Cinderella stories are part of golf. Usually, however, they involve players, not countries.
For years, Inverness Club – a six-time major championship spot and Donald Ross design in Toledo, Ohio—seemed an unlikely candidate to reunite with the modern US Open rota. As the national championship gravitated more and more to a small circle of anchor sites and the modern game made many old courses obsolete for the best men’s players, Inverness was seen as a relic of a bygone era: great design, but not a national championship stage.
On Saturday, that changed.
The United States Golf Association, meeting in New York for its annual meetings, confirmed that Inverness will host the 2045 US Openleader in a trio of additional championships completed by the 2033 US Girls’ Junior and the 2036 US Women’s Amateur. The announcement was anticipated after reporting by Toledo Bladewho called the news a “monumental” coup and a statement from Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, who said the decision dispelled the “myth” that the Toledo market was not strong enough to deserve such an honor.
The 2045 championship will mark the fifth US Open contested at Inverness and the 13th USGA Championship held at the club overall. The course is already slated to host the 2027 US Women’s Open and the 2029 USA Amateur, underscoring what has become a renewed partnership between the governing body and one of the Midwest’s most popular venues.
USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement that Inverness offers a championship environment consistent with the organization’s competitive standards, noting its history of hosting events ranging from national opens to elite amateur competitions.
For Inverness, the award represents a remarkable resurgence in the Championship.
The club first hosted the US Open in 1920, when Ted Ray won the title in a notable event for Bobby Jones’ US Open debut. Subsequent US Opens, in 1931 and 1957, ended in a playoff, before Hale Irwin won at even par in 1979, two shots ahead Gary Player and Jerry Pate.
Despite that resume — which also includes PGA Championships in 1986 and 1993 — Inverness gradually faded from the championship spotlight. As professional golf entered an era defined by distance and infrastructure requirements, the course was considered by some to be too short to challenge modern players, while Toledo found itself competing for attention with nearby major championship markets such as Oakland Hills Country Club in Detroit and Oakmont Country Club in western Pennsylvania.
Inverness’s prospects appeared to dim further when the USGA began emphasizing the berths for the US Open – repeatedly turning to places such as Pinehurst No. 2 and Pebble Beach Golf Links – with championships planned through 2044 already talked about. However, against mounting odds, Inverness tried to re-establish themselves as a Championship fixture.
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One hundred years later, this aspect of Donald Ross’ design in Inverness is as impressive as ever
Sean Zak
Key to this effort was a 2017–2018 renovation by architect Andrew Green, who reworked the course to better reflect the strategic design principles of Ross’s Golden Age. The project reopened the fairways, expanded the greens and restored design features that had been altered during a 1970s overhaul undertaken prior to the 1979 US Open.
The changes helped reshape perceptions. Inverness hosted the 2019 US Junior Amateur and the 2021 Solheim Cup. Then came the USGA’s decision to award the club the 2029 US Amateur. There were growing indications that the course was back in the governing body’s sights.
The latest announcement extends that trajectory, also providing an important moment for Toledo, a Rust Belt city hit hard by a declining industrial economy and decades of population decline.
Saturday’s news is also another notch in the golf belt for Ohio. Through 2025, the state has hosted 41 USGA championships overall, among the highest totals in the nation.
Inverness’ announcement came as part of a wider scheme of selections of future championship venues revealed by the USGA. National Golf Links of America on Long Island will host the 2040 Walker Cup, while Cypress Point Club in California is slated to host the 2042 Curtis Cup and 2048 Walker Cup. Seminole Golf Club in Florida was awarded the 2046 Curtis Cup and 2052 Walker Cup.
