Amateur "Majors"

[Tony Petersen]

So, I am hoping to embark on the summer of "Tony" and am hoping to compete in a number of national amateur events. To date, I am set for the Trans-Miss (at Prairie Dunes, no less) and a couple smaller (but ohhh soooo fun) invitationals in the Midwest. Now, I have only been playing for 4 summers, but play to a scratch. I was fortunate to qualify for the USGA pub links, but other than that do not have a "resume."

First, what would the GCA braintrust consider the major amateur events??? Western Amateur, Crump Cup, US Am, US Pub. Links...

I guess what I am looking for is a list of amatuer events that take place at many of the storied clubs often discussed here at GCA, like Seminole, Pine Valley, Merion, Gulph Mills, Myopia, Somerset Hills, Essex CC, Minikahda, Interlochen and the like. Beyond that, how does one secure an invitation to play in these events?

All help and input is GREATLY appreciated!!! Thanks again for everything in '04, and I look forward to meeting some of you guys at a couple of the upcoming GCA events (KP, SB, SH, etc.)

Thanks again!!!!

[Cliff Hamm]

The Northeast Invitational held at Wannamoisett at the end of June is among the most prestigious.  It is an invitational but they have a web page (www.northeastamateur.com) with an e-mail contact. Without a resume an invitation is unlikely as many of the best amateurs participate  but one never knows. Good Luck!

Cliff

[CHrisB]

I would say that the "majors" of amateur golf are those that offer the winner a chance to play in a professional major:

U.S. Amateur, British Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, U.S. Public Links

The winner gets into the Masters, and the U.S. Amateur winner also gets into the U.S. Open and the British Open. The British Amateur winner also gets into the British Open.

Then there are those established amateur events that get the strongest fields and are considered a level below the majors:

Western, Northeast, Sunnehanna, Porter Cup

Then there are many more a level or two below those:

Southern, Dogwood, North & South, Monroe, Azalea, Pacific Coast, Southwestern, Southeastern, Rice Planters, Dixie, Pacific Northwest, Trans-Miss, Eastern, Cardinal, Canadian, Sahalee, Stocker Cup, Middle Atlantic, Sahalee

And then:

Jones Cup, Labor Day, Palmetto, New Year's, Birmingham, Florida Azalea, Gasparilla, and many more...

And then there are those club invitationals that are held at the truly great courses:

Crump Cup, Hugh Wilson, Coleman, and many others

Some of the amateur events have qualifiers but for most the way to get in is to contact the tournament committee (go to amateurgolf.com for contact information or look for individual websites which many of the tournaments or organizations have) and submit your competitive playing resume and invitation request.

For many of the invitationals, though, a personal contact is necessary to gain entry into the field.

If you want to play high-level tournament golf in tournaments that are a little easier than the others to get a shot at (either by invite or qualifying, though you'd likely have to travel to attempt to qualify) at great venues, you can't go wrong with:

Trans-Miss Mid-Am at Prairie Dunes
North & South Am, Pinehurst #2 (and #8)
Azalea Invitational at CC of Charleston, SC
Palmetto Am at Palmetto GC, Aiken, SC
Holston Hills Invitational at Holston Hills CC, Knoxville, TN
amateurgolf.com 2-Man Championship at Bandon Dunes

Of these, the North & South and Azalea are the toughest "nuts to crack" but do have local qualifiers.

Throw in the U.S. Am at Merion and the British Mid-Am at Muirfield, and there will be plenty of good venues for amateur golf in 2005!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

ok So we all know what and where to play for this year. Lets hit the range.

[Scott_Park]

I'd suggest talking to other players at the USGA qualifiers about contacts into the big tourneys.  One of the guys I played with at the Honors course had simply written Holston Hills about there invitational tourney and he got in on having played well in the Missouri state am.  A sincere letter from someone who has qualifed for a national level event, such as yourself, should have a decent chance of getting into a field.

The other guy in our group had made it into the Am at Baltusrol and said that having made it once makes you all the more hungry to get back.

Golfweek's website (under Amateur golf >> US men) lists schedules and result and can help guide your search.

