Preview: Rice Planters Amateur in South Carolina

June 22, 2020 | by Brayden Conover of AmateurGolf.com

Historic South Carolina tourney that has produced winners of 3 of the 4 majors to have reduced field, one fewer round

This year’s Rice Planters Amateur will look a bit different. The storied amateur tournament that has had winners of the likes of Hal Sutton, Tom Lehman, Brooks Koepka, and even Brandel Chamblee throughout its 48-year history is not exempt from COVID-19 guidelines. For the first time in tournament history, caddies will not be allowed at the event. Although it's not unusual for amateur players to carry their own bags, many do bring friends, family, or coaches to caddie for them. That won't be allowed for this year’s edition of the Rice Planters. College coaches who have already lost out on the opportunity to recruit at major southern summer tournaments like the Dogwood Invitational -- which was canceled due to the pandemic -- will have an opportunity to make up for lost time, albeit an abbreviated version of the normal tournament. The Rice Planters has also been reduced by a round, taking the tournament from 72-holes down to 54-holes. Coronavirus has also slimmed the field down to just 30 spots this year. Qualifying was also trimmed down with just five spots set aside for qualifiers outside of those who were exempt based on their 2019 Rice Planters finish (plus committee selections). "At the end of the day, it's the same 18 holes, the same pin locations, the same everything," Austin Fulton told AmateurGolf.com. "Even with it being cut down, the field is going to be just as strong." Fulton, a rising senior at Mississippi State leads the highlights the elite exempt list. He leads the talented field as he looks to defend his wire-to-wire 2019 title win during this year's unique circumstances. "It (the Rice Planters) means a lot for me," Fulton said. "It was my first amateur win...Literally, since I left here last year I've looked forward to coming back this year to play again."

Results: Rice Planters Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Canon Claycomb	Bowling Green, KY	500	68-68-68=204
2	Austin Fulton	Villa Rica, GA	400	70-66-68=204
3	Graysen Huff	Eagle, ID	300	72-67-66=205
4	Hunter Dunagan	Augusta, GA	300	70-70-67=207
5	Varun Chopra	Champaign, IL	300	71-67-70=208

View full results for Rice Planters Amateur

About the Rice Planters Amateur

Preview: Rice Planters Amateur in South Carolina

The Rice Planters Amateur was the inspiration of amateur golfer, Dick Horne. During his first Porter Cup at the Niagara Falls Country Club in 1973, Horne befriended the tournament's chairman Dick Harvey. Harvey encouraged a receptive Horne to develop...