The New Year's Invitational is one of the oldest and most respected amateur invitationals in the United States, held annually at St. Petersburg Country Club in Saint Petersburg, Florida. First contested in 1927, the championship has been played every year at the same venue, making it a rare example of a century-long continuous amateur competition at a single club.
Originally contested as a match play event, the tournament transitioned to stroke play in 1956 and later adopted its current 54-hole, no-cut format. The Invitational traditionally serves as one of the first major tests of the elite amateur season, drawing a strong national and international field.
The championship is played from the club's championship tees on a Herbert Strong-designed course that underwent a full renovation in 2024, introducing new tees, rebuilt bunkers, and modernized turf while preserving the original routing. The course now plays over 7,000 yards, emphasizing precision, controlled ball flight, and strategic positioning.
Past champions include Bob Goalby, Brandt Snedeker, J.B. Holmes, Gary Koch, Sam Horsfield, Buddy Alexander, and Peter Uihlein, among many others who advanced to professional success. More than 30 New Year's Invitational competitors have gone on to PGA Tour careers.
The tournament winner earns an exemption into the Korn Ferry Tour Lecom Suncoast Classic, adding a rare professional pathway to an amateur title and elevating the competitive significance of the championship.
