SLIDES: 10 Reasons for RI Golfers to be Excited About 2026
Joe Calabro
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2025 is just about over and we are onto 2026.
This past year was certainly exciting with some great golf, exciting finishes to tournaments and great stories.
Among things to look forward to in 2026 is Davis Chatfield on the PGA Tour, the second annual Devon Quigley Memorial Tournament and much more.
So, with that said, GolfNewsRI gives you 10 Reasons to be Excited About 2026.
Slides Below
10. LPGA Tour at TPC Boston – For the third straight season, the LPGA Tour will return to TPC Boston for the FM Championship. The 2026 FM Championship will be held from August 27-30 and will have a purse of $4.4 million. That is tied for the highest non-major purse on the LPGA Tour of the season. Can Megan Khang get a win in front of the home crowd?
9. Aces – Don’t have a hole-in-one yet? Maybe 2026 will be your year. GolfNewsRI tracked more than 60 aces in 2025 and we hope to track your ace in 2026. Keep firing at those pins.
8. Patrick Welch on KFT – After starting the 2025 season with conditional status, Classical grad Patrick Welch has full status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2026 season. Can he get inside the top 20 on the points list and follow childhood pal Davis Chatfield to the PGA Tour? A great opportunity ahead in 2026 for Patrick.
7. Ed Mauro Learning Center – Button Hole is continuing to innovate. The Ed Mauro Learning Center, named after Button Hole’s legendary founder, is under construction behind hole number two. More details are expected to be announced in the spring of 2026. PHOTO: Button Hole
6. Devon Quigley Memorial Tourney – The second annual Devon Quigley Memorial Tournament will be held on August 17 at Crestwood Country Club. Last year’s inaugural event proved to be a great success and a tremendous way to honor the life and legacy of Quigley. More information on the 2026 tournament will be released as it gets closer. GNRI is once again excited to be a small part of the event. PHOTO: URI Athletics
5. RI Women’s Am at Agawam Hunt – The 2025 RI Women’s Amateur showcased amazing performances from a number of different girls and even featured two aces, on the same day. Kylie Eaton will enter the 2026 Women’s Am at Agawam Hunt as the defending champion after playing in a walking boot to earn her second title in 2025. What storylines will emerge in 2026? Should be an electric tournament.
4. Chatfield on PGA Tour – Former Rhode Island Amateur champion Davis Chatfield begins his 2026 PGA Tour run in Hawaii on January 15 at the Sony Open. Chatfield earned a PGA Tour card by finishing inside the top 20 on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025. The Wannamoisett member becomes the first local to earn full status on the Tour since Brett Quigley. An exciting time for RI golf, for sure.
3. RI Amateur at Ledgemont – Ledgemont stepped up big this past summer, hosting both the RI Stroke Play and RI Open, and in 2026 they get rewarded by hosting the State Amateur. Ledgemont is a great match play course and a great course to watch golf at with multiple viewing points throughout the property where fans can watch several different holes. Mike Calef will enter the 2026 tournament as the defending champion, while Bobby Leopold looks to regain the crown and Brad Valois will hope to build off his 2025 RI Mid-Am victory. And plenty of other storylines to watch for. Perhaps we can leave the 100+ degree weather behind though…
2. 2026 Northeast Amateur – The Northeast Amateur is almost always a must see event and after 2025’s great tournament, 2026 will be even more so. Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout tied the Wannamoisett course record last year and held on to win, and he is expected to be back to defend his title. Phenom Miles Russell will certainly be back in the field looking to avenge his second place finish in what will be his last summer as a junior golfer. Can’t forget about John Daly II who was certainly a big draw in 2025, had large galleries throughout the week. As for 2026, maybe a Charlie Woods appearance? The Northeast Am said they sent him an invite for 2025. Another crazy wind day maybe? Get to the 2026 Northeast Am.
1. RIer’s at USGA Events – It is always cool when Rhode Islanders are playing in USGA events. In 2025 we had five locals playing in USGA events including Mike Calef in the U.S. Am, Alexis Florio in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am, Austin Cilley and Jordan Warnock in the U.S. Mid-Am and Allison Paik in the U.S. Women’s Am. In 2026, the RI Amateur Champion will once again head to the U.S. Am, AJ Colonna will play in the U.S. Junior Am, after winning the RI Junior Am, and Tim Carroll and William Hall will compete in the U.S. Four-Ball. Not to mention other qualifiers that will be taking place. Will be an exciting year ahead.
