The Dixie Amateur originated in 1924 and was played at the old Miami Country Club. Florida has always been a golf destination and the tournament always attracts a strong field of talented amateur players.
Early winners of the Dixie Amateur included: Frank Stafaci, Earl Christianson, Frank Perpich, Al Besselink, Bill Hyndman III and future Masters Champion Doug Ford. With the closing of the Miami Golf Club in 1953 the Dixie was discontinued until 1962.
The Dixie Amateur has been played continuously since 1962 at various courses in South Florida including: The Links at Key Biscayne and the Golf Club of Miami . During this time the tournament really began to attract the very best players in the United States and several players won before graduating to the PGA Tour. Champions include: Andy Bean, Bruce Fleisher, Lanny Wadkins, Nolan Henke, Len Mattice and Jesper Parnevik.
In 1990 the Dixie Amateur was moved to the Bonaventure Resort. During this time period the tournament was moved to December and held during the Christmas break. This move allowed a greater number of collegiate golfers to participate and the strength of our field grew substantially. National Rankings Points are awarded by SPWAR attracting a new wave of talent and strong fields including Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia.
In 1997 a Senior Division was created for players 55 years and older. This increased exposure and attracted an even stronger field of Senior golfers. Steve Earsley of Stuart, Florida won the inaugural event and repeated as Champion in 1998.
In 2002 the Women’s Division was added and has consistently attracted the finest amateurs in the world. The first Women’s Dixie Amateur Champion Meaghan Francella narrowly defeated Paula Creamer. Both have gone on to win on the LPGA TOUR. Angela Park defeated Creamer in 2003 and also went on to win on the LPGA TOUR.
In 2008 the Dixie Amateur changed ownership and location. Heron Bay Golf Club, the site of the PGA TOUR’S Honda Classic from 1997-2002 became the new home of the Dixie. The new permanent home brought a rich tradition and a fantastic first field. All three fields improved drastically as the Dixie Amateur went from 182nd on the R&A ranking to 58th and from 78th to the 36th ranked amateur in the world by Scratch Player.
The 2009 Dixie Amateur will see the addition of the first Senior Women’s Dixie Amateur Championship. Seniors (50+) will participate in this inaugural event alongside the Women’s Dixie Amateur.
The 2009 fields at Heron Bay are expected to be even better than the previous year with a jump in points due to the incredibly strong field last year. The Dixie Amateur continues as one of the oldest and most important amateurs in the world.
