1984 U.S. Amateur

August 28th through September 2nd, 1984 brought to Oak Tree Golf Club the 84th Annual United States Men's Amateur Golf Championship. Surviving a week of temperatures up to 107 degrees and even rain delays, participants included golf legends such as Dillard Pruitt, Bob Estes, Greg Turner, and Sam Rudolph. Of all the players, however, one young student from Oklahoma State University outshined them all.

Scott Verplank had never participated in a USGA Amateur before 1984. In fact, he had never participated in any USGA event. The odds, however, were on Verplank’s side. In the two years leading up to the ’84 amateur, Verplank had won scores of NCAA tourneys, the Porter Cup, the Sunnehanna, and even the Western Amateur. It was a winning streak that would not be broken this time around, either.

With OSU golf coach Mike Holder caddying at his side, Scott Verplank went on to win the ’84 Amateur with a score of 4 & 3, beating out runner-up Sam Rudolph in one of the the first major victories of his golfing career.