In terms of the men's and women's professional games both Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda have dominated proceedings, with the pair claiming 16 titles between them in 2024 alone.
Understandably, both scooped Player of the Year honors on their respective circuits but, in terms of the amateur game, which player has stood above the rest in terms of the men's and women's games?
Arguably, 2024 has been one of the best years for amateurs in golf history, with plenty of incredible performances coming on both the amateur and professional circuits.
Memorably, Nick Dunlap became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1991. Neal Shipley claimed low amateur honors at the Masters and US Open, becoming just the seventh player in history to do so, and Lottie Woad finished as the women's World No.1 amateur after claiming the Augusta National Women's Amateur.
The accolades are stacked and, in this piece, we have taken a look through the facts and figures to determine who we think our 'Amateur of the Year' is for 2024.
Amateur Of The Year Nominees
- Lottie Woad - Augusta National Women's Amateur winner, Top 10 finish at AIG Women's Open, Finished as Women's Amateur No.1
- Nick Dunlap - First amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1991, Won again on the circuit after turning professional and secured the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year title
- Jasmine Koo - Won multiple college and amateur titles, Finished as top-ranked player for AJGA season, Won low amateur honors at Chevron Championship
- Luke Clanton - Secured four top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour including two runner-ups, Finished as Men's Amateur No.1
- Neal Shipley - Claimed low amateur honors at the Masters and US Open
My winner in this category is Nick Dunlap. I think the American was immense at The American Express, but, the reason I have given him this award is due to the fact he backed it up later on in the year at the Barracuda Championship.
I did think about this award for a while and, personally, I think Lottie Woad and Neal Shipley would finish second and third if we were handing out podium positions, but, for his two PGA Tour victories, I don't see how Dunlap can't win this award.
Sorry Matt, but I disagree. Dunlap was only a pro for a couple of months this year and the award is Amateur of the Year, not Rookie. For my money, Luke Clanton has been the standout amateur in this list, having won three times in college and performed extremely well in his eight PGA Tour starts.
Although Clanton didn't manage to win a pro title this season, he twice finished as a runner-up (at The RSM Classic and the John Deere Classic) while recording two further top-10s and missing just one cut.
The consistency he has shown in all competitions this term has been seriously impressive, and his Mark H. McCormack medal award further proves my point.
The fact that there could be another 10 players nominated for this award shows just how strong the next generation coming through is. Lottie Woad and Jasmine Koo look set to have very successful LPGA careers, while Nick Dunlap has been remarkable this year - albeit he was only an amateur for the first three weeks of the year after winning the AmEx.
Luke Clanton has been excellent in competing for numerous PGA Tour wins, but for out-and-out amateur success I will pick between Neal Shipley and Lottie Woad. Shipley became the first man since Viktor Hovland in 2019, and second since Matt Kuchar in 1998, to win the low amateur honors at The Masters and US Open in the same year.
But I have to side with Lottie Woad, though, for her exceptional Augusta National Women’s Amateur finish, where she birdied three of the final four holes to seal the victory. She then won the low amateur title at the AIG Women’s Open and played a key role in GB&I’s first Curtis Cup win in eight years. She ended the year with another collegiate title and as World No.1 am. What a future she has ahead of her.
