Senior Amateur Program

Carolinas PGA Senior Golf Update

As some of you may have heard, we are making some major changes to our senior golf tournament offerings. After a considerable amount of review and evaluation by our staff, Tournament Committee, and Board of Directors, the CPGA will be retiring the Senior Amateur Program. Going forward, we will create three new senior major championships within the Carolinas. Our goal with these championships will be to make them bigger and more competitive for senior PGA Professionals & amateurs. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide more elite playing opportunities for senior golfers in the Carolinas.

The CPGA is excited to announce that beginning in 2020, the North Carolina Senior Open, South Carolina Senior Open, and Carolinas Senior Open will be introduced to senior professionals and amateurs age 50 and over. Premier facilities will serve host to these annual 36-hole major championships, attracting the top senior golfers in the Carolinas. Senior amateurs residing in North or South Carolina, will compete alongside CPGA senior PGA Professionals in these Open Championships. There will also be a Super Senior division available at each event open to professionals and amateurs age 65 and over.

Highlights of changes to how we run these events are as follows:

Changes to Eligibility & Registration
- All three championships will be open to Carolinas PGA Professionals, as well as amateurs with a handicap index of 10.0 or less. Amateurs must reside in NC or SC and Professionals must be a member of the Carolinas Section in good standing and eligible under the CPGA Tournament Rules & Regulations.
- There will no longer be a “membership fee” for amateurs to pay and join before registering. Registration will be first-come, first-serve with the exception of reserved spots for exemption categories.
Changes to Divisions / Age Groups
- There will be a Senior Division (age 50+) and a Super Senior Division (age 65+). These will be the only two divisions within the tournament. A champion will be determined in each division and awarded a trophy of some sort. Sudden-death playoffs will determine overall ties for first place.
- There will no longer be subsequent age groups within the divisions.
- Professionals and amateurs will be randomly paired together for the first round, then paired by score for the second round. They will not be grouped separately.
- There will be a separate purse for professionals and amateurs. Amateurs will still receive gift certificate payouts to the host facility based on performance.
Points / Player of the Year
- Professionals competing will receive points towards the Tommy Card Senior Professional Player of the Year award within the CPGA.
- Amateurs competing will receive points towards the Carolinas Golf Association’s Senior and Super Senior Rankings, as well as the South Carolina Golf Association’s Senior Player of the Year. For the CGA rankings, our events will be a multiplier of 2x and the top 30 players age 55+ and the top 30 players age 65+ will receive points.