Top 25 Amateur Golf Moments of 2018

At AmateurGolf.com, we admit to loving the amateur sector of this game for the stories, the depth of the players, the remarkable courses, the history of the tournaments and the sheer love of the game displayed by amateur golfers. As 2018 comes to a close, we’ve gathered the year’s best stories for a countdown to the end of the season. Be sure to come back each day to relive the moments that made amateur golf great this year.

No. 25: A quest completed
A teenage phenom puts off a pro career for one last chance to fulfill a dream: A win on home soil and a Masters invitation
No. 24: A major is born
The recipe: Two preeminent golf associations, one vibrant international city, two major exemptions and one four-way playoff
No. 23: Six days, two wins
How’s this for a golf trip: 6 straight days of competition, a plane ride in between, every round par or better and 2 trophies
No. 22: Defying the age odds
A seasoned USGA champ steals the spotlight from the world’s best teenagers and a Walker Cupper breaks an 0-for-8 streak
No. 21: Defending titles
It’s hard to win a major amateur tournament, and even harder to repeat. In 2018, two players did it in historic fashion.
No. 20: History repeated
By defeating a player nearly four decades his junior, a local legend ties a record that had stood for 102 years
No. 19: Open qualifiers
For three American amateurs, a golf vacation turns into an opportunity to compete with the world’s best at the Home of Golf
No. 18: Round of the year
In 94 years at this U.S. Open venue, no one has ever shot lower than a former junior member en route to a breakthrough major win
No. 17: Red, white and blue
America’s best are back, reclaiming one cup by a record margin and taking home another for the first time in 20 years
No. 16: Demons avenged
Last year, the leader rinsed a shot on the 71st hole, made triple and lost the NCAAs. This year, the same player got a rinsing.
No. 15: A long time coming
For one of amateur golf’s most respected players, the journey to a USGA title spanned four decades and nearly three dozen attempts
No. 14: Undefeated
He owns his swing and now a piece of history, as the first member of a storied program to finish the fall unbeaten in stroke play
No. 13: Early decision
After making it through Q-School, top collegians were forced to make a difficult choice: start their career or stay in school.
No. 12: Set completed
Two years ago, a finals loss and a silver medal. Last year, a run to the semis. This year, the gold came with a USGA trophy.
No. 11: On fire
His journey took him from Ladder 1 in Brockton all the way to the U.S. Open trophy ceremony, with a stop in Augusta along the way.
No. 10: Twist of fate
For the final spot in a U.S. Open qualifier, two college seniors left their fate to a coin toss. Or did they?
No. 9: Against all odds
They say it’s the journey not the destination, but sometimes it’s both. For them, an improbable path led to a most unlikely place.
No. 8: Orange crush
Golf has never seen an atmosphere like it: waves of raucous, orange-clad fans generating the ultimate home-course advantage.
No. 7: Mid-major
He was the only mid-am to win a major against the college kids, and will be the only one to drive down Magnolia Lane next spring.
No. 6: The next big thing?
In the summer of 2018, no one rode away with more hardware, with a winning streak crossing state lines and international borders.
No. 5: Forging history
Putting your name next to Bobby Jones requires a rare and remarkable feat. This teenager did that and more in a breakout year.
No. 4: 24 for 1
On an overcast summer morning, 24 players stood on the tee of a world-class seaside par three. Only one would survive and advance.
No. 3: Double clutch
The player holding the most coveted trophy in amateur golf looks a lot like the winner four years ago. But looks can be deceiving.
No. 2: To him go the spoils
The most dominating performance of the year was the product of a swing change, a coach on the bag, belief, and a red-hot putter.
No. 1: Hallowed ground
The club founded by history’s greatest amateur golfer announced it will host an amateur tournament the week before the Masters