PREVIEW: Southeastern Amateur starts Thursday

July 20, 2022 | by Jim Young of AmateurGolf.com

Country Club of Columbus photo

Founded by the legendary Fred Haskins, one of the oldest amateur tournaments in the country begins Thursday at the CC of Columbus

The Southeastern Amateur, one of the oldest amateur golf events in the country and boasts alumni that have won 14 major championships and over 250 PGA Tour events, gets underway on Thursday at the Country Club of Columbus (Ga.). The 54-hole stroke play event features some of the top collegiate and mid-amateur players in the nation. Southeastern Amateur alumni have won U.S. Amateur's, NCAA Championships, played on Walker Cup, President's Cup, and Ryder Cup teams. Last week, seven former contestants of the Southeastern Amateur played in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.

"We are especially excited to begin the 93rd Southeastern Amateur on its 100th anniversary," said Brian Stubbs, Executive Director of the Haskins Foundation. "We have one of our strongest fields in recent years. The golf course is in fantastic condition and will provide an excellent challenge to our field. Our field has players from all over the world and we are fortunate to have players that have won the Palmetto Amateur, qualified for the U.S. Amateur and played in the U.S. Open this year."

CLICK HERE for the complete field

History
The Southeastern Amateur, originally named the Columbus Country Club Invitational, was created in 1922 by Fred Haskins, former Head Golf Professional at the Country Club of Columbus. W.H. Dismuke Sr. won the inaugural event. The tournament was rebranded to the Southeastern Amateur in 1938 and Mr. Tommy Barnes was the first to have his name inscribed on the newly named Jordan-Martin Trophy.

The tournament has been held in both Match-Play and Stroke-play formats, and many records have been set along the way.

Among the winners since that event are Doug Sanders, Tommy Aaron, Danny Edwards, Curtis Strange, Columbus native Kenny Knox, and 5 time champion Allen Doyle. Included on the runner-up list are Mason Randolph, Gardner Dickinson, Bert Greene, Steve Melnyk, Gary Koch, Ben Crenshaw, Fuzzy Zoeller, Andy Bean, Willy Wood, and Paul Azinger. Aaron, Crenshaw, and Zoeller wear the green jacket of a Masters Champion, and Mr. Doyle launched into his senior tour career, shortly after winning his fifth Southeastern, where he has won the Senior U.S. Open twice.

The first tournament in 1922 was held before the course was actually complete, as it was only a 13-hole course.

Once the course’s Donald Ross design was introduced between 1923 and 1925, making for a full 18-holes, the tournament flourished. By the 50's, it had become the premier tournament for amateurs in the southeastern United States. As travel became more convenient, the tournament has transformed into what it is today, a top-level amateur tournament that attracts the most notable players from around the world.

Throughout the tenure of the Southeastern Amateur, the golf course underwent many changes, including an extensive renovation in 2002 after Cecil Calhoun obtained the original Donald Ross designs. The course was made as close to those designs as possible during that renovation, including the famous postage stamp green on #4, and of course, the ever-present "shaved" collection areas that are the signature of all Donald Ross designs.

A Look Back at Last Year
Ben Carr, a native of Columbus, Ga., won the tournament for a second time with a 21-under score of 189 (64-62-63), breaking his own scoring record set two years previously when he won the tournament for the first time. Carr became the 17th player in the tournament’s history to win the tournament more than once.

About Fred Haskins
From the seaside town of Liverpool to a quaint Donald Ross course in Georgia, Fred Haskins built a reputation for mentoring young golfers. Haskins was head professional at the Country Club of Columbus for 34 years, recommended for the position by the legendary Bobby Jones. His proteges learned the game in Saturday morning classes that cost a nickel. They went on to win more than 150 collegiate and amateur tournaments. Haskins, a master club-maker as well, died in 1981.

Since its formation in 1971, the Haskins Commission has been devoted to amateur golf and the presentation of the Haskins Award. This coveted trophy honors the year’s outstanding college golfer and the memory of Fred Haskins, an obscure club pro that spent his life nurturing and mentoring amateur golfers. The commission, based in Columbus, Ga., oversees the voting conducted among college golfers, coaches and golf media.

Chris Gotterup of Oklahoma was this year's Haskins Award winner.

The Southeastern Amateur contributed to this report

About the Southeastern Amateur

PREVIEW: Southeastern Amateur starts Thursday

The Southeastern Amateur is a top-level amateur golf tournament with a rich history dating back to 1922 - when the tournament was created by Fred Haskins. Each year, the Southeastern Amateur has the great honor of hosting many of the nation's top ama...

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