(Editor’s note: For the final few days of 2021, we’ve been offering up a snapshot of the top 10 stories from each of Golfweek’s most popular sections, including the likes of travel, the PGA and LPGA tours, instruction and equipment. Here’s what we’ve already counted down. But when it came to the top amateur moments of the year, we brought in our friends from AmateurGolf.com to help with the list. The outstanding site is a partner on the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com player rankings for men, women, and mid-amateurs.)
After the game shut down along with the world around it in 2020, golf came back with a roar in 2021, with amateurs offering some indelible moments that will surely stand the test of time.
Who will ever forget Megha Ganne’s memorable run at the U.S. Women’s Open at the Olympic Club? Stanford’s Rachel Heck announced her presence on the collegiate scene by winning six consecutive tournaments as a freshman, including the NCAA individual championship. Gene Elliott won senior majors on two continents, Cinderella found her slipper in a castle at the Westchester Country Club while Michael Thorbjornsen and Matt Parziale staged a duel for the ages in the finals of the Massachusetts State Amateur.
Here are the top five moments of the amateur golf year (see the bottom of the list for a link to AmateurGolf.com’s full top 20 moments):