The Eastern Amateur Championship — a staple in Portsmouth for nearly 70 years — has been canceled for 2026, and is unlikely to return after Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club announced Sunday it would no longer hold the annual golf tournament.
“After careful evaluation, Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club … has determined that continuing the event no longer aligns with the
club’s long-term objectives,” the club wrote in a release. “The tournament’s founder, George Skinner, envisioned establishing a premier national amateur event and that dream was realized for many decades. While the championship has a proud tradition, the club has concluded that the
tournament no longer serves its original purpose as a member and promotional event for Elizabeth Manor.”
Elizabeth Manor has hosted the tournament since 1957, drawing amateur golfers from across the U.S. and from other countries. The 68th tournament held in 2025 was won by Jake Albert, a Blacksburg resident who signed with Auburn. He was the third consecutive winner who had recently graduated from high school on his way to play for a college program.
Volunteer Glen Morris updates Jake Albert’s score on the leaderboard during the final round of the 68th Eastern Amateur at Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club in Portsmouth, Virginia, on Aug. 2, 2025. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
It’s unlikely that the Eastern Amateur will be revived at another course, said Karl Quinn, the Eastern Amateur tournament chairman for more than 30 years.
“We just kind of got to the end of the road,” Quinn said in an interview Sunday. “I suspect this is it. … It’s going to be difficult to start anew, and if someone tried to revive the Eastern Amateur that’s what they’d be doing.”
The release from Elizabeth Manor cited several reasons for the Eastern Amateur’s demise, including:
The closing of Elizabeth Manor to club members for a full week during the prime summer season.
The inability to compete with other long-running tournaments for top amateur players.
The challenge of retaining tournament volunteers as the club’s long-time members age.
The Eastern Amateur is not among the seven annual tournaments generally regarded as the amateur “majors.” Those well-funded tournaments include the North & South Amateur held at the prestigious Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina and the Western Amateur — founded in 1899.
Elizabeth Manor, built in 1949, has undergone extensive renovations over the years, but plays at only about 6,900 yards “and just isn’t long enough to test those guys,” Quinn said, referring to the top amateur players. “Elizabeth Manor has gotten to be where it’s not a challenge to those guys.”
The Eastern Amateur was once a stop for some of the country’s top amateurs. Previous winners include Curtis Strange, who grew up in Virginia Beach and won 19 PGA titles, including two U.S. Opens, on his way to the World Golf Hall of Fame. Four other future PGA stars and hall of famers also played the Eastern Am: Ben Crenshaw, Lanny Wadkins, Deane Beman and Tom Kite.
“We are incredibly proud of the Eastern Amateur’s history and grateful to the players, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who have contributed to its success over the years,” Jack Stone, general manager of Elizabeth Manor, said in the release. “This decision was not made lightly, but it reflects the current realities facing the championship and our host club.”