20th St. Augustine Amateur Preview

The St. Augustine Amateur, founded in 2004 and now firmly established as one of Florida’s premier independent amateur events, will celebrate its 20th playing December 5–7 at St. Johns Golf Club in southern St. Johns County. Within two years of the tournament's inception, it was recognized as a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) event. Tournament officials expect one of the deepest and most geographically diverse fields in event history, with practice rounds scheduled for December 3 and 54-hole championship play beginning Friday morning.

🔴 Live Scoring — Follow the Leaderboard

A Deep and Diverse Field

This year’s championship again features a maximum of 84 players, drawn from 20 states and nine countries. Competitors range from 14 to 38 years old, with more than 50 teenagers in the field, including notable juniors committed to major Division I programs. In total, 41 collegiate players, 34 high school standouts, and nine mid-amateurs or alumni will tee it up at St. Johns Golf Club. Representation includes programs across the ACC, SEC, Big 12, and several nationally ranked smaller-college powers, including Division III No. 1 Huntingdon College and NAIA No. 1 Keiser University, as well as local schools such as Flagler, Jacksonville University, and North Florida.

Players to Watch and Notable Storylines

A number of compelling storylines add depth to the 20th anniversary edition. Headlining the field is Florida Gulf Coast University standout Brody Stevenson, the 2023 champion whose 11-under total that year set the tournament scoring record and helped propel him to Atlantic Sun all-freshman honors. He is joined by top collegiate competitors such as Huntingdon All-Americans Stephen Baker and Jack Burr, Keiser’s Basil Strolz, and several recent high school award winners, including Charlie Hipp, Jackson Runquist, Ledger Conley, and Rory Asselta.

Family connections also shape this year’s field, with Mick and PJ Herron—sons of four-time PGA TOUR winner Tim Herron—both competing. Several players arrive with names familiar to golf fans: Hogan Blaise, Rory Asselta, Palmer Haynes, and Jack Nelson (none related to their iconic namesakes). Additional competitors bring USGA pedigree, including 2025 U.S. Four-Ball participant Robbie Keyes, 2026 teammates Philip Minnehan and Aiden Spampinato, and fellow 2026 qualifier Darren Zhou.

A Course with Bite—and a History of Low Numbers

St. Johns Golf Club has delivered memorable scoring swings and dramatic rounds in recent years, producing both record-setting performances and demanding stretches that test every part of a player’s game.

St. Johns Golf Club continues to draw praise since its renovation several years ago under architect Erik Larsen and Director of Golf Wes Tucker, who emphasized traditional throwback design elements to create a distinctive par-71 test. The par-71 layout was lengthened to 7,034 yards, and many template holes were used, such as a Biarritz, Cape, Redan, Thumbprint, Reverse Redan, and Punchbowl.

Tournament Records

• 2023 — 202 (-11): Brody Stevenson, 71–66–65 (par 71)
• 2019 — 200 (-10): Ty Gingerich, 62–67–71 (par 70)

18-Hole Scoring Records

• 62 (-9): Ryan Nicholson, 2024 final round (7 birdies, eagle, no bogeys) — par 71
• 62 (-8): Ty Gingerich, 2019 first round — par 70

Recent Field Statistics

• 2024 scoring average: 76.1
• 2023 scoring average: 73.61
• Hardest Holes:
  • 2024 — No. 7 (par 5), 5.62 avg
  • 2023 — No. 9 (par 4), 4.44 avg
• Easiest Hole:
  • Both years — No. 11 (par 5), consistently under 4.8 avg

The layout rewards disciplined aggression and punishes imprecise play, often creating dramatic movement on the weekend leaderboard as the field battles one of North Florida’s most compelling competitive tests.

A Tournament That Gives Back

Beyond the competition, the St. Augustine Amateur has remained committed to supporting youth development in the region. Net proceeds from the event are donated directly to First Tee – North Florida, a partnership established at the tournament’s inception. The 2025 rendition of the event is expected to generate another $25,000-plus, increasing the total support to approximately $500,000 since 2004. The championship continues to play a significant role in expanding local access to the game.

Fans can follow scoring throughout the weekend on AmateurGolf.com’s St. Augustine Amateur live scoring page.