At a time when major amateur events are leaving the 2020 calendar, the Savannah Quarters Invitational is hoping to fill the void and establish itself as the next big tournament for national-level competitive amateurs.

Joey Kalbac won the inaugural event last July. As the defending club champion at Savannah Quarters, Kalbac had plenty of pressure to defend the club from the non-members in the field.

“Everyone looked at me -- ‘are you going to represent the club and go out there and win it?’” Kalbac told AmateurGolf.com. “I almost didn’t but I did. It came down to the last couple of holes and I had to make a late charge but I was able to do it.”

Kalbac has high regard for the course as he would put the club’s four par threes against any other set of par threes in the region. Three of the four play near or over 200 yards from the championship tees with an iconic island green on No. 15 that plays 137 yards.

“It can make things very interesting down the stretch,” Kalbac said regarding No. 15.

As is typical for Greg Norman-designed courses, there are two driveable par-fours (No. 8 and No. 11) which play a touch over 310 yards from the tips. Both green complexes are heavily protected with bunkers to make for true risk-reward shots on the tee.

Kalbac, a Miami, Florida native, and accomplished junior golfer, turned down a golf scholarship at North Carolina’s Lamar College and went to the University of Alabama to pursue a degree in engineering. He now works as a mechanical engineer and while hitting the links on the weekends as he is recently married and has a child on the way.

He will be back to defend his title in July against a top field, hoping to go 2-for-2 and keep the trophy at home for another year.

Here are the 13 amateurs playing in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot

John Derrick wins Texas Senior Amateur

Memorable week at Winged Foot for U.S. Open low am John Pak

Colorado Mid-Am: Chris Thayer wins in bizarre playoff

ALUMNI Report: John Catlin wins the Irish Open