Jackson Reid
Golf is a sport that distinguishes between amateur and professional players. Amateurs are not allowed to accept payment or compensation for playing or giving instruction, and they can only accept prize money up to a certain limit. Amateur golfers can enter Am-Am tournaments, which are played by teams of two, three, or four golfers. These tournaments can be big amateur events or involve pairings with celebrities. Pro-Am tournaments, on the other hand, involve teams of amateur golfers playing with a professional. These events offer amateurs the chance to meet professionals, receive tips, and play at incredible golf courses.
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What You'll Learn
Am-Am vs Pro-Am tournaments
Am-Am golf tournaments are for amateur golfers. The generic meaning is that two, three, or four amateur golfers are paired together to form a team, with any scoring format possible. The best golfer on the team is the low-handicap amateur rather than a pro. An example of an Am-Am tournament is the U.S. Mid-Amateur, which is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for post-college amateur golfers.
Pro-Am tournaments, on the other hand, are events where both professional career athletes and amateurs compete. In golf, this usually means a team of amateur golfers play with one professional in their group. The format varies but it’s usually a best-ball or scramble format. The Pebble Beach Pro-Am is played every year and is a great example of a Pro-Am tournament.
Pro-Am tournaments are more expensive to enter than Am-Am tournaments. For example, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am is estimated to cost north of $40,000 per player, whereas a local Pro-Am might cost $200-$400. Am-Am tournaments tend to have a smart casual dress code, whereas Pro-Am tournaments do not have a dress code mentioned in the sources provided.
Both Am-Am and Pro-Am tournaments can be a lot of fun for amateur golfers, but they offer different experiences. Am-Am tournaments are a great way for amateur golfers to compete and socialise with other golfers of a similar skill level. Pro-Am tournaments offer amateur golfers the chance to meet and play with elite golfers, which can be a bucket list experience.
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Amateurs cannot accept payment
Am-Am is a golf tournament format where two, three, or four amateur golfers are paired together to form a team, with any scoring format possible. The term can also imply that golfers who sign up to play in the tournament will be paired with a celebrity or that the tournament is a big-time amateur event in which low-handicappers are competing.
Am-Am tournaments are distinct from pro-ams, which include one professional golfer on each team. The US Mid-Amateur, or Mid-Am, is an example of an Am-Am tournament. It is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for post-college amateur golfers.
Amateurs are not allowed to accept payment or compensation for giving instruction on the physical mechanics of swinging a golf club and hitting a golf ball. This rule does not apply to certain approved programs, such as The First Tee, which allow amateur golfers to receive compensation for instruction. Amateurs are also prohibited from accepting payment in the form of prize money, as this would constitute them as professionals and forfeit their amateur status. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule. For instance, an amateur golfer may accept prize money up to a limit of $1000 when playing in a scratch competition only. This limit applies to non-cash prizes in a handicap competition.
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Amateurs paired with celebrities
Am-Am is a golf tournament format where two or more amateur golfers are paired together to form a team. The best golfer on the team is typically a low-handicap amateur rather than a professional. The scoring format can vary, but Stableford scoring is commonly used, where the best two scores among the team on each hole are counted.
Some Am-Am tournaments feature celebrities paired with amateurs. Here are some examples:
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a golf tournament that pairs professionals with amateurs and celebrities. In 2025, the tournament included 80 professionals paired with 80 amateurs from the worlds of business, sports, and TV. Here are some notable celebrities who participated in the 2025 event:
- Larry Fitzgerald: Former NFL player.
- Steve Young: Three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time MVP.
- Mia Hamm: Former soccer star with two Olympic gold medals and two World Cups.
- Condoleezza Rice: Former US Secretary of State and a big golf fan.
- Pau Gasol: Two-time NBA champion and six-time NBA all-star.
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is another event that attracts celebrities and amateurs. Here are some notable participants:
- Michael Douglas: American actor and film producer with a passion for golf.
- Bill Murray: American actor and comedian known for his quirky golfing style and sense of humour.
- Ruud Gullit: Former Dutch footballer who took up golf after retiring from the sport.
- Allan Lamb: Former England cricketer who enjoys playing golf in his downtime.
- Michael Vaughan: Former England cricket captain who often participates in charity golf events.
These tournaments provide an opportunity for celebrities and amateurs to showcase their golfing skills and compete alongside professionals, adding a unique dimension to the traditional golf tournament format.
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Scoring formats in Am-Am tournaments
Am-Am, shorthand for "amateur-amateur", refers to a golf tournament where amateur golfers are paired together to form a team. The format is typically used outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, where a team usually consists of four golfers of varying abilities. The highly skilled amateur acts as the team captain, and on each hole, two team members' scores are combined for one team score.
While the Stableford scoring system is commonly used in Am-Am tournaments, the specific scoring format can vary depending on the tournament organisers. Stableford scoring involves assigning points for each hole based on the number of strokes taken, with the goal of accumulating the highest number of points. In the case of Sandiway Golf Club's Men's Open Am Am tournament, it is specified that the competition will be a 4-man team event with Stableford scoring, a handicap allowance of 90%, and a maximum handicap of 24.
Another scoring format that can be used in Am-Am tournaments is the "better ball" or "best ball" format, where the lowest score among the amateurs on each hole is counted towards the team's total. This format is often used in pro-am tournaments, where teams consist of one professional and one amateur golfer. In these tournaments, the amateur's score typically has no standing on the actual leaderboard and only counts towards the pro-am portion of the competition.
It is important to note that the term "Am-Am" can have different interpretations depending on the context. While it generally refers to a tournament format involving teams of amateur golfers, it can also imply that participants will be paired with celebrities or that the tournament is a significant amateur event featuring low-handicap golfers.
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Mid-Amateur tournaments
Am-Am golf tournaments are for amateur golfers, with teams typically consisting of two, three, or four golfers. The format of the tournament can vary, but it often involves Stableford scoring, where the best two scores among the team are counted on each hole. An example of this scoring system is as follows: if a team of four golfers records scores of 4, 5, 6, and 7 on Hole 1, the team's score for that hole is 9 (4 + 5). These stroke totals would then be converted into Stableford points and added together.
One of the most well-known Am-Am tournaments is the U.S. Mid-Amateur, often referred to as the Mid-Am. This annual tournament is organized by the USGA and is specifically for post-college amateur golfers who are not pursuing golf as a career. The first Mid-Am tournament was held in 1981 at Bellerive Country Club in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and it has since become a prominent event for golfers aged 25 and above with a USGA handicap index of 2.4 or lower.
The Mid-Am was introduced to address the disparity in age representation in golf tournaments, as less than half of U.S. Amateur qualifiers are 25 or older, and older golfers often face a disadvantage when competing against younger, college-aged golfers who play more frequently. The tournament consists of two days of stroke play, followed by a knockout competition among the top 64 competitors to determine the champion.
The Mid-Am has a few key differences from the U.S. Amateur. Firstly, there is an age requirement of 25 years old, whereas the U.S. Amateur has a lower age limit of 17 years old. Additionally, the handicap index requirement for the Mid-Am is higher at 2.4, compared to 0.4 for the U.S. Amateur. The Mid-Am also does not have a gender restriction, although there has yet to be a female champion. The analogous event for women is the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, which was first held in 1987.
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Frequently asked questions
Am-Am is short for amateur-amateur, meaning that the tournament is for non-professional golfers.
Depending on the tournament organizer, teams can consist of two, three, or four amateur golfers.
Scoring formats can vary, but Stableford scoring is common. Teams will count the best two scores on each hole and add them together to get the team's score.
The dress code for an Am-Am tournament is typically smart casual.
