by Stan Olenik Editor-Publisher

The flagship event of the South Carolina Golf Association is returning to the upstate.

The Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg will host the SCGA Amateur starting on July 24th. It will be the first time the Amateur will be played in the Upstate since Thornblade Club hosted the 2019 tournament.

“We have had a great run of clubs hosting our state am in the last few years,” said Biff Lathrop, the Executive Director of the South Carolina Golf Association, “We know the Carolina Country Club will be a great host and we are glad to get the championship back in the Upstate,” he said.

Past champions have included PGA Tour professionals Lucas Glover, Bill Haas, DJ Trahan, Carson Young and Andrew Novak. Last year Gamecock golfer Zach Adams won his second state am in the last three years.

Last year’s championship was at the Charleston Country Club. Musgrove Mill, The Dunes Club and the Debordieu Club have also hosted events in recent years.

The tournament date this year is a little earlier than when the state am has been traditionally played the first week in August.

The USGA recently made the individual state champion an automatic qualifier for the US Amateur. The traditional SCGA date for the state event did not give the state champion very much time to prepare for the national championship.

Woodcreek Club in Elgin had been announced as the site for this year’s amateur, but the date change conficted with a course improvement project that might not have been completed in time for the tournament.

Carolina Country Club owner Tim Dunlap is very happy with the choice of his club to host the biggest amateur event in the state. He believes it will be a perfect fit with the mission of the club in Spartanburg.

“We are so excited to host this event because it will be great for our community” he said. “Golfers will come from all over the state to play. It is going to be great for our club and for the city of Spartanburg to be chosen as the host,” he said.

Under Dunlap’s direction Carolina has seen major improvements to the course and has also been receptive to hosting large golf championships and local tournaments as well as charity fund-raising events

The BMW Celebrity Pro-Am has played early rounds of the Korn-Ferry Tour event at the club. The SCGA and WSCGA have held national and state qualifiers as well as smaller championships at the club.

“We have worked with Carolina in the past and know they have an excellent facility and have always been a great host for any event we have played at the club,” said Lathrop.

“We are proud to be a part of our community and our members enjoy hosting events that allow us to showcase the club and the city,” said the Carolina Country Club owner.

SCGA Hall of Fame golfer Todd White is a club member and an SCGA Board Member. White helped to connect the club with the SCGA.

“I didn’t do much more than get them together.” said White. “I think Carolina will be a great host for the am,” he added.

White’s successful amateur career has given him the opportunity to play many of the top tournament courses in major amateur competition.

Last year White won the British Senior Amateur, the year after he won the same USGA championship.

“It is a Korn-Ferry Tour course so that says something about the quality. The time of year should help the course be in great condition. Depending on the weather, the greens should be firm and the rough could be grown up. I think Carolina can be a really good ,” he said.

Dunlap believes the quality of the greens and the short game challenges offered at the course will make for a very competitive tournament.

“We are very fortunate to have the course designer, Tom Jackson helping us. He is a great resource to get ready for the event,” said Dunlap.

The tournament field is filled through exemptions to the top finishers at last year’s event and a series of qualifying tournaments conducted around the state.

The tournament is open to the public.