New Year's Inv.: Bozelli, Liu head field
Dominic Bozzelli
A look at the New Year's Invitational, which is slated to begin on Thursday in
Florida.
New Year’s Invitational
Jan. 3-6, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Country Club
Notables in the field: Dominic Bozelli, Auburn All-American; Lee McCoy,
2012 AJGA first-team All-American; Toni Hakula, member of Texas’ NCAA title
team; Jim Liu, No. 2 in Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Rankings; Michael Miller, No. 28
in the R&A World Amateur Ranking; Jack Maguire, 2012 AJGA second-team All-
American.
The skinny: As the name would imply, this is the first major amateur
event of the year. This year’s field is highlighted by two players – Jim Liu and
Michael Miller (read feature here) – who participated in last month’s training
session for the U.S. Walker Cup team. While winning this event wouldn’t vault
an otherwise unknown player into consideration for the squad, it definitely
would strengthen the candidacies of Liu or Miller. Liu was runner-up here last
year, losing on the first hole of a three-way playoff; Garland Green outlasted
Stephan Jaeger, a first-team All-American at Chattanooga, on the sixth extra
hole. Miller finished 22nd here last year. Past winners include Bob Goalby (1968
Masters champion), Buddy Alexander (1986 U.S. Amateur champion), Ryuji
Imada, J.B. Holmes, Brandt Snedeker, Jeff Overton and Peter Uihlein. Holmes,
Overton and Uihlein are recent winners who participated in the Walker Cup
after winning at St. Petersburg Country Club. Brandon Hagy, who also
participated in the Walker Cup practice session, is the 2011 champion.
ABOUT THE
Historic invitational golf tournament that
originated
on the Lakewood golf course in 1927. This
same
amateur invitational tournament -- which
attracts
top Florida amateurs and a strong group of out-of-
state players as well --
continues,
unbroken, each year although the club
name was
later changed to St. Petersburg Country
Club.
The 2025 New Year's Invitational Champion will earn an exemption into the LECOM Suncoast Classic, a Korn Ferry Tour event.
View Complete Tournament Information