The best new amateur golf tournaments for 2020

February 27, 2020 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Whether you are an am, mid-am, senior, or super senior, man or woman, there is something new for you in 2020

At AmateurGolf.com, we are always looking for new tournaments to recommend to our members and readers.

Whether you are an am, mid-am, senior, or super senior, man or woman, there is something new for you in 2020. Here are some of the best new tournaments to consider adding to your playing schedule.

SOUTHWESTERN WOMEN'S AMATEUR
Desert Mountain Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.

For the past 104 years, the Southwestern Amateur has been a men's-only event that has attracted some of the nation's finest amateur players. In 2020, the tournament is taking a major step to help expand the game by introducing a women's championship for the nation's top female amateurs.

The men and women will compete concurrently in a 72-hole competition, and a mixed-team competition will also be held, with the champion male-female team determined after the second round. In fact, players are encouraged to enter as a mixed team and will receive priority entry, though individual entries will be taken. Many players and college coaches have responded positively to the new format.

John Ranslem, executive director of the Southwestern Golf Association which conducts the event, said the change in format was made "after careful consideration of changes in the game, and the recognition of the increasing impact that women are having on the game."

The Glencoe Invitational in Canada has made a similar change for 2020, introducing a women's division to a long-running men's championship. The practice is common in Australia, but a little more ground-breaking in North America.

More information about the Southwestern Men's and Women's Amateur

SOS NATIONAL SUPER SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Forest Creek Golf Club, Pinehurst, N.C.

It's rare that a new tournament makes our Majors Calendar, but this one does. This tournament will be conducted by the Society of Seniors (SOS) and will aim to be the top super senior championship in the United States. The tournament will be 54 holes of stroke play and will be open to players ages 65 and over.

The elite field of super seniors will include top point holders on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points list, the SOS's own Super Senior Points list, and Golfweek’s Super Senior Points list. In addition, top finishers in a select list of super senior championships will also be exempt.

More information about the SOS National Super Senior Championship

EAST WEST MATCHES
Maridoe Golf Club, Carrollton, Texas

Another newcomer to the Majors Calendar, the East West Matches will feature Ryder Cup-style team matches for American mid-amateurs and seniors. The Mississippi River is the dividing line between East and West teams, and each team is comprised of 18 players: 6 seniors, at least 10 mid-amateurs, and up to 2 amateurs who haven't yet reached the age of 25.

50% of each team will automatically qualify through points earned by finish in major amateur tournaments, with the other 50% chosen by the tournament committee. Teams will be selected at the conclusion of the U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur championships.

Each team will be captained by amateur golf royalty. Paul Simson will captain the East team, with Tim Jackson the assistant captain. The West team will be captained by Jim Holtgrieve with Kevin Marsh the assistant captain.

More information about the East West Matches

AGA WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Loblolly Pines GC, Hobe Sound, Fla.

Another new national-level tournament for female amateurs, this championship is run by the Amateur Golf Alliance, the organization behind the Concession Cup Matches.

This 54-hole stroke play tournament has a unique twist though -- in an effort to promote the under-represented female mid-amateur demographic, only those who have completed their college eligibility and who are at least 23 years of age are eligible. The field will be select at 72 players, with exemptions granted based on ranking and performance in USGA championships.

More information about the AGA Women's Amateur Championship

FATHER-SON LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP AT BANDON DUNES
Bandon Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore.

The addition of the Father-Son Division to the Two Man Links Championship pushed the tournament to brink of a sellout in near-record time. The 72-hole two-man best-ball tournament is played on four different courses at one of golf's most inspiring venues (and bucket-list destination), Bandon Dunes. There will gross and net prizes as well as eligibility for the overall championship in either division.

The tournament has drawn a diverse group of players from across the U.S. and Canada for a week of competition and camaraderie. As of press time, there are still two Father-Son team spots open.

More information about the Two Man Links at Bandon Dunes

GRAPEVINE AMATEUR
Silverado CC & Resort, Napa, Calif.

This tournament debuted in the first week of 2020, so you'll have to wait until 2021 to play in the next edition. The Grapevine is the latest in the popular Troon Saguaro Amateur Series of tournaments that includes the Saguaro Amateur, The Gobbler, The Sizzler, and the Agave Amateur.

Related: Finigan Tilly wins Grapevine Amateur by a whopping 11 strokes

The event is played at the Silverado Resort in the California Wine Country (hence the name), which hosts the PGA Tour's Safeway Open. The inaugural event was won by University of California-Berkeley junior Finigan Tilly and drew a diverse field of college players, mid-amateurs and juniors.

More information about the Grapevine Amateur

4TH OF JULY CHAMPIONSHIP
Hot Springs Village, Hot Springs, Ark.

It's hard to say that a tournament is new when it has been contested for 83 years, but the 4th of July Classic really is a new event for 2020.

This tournament was one of the more popular tournaments in Arkansas, and was staged at the short and quirky War Memorial Golf Course from 1937 to 2019. The tournament had a rich history, whose past champions include PGA champion Rich Beem and U.S. Senior Amateur champions Stan and Louis Lee.

Related: After 83 years popular 4th of July event played for the last time

But when the city of Little Rock cut over $2 million out of its budget, the golf course and by extension the tournament died. In stepped the Arkansas State Golf Association to continue the tradition, taking over tournament operations and moving the tournament to Hot Springs in 2020.

More information about the 4th of July Championship

PASADENA CITY CHAMPIONSHIP
Brookside Golf Club, Pasadena, Calif.

Here's another revival of a long-running event that went away in 2019, and in an eerie coincidence with the 4th of July Championship above, it too was played 83 times before falling off the calendar.

But the Pasadena City is back in full force in 2020, played at Brookside GC (in the shadow of the Rose Bowl) with a Championship flight for low handicappers and Net flights for all others. The tournament long attracted the best players in Southern California, with USGA champion Tim Hogarth winning the most titles with six. The tournament has secured WAGR and SCGA ranking points for 2020, and proceeds from the Championship will support youth development programs for the First Tee of Greater Pasadena.

More information about the Pasadena City Championship

HONORABLE MENTION: NEW TO US

These two tournaments are entering their sixth year but are new to AmateurGolf.com. If you have ever dreamed of representing the U.S. in international competition, then these two are for you.

The International King's Cup, Glasson Golf Club, Ireland: The King's Cup, named in honor of golf's ultimate ambassador Arnold Palmer, allows two-man amateur teams the chance to represent their country in international competition. There are two divisions, Open and Senior, and there are flights for scratch players and higher handicap levels.

More information about the International King's Cup

The U.S. Golf Challenge (USGC) National Championship, Legends Golf Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Two-man teams will compete on three different courses in three different formats, and the successful qualifiers will represent Team USA in the International King's Cup. National qualifiers will be held around the country, with the top 30% and ties of each qualifying field making it to the USGC National Championship.

More information about the U.S. Golf Challenge (USGC) National Championship

MORE TOURNAMENTS FOR YOU

These are just a few of the over 3000 golf tournaments that can be found through our Tournament Finder presented by Titleist. To find the right golf tournaments for you, click on the image above.

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