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JAGA First Coast Amateur Turns Ten This Weekend (Preview)

FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, January 14, 2026

JAGA FIRST COAST AMATEUR TURNS 10 THIS WEEKEND

– Deerwood Country Club to host for second year, Jan. 17-19; City of Jacksonville Sports and Entertainment division returns as presenting sponsor- 

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The JAGA First Coast Amateur presented by the City of Jacksonville will celebrate its 10th edition Jan. 17-19 when its 96 competitors coming from across the eastern half of the United States descend on Jacksonville and Deerwood Country Club this coming Martin Luther King holiday weekend.

The following is a list of key facts about the championship:

WHAT
10th JAGA First Coast Amateur presented by the City of Jacksonville.

WHEN
Jan. 17-19, 2026

WHERE
Deerwood Country Club, Jacksonville, Fla.

JAGA
Hosted and conducted by the Jacksonville Area Golf Association, with the support of the City of Jacksonville’s Sports and Entertainment division. JAGA annually promotes the First Coast’s top-level amateur competitions and has since 1954. Of the 11 tournaments on JAGA’s 2026 schedule, the First Coast Amateur is the only JAGA-run event that is promoted nationally and features multi-state and multi-national participation.

WHO
96 elite amateur golfers who represent most of the states in the U.S. that are located east of the Mississippi River. The players represent nine countries by birth and are affiliated with 42 colleges/universities as either current, committed or former players. Ball State University has the most players entered, nine, followed by the University of North Florida with eight and the University of South Carolina with six.

Countries (9)

  • Canada
  • Denmark
  • Italy
  • Mexico
  • Morocco
  • Northern Ireland
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

College/Universities (42)

  • Augusta U.
  • Ball State U. (9)
  • Belmont U.
  • Charleston Southern U.
  • Coastal Carolina U. (5)
  • Davidson C.
  • East Tenn. State U. (2)
  • Elon U.
  • Flagler C.
  • Florida State U.
  • Gardner-Webb U.
  • Harvard U.
  • Huntingdon C.
  • Indiana U.
  • Indiana U. East
  • Kennesaw State U.
  • Loyola U.
  • Mercer U. (5)
  • Miami U. (Ohio)
  • Middle Tenn. State U. (4)
  • New York U.
  • Penn State U.
  • Purdue U.
  • Reinhardt U.
  • St. Bonaventure U. (2)
  • Texas Tech U.
  • Towson U.
  • U. of Arkansas-Little Rock
  • U. of Cincinnati
  • U. of Louisiana-Lafayette
  • U. of Maryland
  • U. of Mississippi (2)
  • U. of Missouri
  • U. of New Orleans
  • U. of North Florida (8)
  • U. of South Carolina (6)
  • U. of South Florida (5)
  • U. of Southern Miss.
  • U. of Tennessee (4)
  • U. of Toledo (4)
  • U. of Virginia
  • Valdosta State U.


 Note: The above two listings are as of 1-11-26.

LOCAL CONTESTANT REPRESENTATION
UNF has eight players entered. Flagler has one. Ambrose Kinnare of Tocoi Creek High School secured the one spot reserved for a North Florida Junior Golf Tour player.

For a complete list of the 96 competitors, click HERE, and go to “Player Information”.

FORMAT
54 holes, stroke play, no cut; a sudden-death playoff, if necessary.

DEERWOOD CC
Will host the championship for the second year in a row. Yardages for the par-72 layout will be between 6,900 and 7,200, depending on weather conditions and other Committee considerations.

DEFENDING CHAMPION
Payne Denman won the 2025 championship at Deerwood CC. He fired rounds of 63-69-66—198 (-18) to win by nine shots over Felippo Serra of the University of North Florida and Ali Khan of Ball State University. Denman, who left his position as assistant golf coach at the University of Tennessee last spring to accept a similar one at the University of South Florida, is scheduled to return to Jacksonville to defend his title.

Two-time champion Cole Bradley (2018, 2020) is in the field. The 2022 Purdue University graduate is now assistant men’s golf coach at his alma mater. Bradley played professionally for two years after college before returning to the amateur ranks.

HISTORY
First played in 2017, the First Coast Amateur was the brainchild of then City of Jacksonville sports development officer Joel Lamp. At the request of Lamp and the City, JAGA assumed management and operation of the event beginning in 2018. The following lists past champions, their hometowns and colleges, and the host sites of the first nine tournaments.

OTHER NOTES

  • The City of Jacksonville’s Sports and Entertainment division returns as the JAGA First Coast Amateur’s presenting sponsor for the fourth year.
  • World Amateur Golf Ranking points will be awarded to top finishers. The U. of Tennessee’s redshirt junior Bruce Murphy (No. 241) from Atlanta, Ga. is the highest-ranked player in the field.

LIVE SCORING
For tournament details and to follow live scoring go HERE.

CONTACTS
Co-chairing the event again this year are JAGA directors John Milton (Jax Beach Golf Club) and Jeff Johnstone (Sawgrass Country Club). Milton is a JAGA past president (2023) and its current Treasurer. Johnstone is the organization’s Vice President of Tournaments for the fifth year in a row.

Members of the media are welcome to come to Deerwood CC this weekend to cover the JAGA First Coast Amateur presented by the City of Jacksonville. The first tee time on Saturday and Sunday will be at 8 a.m., with play going off both the first and tenth tees. There will be a 9:15 am. shotgun start on Monday. See “Live Scoring” above to find details.Photo Credits: JAGA

-JAGA-

ABOUT JAGA
Established in 1954, JAGA enters its 73rd year in 2026. It is a not-for-profit corporation consisting of 42-member golf facilities located in Northeast Florida. JAGA’s mission is to promote golf, community and goodwill through tournaments and related events and activities. It conducts or supports 11 tournaments, including six championship events and five others that feature team formats. JAGA has a charitable arm that manages a scholarship program which currently provides college funding to 62 area students. Since 1974, the program has generated approximately $2 million in financial aid to approximately 400 students.

Anyone interested in receiving JAGA’s monthly “Northeast Florida Golf News” and announcements about JAGA and its tournaments for free via email may do so by clicking here or going to the JAGA homepage (www.jaxareagolf.org) link that reads “Subscribe to JAGA Email” at the bottom of every page.

Media Contact:
Jeff Adams
JAGA
Cell: 904-607-6142
Email: jeffreytadams71@gmail.com