James Millard Holtgrieve Trophy!

When St. Louis District Golf Association (STLDGA) competitors tee it up for the 40th annual Jim Jackson Invitational at Algonquin Golf Club the weekend of Oct. 11-12, for the first time they will vie for the James Millard Holtgrieve Trophy. Jim Holtgrieve was one of the top amateur golfers to come out of St. Louis and was a St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame inductee in 2011 followed by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

“The St. Louis District Golf Association is honored to be able to present the James Millard Holtgrieve Trophy to the winner of the Jim Jackson Invitational,” said STLDGA Director Of Competition Todd Burchyett. “Jim Holtgrieve represents every positive aspect of amateur golf that you can imagine. His career achievements set a standard that all amateur golfers can strive for. Jim’s admiration and respect for Jim Jackson makes it a natural combination.”

Holtgrieve was surprised by the STLDGA’s offer. “I told Todd that I didn’t quite understand why they would want to name the Jackson Tournament trophy after me,” Holtgrieve said. “I was completely taken aback. This is a huge honor, and I’m completely humbled and got emotional about it. Jim was a huge mentor to me, taught me a lot about the game, about respect.”

Holtgrieve called it an honor to have both known Jim Jackson and to have played with him. “Jim was the best putter and chipper I’ve ever seen,” Holtgrieve recalled. “He was truly special and nice to me, for sure.”

Holtgrieve recalled playing in the annual Gene Slay Girls & Boys Club scramble with Jackson for close to 10 years at Norwood Hills Country Club. “Gene would put together a team that included his son Bruce, Jimmy and me,” Holtgrieve remembered. “Jimmy was always last to go, because whether we needed a 10 or 25 footer, he’d make it 9 out of 10 times! In scrambles, he was the best player ever. And I realized if I was going to be a good player, I needed to be better at putting.”

In another moment of tribute, Holtgrieve has included his middle name, his father’s name, on the trophy. “It’s to honor my father, who got me involved in the game when I was four years old,” Holtgrieve said. “If it wasn’t for him, nothing would have happened. Everything starts somewhere, and for me, it starts with him.”

For the 2024 Jim Jackson Invitational, Holtgrieve hit the opening shot, but was disappointed in himself that he didn’t play. “I don’t play competitive golf anymore, just play for fun and with my sons a couple times a year when they’re in town,” he said. “But I will play this year to honor Jimmy, and so this will be the last year I play.”

What if he had a magical weekend and won? “That would be a miracle,” the 77-year-old Holtgrieve laughed. “My handicap is 0.7, and I’m sitting in the mid-high 70s, still hitting the ball pretty good, still hit it 260-270 yards. For me to win, there’s no way I can hit the ball with these younger guys. They all hit it 70 yards farther than I do. “

An alumnus of Webster Groves High School in St. Louis, Holtgrieve was one of the country’s top amateur players during the 1970s and ’80s and earned a spot on winning Walker Cup teams in 1979, ’81 and ’83, where he had a combined record of 6-4. He also represented the U.S. on two victorious World Amateur Championship squads in 1980 and ’82. He was a semifinalist in the 1980 U.S. Amateur and runner-up in the 1983 British Amateur. Renowned for hitting mammoth tee shots with a 1 iron, Holgrieve also won numerous Missouri state and district amateur titles.

Holtgrieve helped create the USGA’s Mid-Amateur Championship and then won the inaugural event at Bellerive Country Club in 1981. That led the United States Golf Association (USGA) to name Holtgrieve as captain of the 2011 USA Walker Cup squad and again in 2013.

Inspired by his father to play, the 5-foot-9 Holtgrieve attended both the University of Missouri-Columbia and Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., while doing a stint in the U.S. Air Force. He played in five Masters Tournaments as an amateur and made the cut three times. He also made the cut twice at the Memorial Tournament and also qualified for the 1978 U.S. Open.

Holtgrieve turned professional in 1998 and played on the Champions Tour from 1999 to 2004, where his top finish was a tie for second at the 1999 Home Depot Invitational. For the next several years, he played professionally, but never acquired full exempt status. In all, he played in four U.S. Senior Opens and 48 USGA championships.

In May 2005, Holtgrieve applied to regain his amateur status. In May 2007, his reinstatement became official after he had played in 121 professional events. He has also served the USGA as a member of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship committee.

The Jackson championship is open to district members who  qualified in district events throughout the year, and the club champion from each member club in a 36 holes stroke-play championship.