Schedule

• Thursday, Jan. 1: Registration & Practice Round
• Friday, Jan. 2: Round 1
• Saturday, Jan. 3: Round 2
• Sunday, Jan. 4: Final Round & Awards Presentation

Format

• 54 holes, stroke play
• Championship tees
• 92-player invitational field
• No cut

What the Champion Earns

The tournament champion earns an exemption into the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Lecom Suncoast Classic, providing a direct pathway from amateur competition into the professional ranks. The prize adds rare weight to Sunday's finish and elevates the Invitational into one of the most consequential early-season events on the amateur calendar.

A Century of Significance

First played in 1927, the New Year's Invitational has been contested every year at St. Petersburg Country Club without interruption. Originally a match play championship, the event transitioned to stroke play in 1956 and later adopted the modern 54-hole format.

Its champions list underscores its role as a proving ground for elite talent, featuring Masters champion Bob Goalby, FedExCup winner Brandt Snedeker, PGA Tour winners J.B. Holmes and Gary Koch, European Tour winner Sam Horsfield, and U.S. Amateur champions Buddy Alexander and Peter Uihlein. More than 30 New Year's Invitational competitors have advanced to PGA Tour careers.

The Venue: St. Petersburg Country Club

Designed by Herbert Strong and opened in 1924, St. Petersburg Country Club is defined by small, elevated greens, strategic bunkering, and a routing that shifts wind direction on nearly every hole.

A full renovation completed in 2024 introduced new tees, Bimini Bermuda fairways and rough, USGA-spec TifEagle greens, and a complete bunker rebuild with modern liners. The course now stretches beyond 7,000 yards, offering a firm, fast, and strategically demanding test for the Invitational's centennial playing.

Recent Champions

Recent editions illustrate the scoring standard required to win at St. Petersburg:

• 2025: Cayden Pope (13-under 203)
• 2024: Cooper Smith (13-under 203)

With the renovation now fully settled, expect scoring to reward players who combine controlled ball flight, strategic patience, and precise iron play into the club's subtle greens.