About the Oregon Amateur

PAST CHAMPIONS

The Oregon Amateur Championship, administered by the Oregon Golf Association,  is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur sporting competitions in the state.  While many state Championships have become stroke play competitions, the Oregon Amateur, one of the nation’s oldest, remains true to its roots playing the same traditional match play format that’s used to this day to determine the best amateur champions even at the national level. It’s also one of the few men’s and women’s amateurs held concurrently, always played at the same time at the same site.    It is held only at the finest golf courses and historically showcases some of the most talented amateur golfers in the Northwest.

The inaugural Oregon Amateur was held at Waverley Country Club in 1904, the only course in Portland at the time. A total of 11 men and 13 women teed it up, with Roderick Macleay taking the Men’s title and Carrie Flanders winning among the Women. Macleay went on to win the three more times with victories in 1905, ‘07 and ‘09.

Waverley hosted the event every year until it moved to Gearhart Golf Links on the northern Oregon Coast in 1917. The event was cancelled in 1918 due to World War I, but returned to Waverley and then Portland Golf Club and Tualatin Country Club from 1919-23.

As popularity of the sport grew so did the number of players in the Championship. By 1924 it became evident that help was needed to run the tournament, the area clubs formed the Oregon Golf Association.

Today, the Men’s field is limited to 108 Men with USGA Handicap Indexes of 3.4 or less.   The Top 50 Men from the prior year’s performance points list, along with past champions, are exempt from going through a qualifying process that determines the initial championship field.  Qualifying tournaments were held at Diamond Woods GC in Monroe, Ore., the OGA Golf Course in Woodburn, Ore. and Quail Valley GC in Banks, Ore.  The Women’s field is limited to the best 48 Women with USGA Handicap Indexes of 15.0 and less with the low 32 finishers from the 36-hole stroke play qualifier advancing to the single elimination match play Championship flight.

From the championship field, the low 64 finishers from the 36-hole stroke play portion of the contest advance to single elimination match play.

Over the years, the Oregon Amateur was an important stepping stone for many to illustrious international amateur and professional careers.

Visit www.oregonamateur.org, the official website of the Oregon Amateur.

History of the Oregon Amateur

The inaugural Oregon Amateur was held at Waverley Country Club in 1904, the only course in Portland at the time. A total of 11 men and 13 women teed it up, with Roderick Macleay taking the Men’s title and Carrie Flanders winning among the Women. Macleay went on to win the three more times with victories in 1905, ‘07 and ‘09.


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Chronological Highlights of the Oregon Amateur

Special Thanks to Bill Mulflur for compiling the chronological history of the Oregon Amateur. Bill has long served the world of sports in Oregon beginning with the Portland Beavers as Assistant GM in 1955. In 1959, he joined the Oregon Journal as a sports writer, and advanced to Executive Sports Editor. From 1982 to 1988 he worked at The Oregonian as a sports writer and Deputy Sports Editor, before leaving for the Eugene Register Guard to focus on writing about the Portland Trail Blazers. He was Senior Director of the Oregon PGA from 2001-2006.


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