25 things to look forward to in amateur golf in 2025, including the 50th Walker Cup

Posted by Admin January 1, 2025 Golf

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The calendar has turned to 2025, which means the golf schedule is fresh, kicking off this week with the PGA Tour’s The Sentry in Hawaii.

However, the professional game is only one aspect of the global sport. Amateur golf takes up a big chunk of the schedule, and there are plenty of signature events to be excited about in the coming year.

Here are 25 things to look forward to in amateur golf in 2025. (And ICYMI, here are 24 of the best moments from college and amateur golf in 2024.)

50th Walker Cup

The 50th edition of the Walker Cup is coming to Cypress Point Sept. 5-7. What more could you want?

Luke Clanton

Clanton is likely to be a professional by the end of the year, so how strong can he finish his amateur career?

Jasmine Koo

The stellar freshman at USC got off to an incredible start to her college career. How can she continue to grow in the coming year?

Gordon Sargent’s final stretch

Sarge has one more semester of college left before he joins the PGA Tour. Can he find his groove and finish on a strong note?

PGA Tour University race

This is shaping up to be the closest race for a PGA Tour card yet. David Ford, Josele Ballester, Brendan Valdes, Preston Summerhays. Or can someone else take the top spot?

Augusta National Women’s Amateur

The event has grown to be one of the best in amateur golf. The next chapter will be written this April.

NCAA Championship

The culmination of the college golf season returns to Omni La Costa for the second year. Who’s going to hoist the trophy?

Haskins Award

The annual award is the Heisman Trophy of college golf, and the 2025 race is wide open heading into the spring season.

Asterisk Talley’s growth

The breakout junior star of 2024 was Talley. It will be hard to replicate what she did last year, but her growth in 2025 will be something to watch.

Can an am win a pro event again?

Nick Dunlap won the American Express last year, the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 33 years. Can someone do it again this year?

Can David Ford continue his stellar play?

David Ford won two events to close 2024 and is playing tremendous golf. If he continues that, he is in position to win the Haskins and a PGA Tour Card via PGA Tour U.

U.S. Amateur

The 2024 U.S. Amateur was a historic one. As the best amateur event in the world heads to the Olympic Club, what history will be made this year?

Rianne Malixi’s college debut

Malixi won the U.S. Girls’ Junior and then won the U.S. Women’s Amateur last summer. This fall, she arrives at Duke to take on college golf.

Annika Award

The Heisman Trophy for the best women’s college golfer is also an exciting race, though at least after the fall, there’s a leader in the clubhouse.

Josele Ballester at the Masters

Spaniards at the Masters have had good fortunes, both in past and recent memory. Josele Ballester gets to go down Magnolia Lane as the U.S. Amateur champion and tee it up at Augusta National Golf Club this year.

Can Stanford women continue dominant run?

Stanford has won two of the past three NCAA Championships and won every event it played in the fall. Anything can happen in match play, but this Stanford team is perhaps the deepest in recent memory and can handle any challenge.

Arnold Palmer Cup

The annual competition of college players returns to the United States and will be held at Congaree.

Scholarship limits

OK, maybe we’re not looking forward to this one, but this is going to drastically change the landscape of college golf. The sport is about to be deeper than ever. How is that going to affect the postseason chase? Only time will tell.

U.S Women’s Amateur

The top women in the world will head to Bandon Dunes for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and after a historic 2024 final, who knows what will happen this year.

Elite Amateur Golf Series

The summer series continues to grow each year, showcasing the top amateur talent at the best events each summer leading up to the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur in August.

Lottie Woad

Woad broke out last year at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, making her mark in the sport. She has a chance to earn an LPGA card via the new pathway, so can she continue her dominance?

National Golf Invitational

The third edition of the National Golf Invitational, the NIT of college golf, is bound to be bigger and better than ever.

Omni La Costa’s growth

It’s the second year of now five in a row for the NCAA Championships to be at Omni La Costa. With the course having a year of play and to fully grow in, how differently will it challenge the best players and teams?

Which men’s team will emerge as the best?

There are no runaway favorites for best men’s team as 2025 begins. Ole Miss had a stellar fall, as did Arizona State and defending champ Auburn. But recent champs Oklahoma, Texas and a host of others look well-positioned to challenge for the title.

World Amateur Team Championship

Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore will host the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship, which brings the top amateurs from different countries across the globe to compete head-to-head.