two 18-hole rounds, then be cut to 64 for six rounds of match play (18 holes each).

Schedule: Saturday and Sunday, stroke play. Monday, round of 64. Tuesday, rounds of 32 and 16. Wednesday, quarterfinals and semifinals. Thursday, championship match.

Eligibility: Players 55 and older with a handicap of 7.4 or lower. The USGA had 2,395 entries, and sectional qualifying was held at 50 sites to produce 137 qualifiers; 19 players were exempt by virtue of previous finishes or world rankings.

Defending champion: Dave Ryan, 63, of Taylorville, Ill., who beat Matthew Sughrue, of Arlington, Va., 2-up at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis.

Minnesotans in the field: John Barry, 55, Lakeville; David Brown, 59, Minnetonka; Randall Garber, 67, Lakeville; Jeff Teal, 57, Excelsior; and David Whittaker, 67, Duluth.

History: The tournament started in 1955. The USGA conducts 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, the U.S. Women's Open and the U.S. Amateur. Fourteen players have won the title at least twice, most recently Paul Simson (2010, 2012).

USGA championships at Minikahda: U.S. Amateur, 1927, won by Bobby Jones; Walker Cup, 1957, won by the USA; U.S. Open, 1961, won by Chick Evans; U.S. Women's Amateur, 1988, won by Pearl Sinn; 1998 Curtis Cup, won by the USA.

USGA championships in Minnesota: This is the 36th. The last was the 2008 U.S. Women's Open, won by Inbee Park at Interlachen. The U.S. Senior Amateur has been in Minnesota twice, at Somerset in 1956 and at Interlachen in 1986. The state played host to four U.S. Opens, four U.S. Women's Opens and three U.S. Amateurs.