A new, big-time women's amateur golf tournament is coming in 2021.
Sea Island in Georgia, home to the PGA Tour's RSM Classic and a number of professional golfers, has announced the creation of the Sea Island Women’s Amateur. The inaugural event is set for July 27-29, 2021.
The event is inspired by the Jones Cup Invitational tournaments at Sea Island and Ocean Forest Golf Club that have been played since 2001.
“With Sea Island’s strong commitment to amateur golf and hosting multiple amateur championships over the years, creating the Sea Island Women’s Amateur was an important and natural next step, one that we are very pleased to be taking,” said Brannen Veal, Sea Island's Director of Golf. “This opportunity will give the best female golfers a stage on which to showcase their talents.”
The 54-hole, 84-player tournament will be held on Sea Island's Seaside Course, which is the Colt-Alison original design redone by Tom Fazio that hosts the PGA Tour event.
The Sea Island Women’s Amateur is open to any female amateur player of any age, with registration opening in April before a June 18 closing date. There are a variety of exemption criteria that will pre-qualify many of the best female amateur golfers:
- Quarterfinalists from US Women’s Amateur (2020)
- US Women’s Open qualifiers (2021)
- NCAA D1 Women’s individual champion from the past 2 years
- NCAA D2 Women’s individual champion from the past 2 years
- Reigning Women’s NCAA D3, NAIA and NJCAA individual champions
- Power 5 conference champions from the past 2 years
- US Women’s Mid-Am finalist (2019)
- US Junior Girls Am finalist (2021)
- Reigning Girls’ Junior PGA Amateur champion
- Reigning Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion (2021)
- Reigning North & South Women’s Amateur champion (2021)
- Committee invites
The event continues a tradition for Sea Island of hosting significant amateurs championships, including eight USGA championships, SEC Championships and more.
