As we say goodbye to 2013 and
everything it brought in the world of amateur
golf, we look forward to 2014 with
excitement and readiness.
Bring it, ‘14, for we have plenty to look
forward to.
The major amateur schedule gets an early
kickoff this year as the
New Year’s
Invitational gets underway from
St. Petersburg Country Club.
For followers of the elite amateur game, it’s a
fitting sendoff into the new year as the
schedule ramps up quite
quickly.
Before the 2014 season even starts for much
of the country, the game’s top amateurs will
already be competing at
the
Jones Cup,
Azalea Invitational
and more.
While there won’t be a Walker Cup to look
forward to in 2014, we’ll surely be following
the early play of the 2015
U.S. team contenders. Which players will be
making waves as Justin Thomas, Max Homa,
Michael Kim --- and others
--- did in 2013? Also, which mid-amateurs will
be taking aim at the two spots reserved for
them in 2015?
The USGA, of course, has another impressive
destination list this year. And it’s all capped
off by June’s double
feature at Pinehurst No. 2. The men’s and
women’s
U.S. Opens will take over
Pinehurst in successive weeks and amateurs
all across the country have
already begun preparations for qualifying. As
we saw last year at Merion, amateurs sure
can play a part in the final
outcome. Here’s to a terrific showing from
Matthew Fitzpatrick, Oliver Goss and the other
amateurs that reach the
2014 U.S. Opens.
This year, of course, will also see the final
playing of the U.S. Amateur Public-Links
Championships. With the men
scheduled to play at Sand Creek Station in
Kansas and women at The Home Course in
Washington, July 14-19 will be
the final events as the Pub-Links will give way
to the newly-formed and highly-anticipated
national Four-Ball
Championships. The qualifying process for the
Four-Ball events will begin as early as August,
so be on the lookout for
plenty of coverage and information as this
exciting new format is added to the
competition schedule.
The
U.S. Amateur and
Women’s
Amateur Championship will play a big part in
the amateur golf landscape, once again. The
men’s event will be played
at Atlanta Athletic Club while the women head
Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, NY. After
last year’s terrific
international showing at The Country Club in
Brookline, Mass., can an American re-take the
Havemeyer Trophy?
We’re also excited to see the continuing trend
of advanced club and equipment technologies.
In 2013, almost all
major club manufacturers hit the market with
at least one innovative product. We’re looking
forward to our annual
trek to the PGA Merchandise show in Orlando
to examine the latest trends and products.
What are you looking forward to in 2014?
Chime in below and have a great year!