I'll be looking forward to a reply from Jamie Slonis on this topic.

Good luck

Scott

[Scott Seward]

State and regional amateur championships are also good.

The Cal State Am has a much better field and is a better championship than many listed here. It is played at Pebble and the best indocator of its quality is the one native Californian who never won it - Tiger Woods.

[JohnV]

Now, I have only been playing for 4 summers, but play to a scratch.

Don't you just hate people like this.    

Chris' list is very good as is Scott's advice.  Also, if you qualified for the US Public Links, you might be able to get into the British Mid-Amateur.

Winning your state amateur gets you an invite to Sunnehanna which, after the Western, is probably next on the list.

[Bob_Huntley]

For starters you might try The Kings Cup.... a prestigious event populated with some of the better players in the country.

[Dan King]

Bob_Huntley writes:
event populated with some of the better players in the country. . .

. . . And some who are not.

Dan King

I told him he was one year away from the Tour and next year he'll be two years away.
 --Chi Chi Rodriguez (on the potential of an amateur)

[Tony Petersen]

  Hey guys... THANK YOU  for all of the info regarding AM events in the US and beyond. Looks like the "summer of George" is somewhat set, though hopefully there will be a lot of summers in the future...

The general concensus seems to focus on local state am's, as well as the USGA qualifiers. The Trans-Miss will be a blast, and I am really looking forward to it. But a man has to pay his dues to earn the reputation, and taking skins money at Papago every Monday probably doesn't cut it Which is fine, because I am somewhat new to the game, and more than willing to put in the time.

Hopefully someday, I will have the connections and $$$ to compete in the "classics" tour i.e. Coleman Cup, Crump Cup, Anderson Cup, etc.

The one question I have is the following: In Minnesota, for the past 80+ years, they have held the Resort Tour, which is 3 AM events over 3 weeks. Week 1 is The Birchmont at Bemidji T & CC, Week 2 is The Resorters at Alexandria Golf Club and Week 3 is the Pine to Palm at The Detroit Country Club. All 3 are invitationals open to players of all abilities, and played on some really old, fun traditional layouts i.e. big trees, small greens, quick greens, small bunkering and the like. I have played in The Resorters the past 3 years, and qualified for Championship flight the past 2 years (This past summer, the cut after 36 hole qual. was 150 for the championship flight, so there are some players). Does anyone know of any local state tours that are similar???

Once again, thanks for everything!!!

[Scott_Park]

bump

[Tim_Cronin]

Comtngolf,
Don't pass up trying to qualify for the Western Amateur. Serious players consider it second to the U.S. Am, and it has a better field. Plenty of invites, but three qualifying sites as well (one of which this year is Warren at Notre Dame, the Coore-Crenshaw course).
It's the toughest tournament format in golf: 72 holes stroke play (cut to low 60 and ties after 36 for 36 holes on Friday), then 16 advance to match play. Finalists play eight rounds in five days.
Played at Point O'Woods CC near Benton Harbor, where the members are still recovering from eventual winner Ryan Moore's 62 in stroke play qualifying last year.
Applications at Western GA, 1 Briar Rd., Golf, IL 60029

[Chris Kane]

The Australian Amateur is at Royal Melbourne this year.  Anyone with a low handicap (2.0 or better) and some spare time should consider it.  

[JESII]

Chris Kane,

Do you know the dates for the Australian Amateur?

Thanks

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

JES
The Australian is sometime next month, I considered going but, with work etc..it was really not feasible.

As far as Amateur majors are concerned between the threads we have it all covered..it just takes lots of time and money to play the full schedule..It would be nice to be able to, so if you have the opportunity play in as many as you can..while you can...and above all have fun!!

With regards the "prestigious" invitationals, put the numbers on the board and be a nice guy and your name will get around..and before you know it, you can pencil in Merion, Pine Valley and others into your annual schedule.......emphasis on being a gentle man..From my experience that matters as much as anything, I am sure Jamie would back me up on that.

[JNagle]

Jamie (JES)

Has your play in the last year garnered and invitation to the Sunnehanna Am?

