After 20 Years, The Players Amateur leaves the calendar

The Players Amateur, which quickly became one of the top amateur golf tournaments in the world, will no longer be conducted after a 20 year run.

Steve Wilmot, the President of the Heritage Classic Foundation, and Tournament Director Andy McMillen, released a join statement announcing the termination of the event.

The tournament was first played in 2000 after prominent mid-amateur golfers Duke Delcher and Tom McKnight discussed bringing a high-level amateur event to the lowcountry region of South Carolina. The inaugural event was won by Ben Curtis who went on to win the British Open three years later.

The Heritage Classic Foundation took control of the event shortly thereafter and the tournament became one of the premier events on the major amateur golf calendar. The past champions list is full of PGA Tour players, including Rickie Fowler, Brian Harman, Bill Haas, Camilo Villegas, Bud Cauley and Kevin Tway.

The tournament, played at the Berkeley Hall Club, awarded its champion a spot in the PGA Tour's Heritage Classic at nearby Harbour Town Golf Links.

Last year was the 20th playing of the tournament, and saw the largest final-round comeback in the event's history. Spencer Ralston, a senior at the University of Georgia, came from 11 shot back to overtake mid-amateur and Walker Cupper Stewart Hagestad, who started his first-ever Players Amateur with a 61 in the first round.

Related: Ralston comes from 11 shots down to win Players Amateur

Players Amateur Champions:
2019 Spencer Ralston
2018 John Augenstein
2017 Philip Knowles
2016 Cheng Jin
2015 Matt NeSmith
2014 Scott Vincent
2013 Hunter Stewart
2012 Daniel Nisbett
2011 Corbin Mills
2010 Kevin Tway
2009 Bud Cauley
2008 Mark Anderson
2007 Rickie Fowler
2006 Jonathan Moore
2005 Brian Harman
2004 Aron Price
2003 Camilo Villegas
2002 Bill Haas
2001 Michael Sims
2000 Ben Curtis