Seven of the country’s best summer amateur tournaments have teamed up to form the Elite Amateur Golf Series, with top point scorers earning exemptions to select USGA, PGA, and Korn Ferry Tour events.
The Elite Amateur Golf Series has started releasing the names of the tournaments that will make up the coalition, along with the phrase “The Best of the Best Amateur Golfers,” ahead of the official announcement on Tuesday. Many will attempt, but only a select few will achieve true elite status.”
The Southern Amateur, Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur, North and South Amateur, Trans-Miss Amateur, Pacific Coast Amateur, and Western Amateur are among the seven tournaments that will make up the Elite Amateur Golf Series.
According to the EAGS promotional film, “these events have a long history of presenting the top players at the best settings, providing the best competition.”
TThe Elite Amateur Golf Series, like the PGA TOUR University Global Rankings, allows elite amateurs to earn exemptions into professional events. The Elite Amateur Golf Series will merge the seven tournaments into the Elite Amateur Cup, a group competition. The player who accumulates the most World Amateur Golf Ranking points from these events will be crowned Elite Amateur Cup champion, gaining exemptions to select professional tournaments.
In a statement, Andy Priest, executive director of the Southern Golf Association and chairman of the Elite Amateur Golf Series, said, “The Elite Amateur Golf Series is about aligning the top competitive amateur events in the United States to provide exceptional playing opportunities for the best elite amateur golfers from around the world to compete at the highest level in advance of the U.S. “The Elite Amateur Golf Series’ effort will enhance and organize competition among top amateur golfers, strengthening the general game of golf by enhancing and organizing competition among top amateur golfers.”