We have been looking for an excuse to make it up there to watch.

We are there often in the Fall but not early summer.

Jim Nagle

[Kyle Harris]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Huntingdon Valley's Lynnewood Hall Invitational, which I believe to be the second oldest Amateur tournament in the country...

I could be wrong on that.

Either way, it does carry some local prestige in the Philly area, but I can't vouch for national prestige.

My list would include:
US Amateur
Crump Cup
Western Open
North/South Championship
US Mid Am for people of age (Basically, non-college Amateur)

[JESII]

JES
The Australian is sometime next month, I considered going but, with work etc..it was really not feasible.

Thanks Michael, feasibility aside, what a treat it would be to play an event at Royal Melbourne. My brother is moving to Melbourne (from Baltimore, MD) this coming fall and so I was hoping the timing might coincide and make it a little more possible.

Jim Nagel,

JES is Jim Sullivan (me) but I would think Jamie has a good shot at an invite to the Sunnehanna, didn't he win the Crump last fall? I know they have very tight invitation criteria, but if I'm right about the Crump that should be enough. From what I've heard, it would be worth going to Sunnehanna to watch if it was a day trip because of the quality of the course as well as the players who are among the very best in the country. And they do have a pretty good representation of mid-amateurs to boot.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

JES,
The good news is that it tends to return to the sandbelt about every 3 of 4 years, I will be there at the next one.

[JESII]

Absolutely!

[JSlonis]

Jim Nagle,

Unfortunately, I lost in the finals of the Crump Cup last year, so I doubt I'll be getting an invite to the Sunnehanna.

Comtngolf,

Without knowing you, I can't be 100% sure , but if you are active on GCA, and know some of the fellows here, I'm sure you're a pretty good guy.  That said...

I would like to echo the advice that Michael gave to you.  It is obviously important to post good scores in your tournaments. If you post very good scores, your name will get around.  It is surprising at times, but alot of these "invitational" tournaments will find you over time.  More importantly, even with great scores...you must always try to conduct yourself as a gentleman, both on and off the golf course.  Alot of the top invitational tournaments take the history and traditions of the game quite seriously, and being a gentleman will certainly open up doors for you.  There are alot of very good players across this country, but for numerous reasons, right or wrong, they will never get an invitation to some of these tournaments.

I've always tried to heed the advice of my first professional golf instructor...he told me once when I was a junior player looking to expand my tournament horizons:  

"Having a strong golf game will get peoples attention, but having a strong character will gain peoples repect."

Not bad words to live by...

[Bob_Huntley]

.

I've always tried to heed the advice of my first professional golf instructor...he told me once when I was a junior player looking to expand my tournament horizons:  

"Having a strong golf game will get peoples attention, but having a strong character will gain peoples repect."

Not bad words to live by...

I bet he knew Smiley Quick.

Bob

[JESII]

Jim Nagle,

Unfortunately, I lost in the finals of the Crump Cup last year, so I doubt I'll be getting an invite to the Sunnehanna.

Jamie, I actually thought and wrote that about you at the Crump. Sorry!

Anyway, does the British Amateur make it onto your agenda at all? I know it is a serious committment, but have you gone or do you plan on doing so? This question applies to any other player on here of that caliber as well.

Sully

[JSlonis]

.

I've always tried to heed the advice of my first professional golf instructor...he told me once when I was a junior player looking to expand my tournament horizons:  

"Having a strong golf game will get peoples attention, but having a strong character will gain peoples repect."

Not bad words to live by...

I bet he knew Smiley Quick.

Bob

Smiley Quick?

[Chris Kane]

JESII, its from 17-23 March.  Strokeplay rounds (4) are at Woodlands and RMW.  Matchplay (top 32) is at RMW.

If you have a USGA index of scratch or better, you should have no trouble getting a start.  They select the field through a handicap ballot, like the British Amateur.

Michael W-P, this year is the 100th Aus Am - hence being at RMGC.  I think it will be a while before it returns.

Anyone wanting to play the Aus Am from overseas should also play  the Riversdale Cup, which held the week beforehand.  Its our second most prestigious amateur tournament.