By Fred Altvater
All golf fans know the four major championships and big professional golf tournaments, but before they were successful pros, PGA Tour players competed at the best Amateur events in the country. The following is a listing of the best men’s amateur golf tournaments in the United States.
The Jones Cup Invitational
First contested in 2001, the Jones Cup celebrates the camaraderie and fellowship associated with amateur golf. It is a 54-hole, individual stroke-play event played at the Ocean Forest Golf Club, designed by Rees Jones and opened in 1995.
The Jones Cup brings together the finest amateurs from the United States and abroad for three days of competition.
Past participants include, Luke Donald, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Dustin Johnson, Chris Kirk, Jeff Overton, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, and Gary Woodland as well as Past Champions DJ Trahan, Gregg Jones, Nicholas Thompson, Luke List, Kyle Stanley, Patrick Reed, and John Peterson.
The Trans-Mississippi Amateur
The Trans-Mississippi Amateur was first played in 1901 and is contested each year on a different course located near, or west of the Mississippi River.
From 1987 to 2009, the field was limited to mid-amateurs (age 25 or greater). Since 2010, the format has been a 54-hole stroke play tournament, with no age restrictions on entries.
Former winners include, Will Zalatoris (twice), Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau and Pierceson Coody.
The Southern Amateur
This year marks the 120th playing of the Southern Amateur Championship and it is the second time that Atlanta Athletic Club has hosted the event.
John Daly II won the title last year at the Blessings Golf Club in Johnson, Arkansas.
The first Southern Amateur was contested in 1902, as a match-play event, at the Nashville Golf & Country Club in Nashville, Tennessee. The format was changed to 54 holes of stroke play in 1964.
The 2026 Southern Amateur will be held July 15-18 and hosts qualifiers for interested golfers. Click HERE for locations and dates.
Future sites include, the Country Club of North Carolina, The Club at Old Stone, Captial City Club and Sea Island.
Pacific Coast Amateur
This year will mark the 59th year the Pacific Coast Amateur has been held.
It is one of seven amateur championships comprising the Elite Amateur Golf Series (EAGS), where players accumulate World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and vie for the Elite Amateur Cup.
It remains the premier amateur championship on the West Coast and it consistently receives a strong rating from WAGR, as assessed by The R&A and USGA.
Jaden Dumdumaya, the current champion, won at Eugene Country Club last year.
Noteworthy past champions who have gone on to achieve success on the PGA Tour include Will Zalatoris, Aaron Wise, Andrew Putnam, Jason Gore, Doug Ghim and Billy Mayfair.
Sunnehanna Amateur
The Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions, as it is formally known, is a 72-hole stroke play event for elite amateur golfers. Founded in 1954, it is hosted annually at the Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and is considered one of the top amateur golf tournaments held in the United States.
Many current and former PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Walker Cup and Ryder Cup players have competed in the tournament. Tiger Woods played in the tournament twice, finishing 5th in 1992 and tied for 12th in 1993.
Past champions include Rickie Fowler (2008) and Collin Morikawa (2016).
The Sunnehanna boasts that 96 major championships, 20 PGA Tour Players of the Year awards and 1,321 PGA Tour titles have been won by former competitors in the event.
North South Amateur
The North South Amateur has been held on Pinehurst No. 2 since 1901. It is an invitational tournament and participants are chosen based upon their performance in national amateur championships and overall competitive record.
As one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf championships it has seen the best amateur golfers of all time hoist the trophy. Chick Evans, Harvie Ward, Frank Stranahan, Billy Joe Patton, Curtis Strange, Gary Hallberg, Corey Pavin, Hal Sutton and Davis Love all won titles.
The 2026 North South Amateur will be held June 28-July 4.
Northeast Amateur
This will be the 64th time that the Northeast Amateur has hosted the best amateurs in the world. The Tournament began in 1962 and was played as a 54-hole event until 1968. The Tournament is an invitational event and is now a 72-hole stroke play event.
Participants play will be in twosomes over four days with a cut to low 60 and ties after 54 holes.
Following the end of the final round of play, the winner is awarded a crystal trophy and the traditional Northeast Amateur blazer. His name will be added to the permanent Northeast Amateur trophy which is displayed in the clubhouse and his photograph is subsequently placed on the Wall of Champions at Wannamoisett Country Club.
Western Amateur
The Western Amateur was founded in 1899 and many of golf’s greatest players have etched their names on the George R. Thorne Trophy.
The field consists of 156 invited players from around the world. Competitors begin with 18 holes of stroke play on Tuesday and Wednesday, after which the field is cut to the low 44 scores and ties. Those who advance play 36 more holes of stroke play on Thursday to determine the Sweet Sixteen, who then compete in match play on Friday and Saturday to crown the champion. Notable players that have made the Sweet Sixteen since 2006, include; Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
The Western Amateur is the world’s third-oldest amateur championship, following the British Amateur (1885) and the U.S. Amateur (1895). In addition to its rich tradition, the championship continues to attract the world’s top amateurs, showcasing their skills in what is widely regarded as the most demanding format in the game.
Early in its history, the Western Golf Association held the championship at premier courses in the Chicagoland area near the original WGA headquarters in Golf, Illinois. Over time, the event expanded to revered courses across the country while regularly returning to the Chicago region.
U.S. Amateur
The United States Golf Association (USGA) held the first Men’s U.S. Amateur at Newport Country Club, in 1895. It was won by Charles B. MacDonald, who became one of the leading designers, as well as a key figure in American golf.
The U.S. Amateur is open to any golfer regardless of gender, or age, who carries a 0.4 handicap, or less.
It is a grind as participants must play 36 holes of stroke play over the first two days to determine the low 64, who then qualify for the match-play portion of the tournament. With two rounds of stroke play and five rounds of match-play overall fitness is an important factor for the competitors.
Many of the leading figures in the history of golf have been crowned U.S. Amateur champions. Bobby Jones won it five times, Jerome Travers four times, Jack Nicklaus twice and Tiger Woods three times consecutively, the only golfer to ever accomplish that feat.
Crump Cup
Many golfers may not be familiar with the Crump Cup, but it is one of the most prestigious amateur golf tournaments held every year and is hosted by the exclusive Pine Valley Golf Club.
For the lucky few who are invited to play in the George A. Crump Memorial Tournament, it is a treasured opportunity to experience a place that most will never see. The tournament maintains a set of traditions that make it unlike any other event on the amateur schedule.
The format for the four days is two rounds of stroke play to determine the low scores for two rounds of match play. You don’t ask for a spot in the Crump Cup. If they want you, they will find you.
The way to get un-invited is much more clear-cut. Two consecutive years of missing match play is usually a one-way ticket out of Pine Valley, as is the rarer but not unheard-of display of unbecoming conduct. Sergio Garcia would not do well at Pine Valley. The Crump Cup is a tournament for gentlemen, and players are on their best behavior on and off the course.
Jay Sigel won the Crump Cup on nine different occasions. Tournament dates are flexible, but the event is normally held in September, or early October.
