Competitive golfers and friends of the game will enjoy this special edition of Tournament Talk. On May 18 the USGA announced that the two Mid-Am and two Senior Amateurs would be cancelled, leaving just"the big four" events to be played in 2020. We thought amateur golfers would want to learn about the decision process, and the immediate and long-term future of golf in the post-COVID-19 era from its governing body directly. So we spoke to USGA president Stuart Francis, a longtime friend and member of AmateurGolf.com.

Tony Byerly won the Graham City Amateur in North Carolina - he also organized it as the General Manager of Southwick Golf Course. Located halfway between Greensboro and Durham, the course put itself (and the town of Graham) on the map by deciding to go forward with their city tournament during a month when social distancing was the norm. With all precautions in place, and a well thought-out game plan, The Graham City went off without a hitch. Golf is safe, and tournament golf can be too.

As the country slowed to a halt during the months of March and April, golf tournaments ceased to be played for obvious reasons. But the end of the month saw glimmers of hope, and one of them was at Maridoe Golf Club in the Dallas area, where the ownership and members quickly put together a tournament to raise money for out of work caddies. We spoke with Maridoe member, and longtime Mid-Am standout, Rob Couture about playing in the event and the measures the club took to make it safe for everyone involved.

In this episode of Tournament Talk we chat with reigning US Amateur Champion Andy Ogletree.

Alex Ross had talked it over with his caddie. When the third round of the The Dogwood Invitational at Druid Hills Golf Club began – the second of a double-round day forced by impending weather – he just wanted to make the cut. Ross, who is in his junior season at Davidson College had opened this tournament with rounds of 75-73. He was middle-of-the-pack at best.

With one last birdie on No. 9 (he had an eagle putt from the front of the green there), Ross shattered the standing Dogwood course record of 60, which had been held by Webb Simpson. His 57 matches the score that Bobby Wyatt, a former Alabama player, posted in the 2010 Alabama Boys Junior.

On our upcoming episode of Tournament Talk, we find out that Alex actually asked the starter on the first tee box what the course record was before proceeding to make golf history. 🤯

The Dogwood Invitational at Druid Hills Golf Club // Atlanta, GA // June 8 - 13, 2020

To learn more about the Dogwood Invitational, visit: https://www.thedogwood.com/

The reigning U.S. Senior champ, Bob Royak, goes wire-to-wire against a stacked field at Sea Island to capture the 2020 Jones Cup Senior Invitational. We were lucky to catch Bob on his ride home from Sea Island, GA with the trophy in his trunk. There are some good tidbits for competition amateurs in this conversation. Bob knows competitive golf, but more importantly, he knows how to win.

April brings the Azaleas into bloom in Georgia, as the first "major" of the year gets underway.

In Alameda, California, another 72-hole golf tournament with officials wearing green jackets takes place. They were doing so before the members of the course in Augusta started doing so in 1934.

Any amateur golfer with a handicap of 5.0 or less can enter the72-hole Championship Division. There is also a Senior, and Super Senior Alameda Commuters held April 21-22. Entry information for all divisions can be found at www.alamedacommuters.com. A PDF entry form for the Championship Division can be accessed here.

The tournament venue is the Corica Park South Course, designed by Rees Jones. The course has garnered player and media accolades since its opening in 2018 -- for example Golf Digest ranked the South Course the 5th best public course in America.

The Alameda Commuters is an NCGA and WAGR points event, and an AmateurGolf.com "Editor's Choice" for its history, venue, hospitality, and quality of competition. 

EVENT DETAILS AND SCHEDULE

Championship Division - April 18 and 19: 192 player field; cut to 60 and ties that play April 25 and 26.

Senior Division - April 21 and 22: Players aged 55 and over may enter

Super Senior Division - April 21 and 22: Players age 65 and over may enter

In this week's Tournament Talk, we chat with two-time Pasadena City Champ Dan Sullivan about the return of the Pasadena City after skipping last year's event.

We are helping to bring back one California’s top city championships. It’s the 84th Pasadena City Amateur Golf Championship March 20 - 22, 2020 Brookside Golf Club at the Rose Bowl Stadium.

Register: bit.ly/PasadenaCityAm

A former world No. 1 and Stanford men's Golf and Walker Cup star, Maverick has his full PGA Tour card now. He plans on using it -- not just win tournaments and make money, but to raise money for education through his charity - Birdies for Education. Every time he makes a birdie he contributes money, which his sponsor matches. We learned a lot about how he approaches going low, doing drills, and tuning his Callaway golf equipment to his exacting specifications. (Hint - it's all about the feels)

It's time to check Bandon Dunes off your bucket list. Join us for the 19th annual playing of AmateurGolf.com's flagship best-ball event at the highly-acclaimed Bandon Dunes Resort. The tournament features Scratch, Senior Scratch, and Net Divisions and it always draws a diverse group of players from across the U.S. and Canada. Listen to AmateurGolf.com founder preview this year's event including the addition of a Father/Son Division.