The historic invitationals.
10 heritage amateur events outside the USGA ladder: the Western Amateur, Sunnehanna, Porter Cup, Trans-Mississippi, and others. Several are older than the Masters; collectively they carry WAGR weighting on par with U.S. Amateur Round of 16 finishes.
Western Amateur
Western AmConducted by the Western Golf Association since 1899, one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur events in the world. 156-player field cut to the 'Sweet 16' for match play. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, and Chick Evans all won here. WAGR weighting comparable to a USGA national championship.
The 'Sweet 16' match-play bracket is one of the toughest tests in amateur golf.
Sunnehanna Amateur
Sunnehanna72-hole stroke-play invitational at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, PA. Running since 1954 with a field of roughly 100 of the world's top amateurs. Past champions include Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Hal Sutton, and Bryson DeChambeau.
Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, and Bryson DeChambeau all won here.
Northeast Amateur Invitational
Northeast Am72-hole stroke-play invitational at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island, a 6,700-yard Donald Ross gem. Running since 1962 with a deep international field. Brad Faxon's home event; past champions include Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, and Justin Leonard.
Hosted at Donald Ross's Wannamoisett, one of his finest under-7,000-yard courses.
Porter Cup
72-hole stroke-play invitational at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, NY. Running since 1959. Strong WAGR weighting and consistently one of the deepest fields of the summer. Past champions include Ben Crenshaw, Hal Sutton, Bryson DeChambeau, and Viktor Hovland.
WAGR-elite invitational: Hovland, DeChambeau, and Crenshaw on the trophy.
Trans-Mississippi Amateur
Trans-MissRun by the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association since 1901. One of the oldest amateur events in the United States. 156-player stroke-play field cut to 32 for match play. Hosted on a rotating slate of top private clubs west of the Mississippi.
Older than the Masters: founded 1901, second-oldest U.S. amateur invitational.
North & South Amateur
North & SouthHeld at Pinehurst Resort since 1901, the second-oldest amateur championship in the United States behind the U.S. Amateur. Stroke-play qualifying followed by match play on Pinehurst No. 2. Past champions include Jack Nicklaus, Curtis Strange, Davis Love III, and Webb Simpson.
Match play on Pinehurst No. 2, the venue of three U.S. Opens and the 2024 men's and women's U.S. Opens.
Pacific Coast Amateur
Pacific Coast AmRun by the Pacific Coast Golf Association, the regional confederation of state and provincial golf associations covering the western U.S., western Canada, Hawaii, and Mexico. 72-hole stroke-play championship. Past champions include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Collin Morikawa.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson both won here as amateurs.
Southern Amateur Championship
Southern AmConducted by the Southern Golf Association since 1902. 144-player stroke-play championship rotating through the SGA's member-club venues across the U.S. South. One of the longest-running regional amateur titles in the country.
Since 1902, third-oldest regional amateur title in the U.S.
Jones Cup Invitational
Jones CupHeld at Ocean Forest Golf Club on Sea Island, Georgia. 54-hole stroke-play invitational dedicated to Robert Trent Jones Sr. Strong WAGR weighting and consistently one of the deepest early-season amateur fields in the country.
Season-opening WAGR heavyweight at Ocean Forest on Sea Island.
Eastern Amateur
Eastern Am72-hole stroke-play invitational at Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club in Portsmouth, Virginia. Running since 1957. Tradition-rich Mid-Atlantic event with a strong WAGR-relevant field each July.
About marquee amateur golf events
Outside the USGA championship ladder, a tight set of historic invitationals carries the most weight on an amateur résumé. The Western Amateur, run by the Western Golf Association since 1899, is the oldest non-USGA event in U.S. amateur golf and its Sweet 16 match-play bracket is one of the toughest tests in the game. The North & South Amateur at Pinehurst (1901), the Trans-Mississippi Amateur (1901), and the Southern Amateur (1902) round out the oldest regional titles in the country; all three pre-date the Masters by more than 30 years.
The mid-summer invitational circuit anchors WAGR scoring for U.S.-based amateurs. The Sunnehanna Amateur in Johnstown, the Northeast Amateur at Donald Ross's Wannamoisett, the Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club, and the Pacific Coast Amateur each draw deep international fields and feed directly into World Amateur Golf Ranking points. The Jones Cup Invitational at Ocean Forest on Sea Island opens the year as a season-opening WAGR heavyweight; the Eastern Amateur at Elizabeth Manor anchors the Mid-Atlantic schedule.
For competitive adult amateurs, the marquee invitational calendar is the difference between a state-level résumé and one that earns Walker Cup or Palmer Cup consideration. An invitation is only half the job; showing up with a course-management plan and a real tournament-week routine is what turns a field invite into a result. Direct links above to each event organizer for invitational entry, qualifying procedures, and results archives.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Jones Cup Invitational?
The Jones Cup Invitational is a 54-hole stroke-play amateur event at Ocean Forest Golf Club on Sea Island, Georgia, dedicated to Robert Trent Jones Sr. It opens the competitive amateur season each spring and consistently draws one of the deepest fields in the country, with strong WAGR weighting to match.
What makes an amateur event 'marquee' if it isn't run by the USGA?
Field strength and history, mostly. The events on this page predate most modern amateur infrastructure (several are older than the Masters), draw fields comparable to U.S. Amateur match-play rounds, and carry WAGR weighting that shapes Walker Cup and Palmer Cup selection. Invitational status also means entry is by invitation rather than open qualifying, so a result here signals a player already has a résumé strong enough to get invited.
Do marquee invitational results count toward WAGR the same as USGA events?
Yes. WAGR scores every eligible event by field strength and finish, not by which organization runs it. A deep-field invitational like the Western Amateur or Sunnehanna can carry more WAGR weight in a given year than a weaker USGA sectional bracket, though the U.S. Amateur itself still sits at the top of the points table.