The Palmetto Amateur has been contested since 1976, first as the Aiken Golf Classic and then, beginning in 1998, as the Palmetto Amateur. The tournament is held at the historic Palmetto Golf Club, where golf was first played in Aiken, SC, in 1892.

The 2012 Palmetto Amateur will be the 37th renewal of this event. The tournament is scheduled for Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, June 10. The defending champion is Will McCurdy, from Fort Payne, Alabama, and a graduate of Auburn University. Will was able to save par on the first play-off hole to defeat Nicholas Reach, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, currently playing for the University of Georgia. Will and Nicholas finished the tournament at 10 under par at the completion of regulation. Arie Ahmad Fauzi finished one stroke out of the playoff at 9 under par and Corbin Mills finished in fourth place at 7 under par.

Palmetto Golf Club, while not overly long, is still quite challenging. The greens are small and the greens complexes are difficult, requiring accurate placement of approach shots. Putting is also a premium and the subtle MacKenzie contours are difficult to negotiate.

We again expect to receive more applications than can be accommodated and, because of that, the field will be selected based on world amateur rankings and performance in high level amateur tournaments, including USGA Open and Amateur events and previous Palmetto Amateurs.