Delaware’s premier amateur event, the 75th Delaware Amateur Championship, will head to Rehoboth Beach Country Club for the second time, June 22-24.
| Scoring Portal | Tournament History |
The Rehoboth Beach, Del. venue co-hosted the Delaware Amateur with Wilmington Country Club in 1970 won by Ed Richitelli. It also is the annual host of the RBCC Spring Pro-Am.
Founded in 1925, Rehoboth Beach celebrated its centennial last year.
Originally built in Rehoboth’s town limits, known as Rehoboth Heights, Rehoboth Beach Country Club was designed by past GAP Secretary Francis B. Warner.
In 1956, a committee was formed to determine a relocation space because the course in the city limits members felt wasn’t going to be spacious enough for members and guests in the future. It decided on the current 150-acre property at Bald Eagle Point with frontage on Rehoboth Bay. Construction on the new course started in 1960 with the 18-hole layout designed by Frank Murray and Russell Roberts. The golf course opened in 1963.
“We are extremely proud to host the Delaware Amateur Championship,” Pat Mastrian, Rehoboth Beach’s Director of Golf, said. “Over the past several years, Rehoboth Beach Country Club has made a strong commitment to growing the game by hosting premier events, including collegiate tournaments and AJGA championships. Hosting one of Delaware’s most prestigious amateur events is a natural continuation of that effort and reflects the club’s commitment to championship golf.”
In last year’s Delaware Amateur at Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club, Huntsville Golf Club’s Michael Lugiano shot 16-under-par to win by seven shots. He will not be defending his title this year.
“Rehoboth Beach is not a long golf course,” Ed Brown, a five-time Men’s club champion, 56, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., said. “The wind is the biggest determinant whether the course will be easy or super difficult. If the wind blows like it’s been the last few weeks, it will be difficult. If it lays down, you will need to go low to be in the mix. The greens are quick and have some undulation. Being in the right quadrant of the green will set you up for success, but only if you have good speed on the greens.”
The winning score the last three years has been 16 under (2025), 13 under (2024) and 18 under (2023), respectively, over the 72-hole marathon.
“Driving accuracy will be a key factor,” Mastrian, 38, of Lewes, Del., said. “Finding fairways allows players to control their approach shots and attack pins more effectively. If the greens remain firm, players will need to manage spin and trajectory to position the ball close to the hole. As with any championship venue, success will ultimately come down to putting. Our greens are exceptionally true, rewarding players who can consistently place the ball in the correct sections of the green and convert opportunities. Those who combine accuracy, smart course management, and strong putting will have the best chance to contend.”
The winner of the Delaware Amateur, an official USGA Exemption event, receives an automatic bid into the U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club. The runner-up will be exempt into 2027 U.S. Amateur Final Qualifying.
Past champions in the field include: Evan Barbin of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club (2024), Blake Micholas of Kings Creek Country Club (2023), Jay Whitby, of Rehoboth Beach (2006, 2015-17), Amory Davis, of Bidermann Golf Course (2007).
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 345 Member Clubs and 140,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
