1986

Brian Montgomery, 17, of Bristow, Oklahoma, defeated Nicky Goetze of Hull, Georgia, 3 and 2, at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Michael Schafer of Fresno, California, shot 152 to earn the qualifying medal, the highest medalist score in the championship's history. Schaefer was eliminated in the third round, 3 and 2, by Montgomery.

In the final, Montgomery ran off to a three-hole lead by parring the first six holes while Goetze bogeyed the second, third and sixth, finding water on each. Montgomery then birdied the seventh to go 4 up. Goetze won the ninth with a par, then, with a par at the 12th and a birdie at the 13th, closed Montgomery's lead to one hole.

Montgomery played his approach to the par-4 14th to within five feet of the hole and his birdie gave him a two-hole lead. Montgomery and Goetze halved the next three holes to give Montgomery the championship. The USGA accepted a record 2,320 entries for the championship. The old record of 2,230 was set in 1963.