PREVIEW: 125th Amateur Championship presented by Provident Bank
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. – For 125 years, the New Jersey Amateur Championship has identified the finest amateur golfers in the Garden State.
From its beginnings in 1900 to the present day, the championship has crowned generations of players who have helped shape New Jersey golf history. Names etched on the Edwin M. Wild Trophy include Hall of Famers, national champions, and some of the most accomplished amateurs ever produced by the state.
This year, another chapter will be written as the 125th Amateur Championship heads to Baltusrol Golf Club from July 6-8.
One of the premier championships conducted by New Jersey Golf, the Amateur remains the ultimate test of individual amateur competition in the state. Few venues are more fitting for this milestone championship than Baltusrol.
Founded in 1895, Baltusrol Golf Club has long stood among the most revered clubs in American golf. Located at the base of Baltusrol Mountain just outside New York City, the club has hosted 18 major championships during its storied history, including seven U.S. Opens, two U.S. Women's Opens, two PGA Championships, and the 2023 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. In 2014, Baltusrol was designated a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its importance to the career of legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast.
Baltusrol's dual championship courses—the Lower and Upper—have played distinguished roles on the national stage for more than a century. The Lower Course, which will host this year's championship, is regarded as one of the game's great tests and has hosted 11 major championships, including four U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, and the 2023 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Opened in 1922, the course reopened in 2021 following a year-long restoration by renowned architect Gil Hanse that restored many of Tillinghast's original design concepts while incorporating modern agronomic practices.
The Lower Course presents a complete examination of a player's game. Length off the tee, precise iron play, and disciplined course management will all be required to navigate a layout that has challenged some of the greatest players in golf history.
The Upper Course, which reopened in May 2025 following its own Gil Hanse restoration, hosted the 1936 U.S. Open and the 1985 U.S. Women's Open. Together, the two courses form one of the most celebrated championship venues in the country.
As the state's best amateurs gather to compete for a place in history, Baltusrol once again serves as the backdrop for a championship that continues to define amateur golf in New Jersey.
125th Amateur Championship Program
A Champion’s Perspective: Ryan McCormick Returns to Baltusrol
The Championship Chase That Left an Everlasting Legacy
Listen: The DROP Podcast Amateur Championship Preview Episode - Upper | Lower
Format
The championship will be contested over 72 holes of stroke play. Competitors will play 18 holes on both Day 1 and Day 2, after which a cut will be made to the low 40 scorers and ties.
Those players will advance to the final day, where 36 holes will be played to determine the champion. The player with the lowest 72-hole aggregate score will be crowned champion and awarded the Edwin M. Wild Trophy.
In the event of a tie for the championship, a three-hole aggregate playoff will be conducted. If a tie still exists, play will continue hole-by-hole until a champion is determined.
The championship will utilize both of Baltusrol’s renowned courses. Round 1 will be played on the Lower Course and Round 2 on the Upper Course. Following the cut, competitors will return to the Lower Course for the third round before the championship concludes on the Upper Course.
Spectators who wish to attend must walk and follow Baltusrol’s Guest Guidelines. Use of carts will not be permitted.
Championship Yardages
A Look Back
The 124th Amateur Championship at Essex County Country Club produced one of the most memorable finishes in recent championship history.
Barnes Blake of Baltusrol Golf Club captured his first New Jersey Amateur title after rallying from four strokes behind entering the final round. Blake closed with a 4-under-par 67 before defeating Troy Vannucci in a three-hole aggregate playoff to secure the championship.
The victory marked the culmination of a breakthrough season for Blake and added his name to one of the most prestigious trophies in New Jersey golf.
Inside the Field
This year's championship field was finalized through nine qualifying sites conducted across the state during May and June. Players advanced from Rossmoor Golf Course, Montammy Golf Club, Knoll Country Club, Peddie Golf Club, Old Bridge Golf Club, Metuchen Golf & Country Club, Quail Brook Golf Course, Ballamor Golf Club and Burlington Country Club to earn their place alongside exempt competitors.
The result is a field that combines established champions, accomplished mid-amateurs, rising collegiate standouts and some of the state's most promising young players.
Previous Amateur Champions at Baltusrol
1903 M.M. Michael
1907 Jerome D. Travers
1913 Jerome D. Travers
1925 August F. Kammer
1941 Charles Whitehead
1979 George E. Haines Jr.
1998 Michael Hyland
2012 Ryan McCormick
Former Amateur Champions in the Field
Barnes Blake, 2025
Reed Greyserman, 2024
Austin Devereux, 2020
Thomas La Morte, 2016
Michael Stamberger, 2013 & 2014
Corey Brigham, 2002
Michael Hyland, 1998 (at Baltusrol)
Player Notes
James Arbes, 38
Arbes enters the championship fresh off a victory at the 43rd New Jersey Mid-Amateur Championship. A longtime competitor in New Jersey Golf majors, his experience and poise make him a player capable of contending deep into the week.
Barnes Blake, 21
The defending champion returns to the site of his home club looking to become the first player since Michael Stamberger in 2014 to successfully defend the New Jersey Amateur title. Blake's victory at Essex County Country Club last summer cemented his place among the state's elite amateur players, and he enters the week with the opportunity to add another historic chapter to his growing résumé. He's coming off a standout junior season at Georgetown, highlighted by a victory at the Georgetown Intercollegiate, runner-up finishes at the Goat and Hamptons Intercollegiate, All-BIG EAST Second Team honors, and selection to the NCAA Division I PING All-Region Team.
Mark Costanza, 37
A perennial contender in New Jersey Golf championships, Costanza enters the week on the heels of winning the 105th New Jersey Open at Hamilton Farm Golf Club, adding to his 2020 Open title.
Though a mainstay in the Open Championship, Costanza has played in only four New Jersey Amateur Championships since 2011, making this a relatively rare appearance. His experience and consistency make him a serious contender.
Dean Greyserman, 22
One of the state's brightest young talents, has continued to establish himself as a rising force in championship competition. Finishing top-5 in last years Amateur, Dean also had a standout senior season at Stanford, garnering All-American Honorable Mention by both the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and Golfweek.
Reed Greyserman, 21
The youngest Greyserman brother has steadily built an impressive amateur résumé of his own and arrives at Baltusrol with the game to contend. Reed, the 2024 New Jersey Amateur Champion, is coming off his sophomore season at Princeton University, where he was named to a PING All-Region selection.
Elliot Parker, 21
Finishing t-3 in the 2025 edition of the Amateur, Parker is coming off a stellar college career at Drew University, capturing a spot on the Division III PING All-America Men's Golf Team, as selected by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for the fourth year. Most notably, Parker finished seventh at the NCAA Division III Championships in May.
Rory Asselta, 18
Asselta continued his dominance of New Jersey high school golf this spring, capturing both individual and team titles for St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) and earning 2026 NJSIAA Golfer of the Year honors as a sophomore.
He now owns 11 victories through his first two high school seasons, including wins at the FDU Invitational, Bergen County Tournament, Non-Public North Sectional, and Tournament of Champions.
Troy Vannucci, 34
Fresh off a runner-up finish at the 43rd New Jersey Mid-Amateur Championship, Vannucci seeks his second title of the 2026 season after winning the 94th Four-Ball Championship alongside Brian Hollins.
The three-time Robert Housen Men's Player of the Year came within a playoff of capturing last year's Amateur Championship before falling to Blake. Few players in the field possess a stronger record in New Jersey Golf majors, making him one of the championship's most formidable contenders.
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