Valparaiso University’s Kyle Henning (Brookfield, Wis./East H.S.) has qualified for the 2012 United States Amateur Championship while fellow teammate Matt Ward (Plainfield, Ill./South H.S.) has earned a spot in the Junior PGA Championship.

Henning shared medalist honors at the Oconomowoc, Wis. qualifying site, shooting a 36-hole total of 137 at Oconomowoc Golf Club.  The Crusader junior shot rounds of 68 and 69 to earn one of the site’s three automatic qualifying spots for the national championship which will take place Aug. 13-19 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado.  Henning is also coming off of a top-five finish at the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship.

The U.S. Amateur field will consist of 312 players playing 36 holes of stroke play.  The top 64 players then will qualify for the match play portion of the event which begins Aug. 15.

Ward won the Illinois Junior PGA Championship on June 20-21 with an even par total of 140 after shooting rounds of 72 and 68 at Deerpath Golf Course in Lake Forest, Ill.  The Crusader freshman to be rallied after trailing by two strokes entering the final round to claim the title by a single shot, and earn the automatic qualifying spot for the Junior PGA Championship.  He played a bogey-free final round, making a birdie on the final hole to win the championship.

The 37^th Junior PGA Championship will take place in Fort Wayne, Ind. at Sycamore Hills Golf Club from July 31 through Aug. 3.  It is a 72-hole event, with the low 30 players and ties making the 54-hole cut.