It began as a means to afford golfers a competitive arena and to generate publicity for a five-year old resort. Its name was created to foster good relations between geographic regions that only a generation earlier had battled one another in the Civil War. The mission over the years has been simple, according to Richard Tufts of Pinehurst’s founding family:

“To provide an annual gathering of those who love the game, rather than a spectacle.”

The inaugural North & South Amateur began on April 1, 1901, on Pinehurst No. 1. Then, Pinehurst No. 1 played to a length of 5,176 yards. The North & South Women’s Amateur began in 1903. It was first played on Pinehurst No. 1 as well but also included Pinehurst No. 3. The North & South is now contested on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course, which plays 7,000-plus yards for the Men and 6,000-plus yards for the Women. The North & South Amateurs are two of the longest consecutive running championships in the country. The U.S. Amateur started in 1895 but was interrupted for two years because of World War I and four years because of World War II.

What draws many guests to Pinehurst are the challenges of playing Pinehurst No. 2. As former champion Davis Love III recalls, “I think the North & South Amateur really was my crowning achievement of my amateur career. I was not considered a great amateur player or an all-star college player; I was just a very good player. Winning the North & South, I think, capped off my amateur career. And when I look back, that’s my U.S. Amateur; that was my big tournament that I won. I’m still thrilled to have won any golf tournament on Pinehurst No. 2.”

Golfers come from around the Carolinas, the East Coast, and the world to enter the North & South each year. Most of the mid-amateurs at one point dreamed of playing on the professional tour (some of them even tried it), while the younger ones still harbor those dreams. Some will make it as PGA and LPGA Tour stars, like Jack Nicklaus, Curtis Strange, Davis Love III, Corey Pavin, Babe Didrikson, Louise Suggs, Donna Andrews, and Morgan Pressel.

Many collegiate players have begun their careers participating in the North & South Amateur: Harvie Ward, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Arnold Palmer, from Wake Forest University, William Campbell, from Princeton University, Peggy Kirk Bell, from Rollins College, Page Marsh, from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Beth Bauer, from Duke University just to name a few.

Men's North & South Champions - Professional Achievements

PGA Tour Winners (18)

Skip Alexander (1941)
Ed Furgol (1945)
Frank Stranahan (1946, 1949, 1952)
Jack Nicklaus (1959)
Joe Inman (1969)
Danny Edwards (1972)
George Burns (1974)
Curtis Strange (1975, 1976)
Gary Hallberg (1977, 1978)
Hal Sutton (1980)
Corey Pavin (1981)
Keith Clearwater (1982)
Davis Love III (1984)
Billy Andrade (1986)
Tom Scherrer (1990)
David Eger (1991)
Chris Stroud (2003)
Nick Dunlap (2023)

US Open (6)

Chick Evans (1911)
Francis Ouimet (1920)
Ed Furgol (1945)
Jack Nicklaus (1959)
Curtis Strange (1975, 1976)
Corey Pavin (1981)

British Open (1)

Jack Nicklaus (1959)

PGA Championship (3)

Jack Nicklaus (1959)
Hal Sutton (1980)
Davis Love III (1984)

Masters (1)

Jack Nicklaus (1959)

Tournament Insights (2017–2024)

Tournament Low Round: Jackson Van Paris – 61 (Course No. 4, 2023)

Year	Cutline	Playoff?	Medalist Score	Medalist Won?	Champion Stroke Play Pos.	Avg. Score (Field)	Avg. Score (Cutmakers)
2017	149	No	135	No	T21	148.2	145.5
2018	146	Yes	133	No	T32	147.2	144.2
2019	146	Yes	134	No	T7	147.5	144.0
2020	141	Yes	133	No	T14	145.3	142.2
2021	141	Yes	132	No	T20	144.9	142.0
2022	140	No	130	No	T16	144.3	141.2
2023	141	Yes	132	No	T6	144.8	142.0
2024	142	Yes	135	No	T29	145.1	142.5

Statistical Averages (2017–2024):

Avg. Cutline: 143.25
Avg. Medalist Score: 133.3
Avg. Score (All Players): 145.54
Avg. Score (Cutmakers): 142.45