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| - North Carolina's Pinehurst golf resort will stage five US Opens and become an anchor site for the event, complete with a major testing facility, the US Golf Association announced Wednesday. Pinehurst, already set to host the 2024 US Open, will also stage the major championship in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 as part of an "anchor site" program designed to stage the US Open at iconic venues more often. In addition to hosting a US victory in the 1951 Ryder Cup, Pinehurst has hosted four major tournaments, the first when Denny Schute won the 1936 PGA Championship. Prior US Opens at Pinehurst were won by the late Payne Stewart in 1999, New Zealand's Michael Campbell in 2005 and Germany's Martin Kaymer in 2014. Michelle Wie won a 2014 US Women's Open crown at Pinehurst also. "We are honored to be selected as the US Open's first anchor site, an unprecedented distinction and testament to Pinehurst's legacy and future as a championship test for the world's greatest golfers," said Bob Dedman Jr., whose family owns the Pinehurst resort. The "Golf House Pinehurst" will see a $25 million investment into the resort with 50 full-time USGA staffers at the center, which will serve as an innovation center, equipment-testing facility plus museum and visitors center. "There's no better place for the USGA to plant new roots than the Home of American Golf," said USGA chief executive Mike Davis. "We are taking a bold step forward and forging a long-term commitment that will elevate our championships, foster greater innovation in golf, and ultimately help grow the game." js/rcw
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