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U.S. Mid-Amateur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The U.S. Mid-Amateur, often called the Mid-Am for short, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for post-college amateur golfers, organized by the USGA.

It was first played in 1981 (43 years ago) (1981) at Bellerive Country Club in Creve Coeur, Missouri, near St. Louis. The Mid-Am was the first new USGA championship in 19 years, since the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur was added in 1962.

Qualifications for the Mid-Am are similar to those for the U.S. Amateur, except for the following:

  • Competitors must be at least 25 years old as of the opening day of the main tournament.
  • Competitors must have a USGA handicap index of 2.4 or lower, as opposed to 0.4 or lower for the U.S. Amateur.

The U.S. Mid-Amateur does not have a gender restriction, but there has never been a female champion. The USGA's analogous event for women only is the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, first played in 1987.

The USGA specifically intended the Mid-Am as a championship for post-college golfers who were not pursuing golf as a career, as virtually all golfers who pursue a professional career decide to do so no later than their early twenties. This was most likely a response to the fact that less than half of all U.S. Amateur qualifiers are 25 or older, and most older golfers found themselves disadvantaged in competing against college golfers who typically play much more often.

Like the U.S. Amateur, the Mid-Am consists of two days of stroke play, with the leading 64 competitors then playing a knockout competition held at match play to decide the champion. The profile of Mid-Am champions, with respect to age, is somewhat similar to that of U.S. Amateur champions before World War II. In that era, more top-level golfers chose to remain amateur, and the average age of U.S. Amateur Champions was higher.

While the list of winners is considerably less illustrious than that of the U.S. Amateur, one notable winner was Jay Sigel, a three-time winner of this event and a two-time U.S. Amateur champion who went on to play the Champions Tour. The winner receives an automatic invitation to play in the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open (starting in 2018).

Winners

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Year Venue Winner Score Runner-up
2024 Kinloch Golf Club
Independence Golf Club (VA)
United States Evan Beck 9 & 8 United States Bobby Massa
2023 Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Fenway Golf Club (NY)
United States Stewart Hagestad (3) 3 & 2 United States Evan Beck
2022 Erin Hills
Blue Mound Golf & Country Club (WI)
Northern Ireland Matthew McClean 3 & 1 Republic of Ireland Hugh Foley
2021 Sankaty Head Golf Club
Miacomet Golf Course (MA)
United States Stewart Hagestad (2) 2 & 1 United States Mark Costanza
2020 Kinloch Golf Club Tournament deferred to 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
2019 Colorado Golf Club (CO) Australia Lukas Michel 2 & 1 United States Joseph Deraney
2018 Charlotte Country Club (NC) United States Kevin O'Connell 4 & 3 United States Brett Boner
2017 Capital City Club
Atlanta National Golf Club (GA)
United States Matt Parziale 8 & 6 United States Josh Nichols
2016 Stonewall (Old and North Courses) (PA) United States Stewart Hagestad 37 holes United States Scott Harvey
2015 John's Island Club (West Course) (FL) United States Sammy Schmitz 3 & 2 United States Marc Dull
2014 Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course) (PA) United States Scott Harvey 6 & 5 United States Brad Nurski
2013 Country Club of Birmingham (West Course) (AL) United States Mike McCoy 8 & 6 United States Bill Williamson
2012 Conway Farms Golf Club (IL) United States Nathan Smith (4) 1 up Canada Garrett Rank
2011 Shadow Hawk Golf Club (TX) United States Randal Lewis 3 & 2 United States Kenny Cook
2010 Atlantic Golf Club (NY) United States Nathan Smith (3) 7 & 5 United States Tim Hogarth
2009 The Kiawah Island Club (SC) United States Nathan Smith (2) 7 & 6 United States Tim Spitz
2008 Milwaukee Country Club (WI) United States Steve Wilson 5 & 4 United States Todd Mitchell
2007 Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (OR) United States Trip Kuehne 9 & 7 United States Dan Whitaker
2006 Forest Highlands Golf Club (Canyon Course) (AZ) United States Dave Womack 1 up United States Ryan Hybl
2005 The Honors Course (TN) United States Kevin Marsh 10 & 9 United States Carlton Forrester
2004 Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course) (GA) United States Austin Eaton III 1 up United States Josh Dennis
2003 Wilmington Country Club (DE) United States Nathan Smith 9 holes* United States Bryan Norton
2002 The Stanwich Club (CT) United States George Zahringer 3 & 2 United States Jerry Courville Jr.
2001 San Joaquin Country Club (CA) United States Tim Jackson (2) 1 up United States George Zahringer
2000 The Homestead (Cascades Course) (VA) United States Greg Puga 3 & 1 South Africa Wayne Raath
1999 Old Warson Country Club (MO) United States Danny Green 2 & 1 United States Jerry Courville Jr.
1998 NCR Country Club (South Course) (OH) United States Spider Miller (2) 1 up United States Chip Halcombe
1997 Dallas Athletic Club (Blue Course) (TX) United States Ken Bakst 1 up United States Rick Stimmel
1996 Hartford Golf Club (CT) United States Spider Miller 3 & 2 United States Randal Lewis
1995 Caves Valley Golf Club (MD) United States Jerry Courville Jr. 1 up Canada Warren Sye
1994 Hazeltine National Golf Club (MN) United States Tim Jackson 1 up United States Tommy Brennan
1993 Eugene Country Club (OR) United States Jeff Thomas 1 up United States Joey Ferrari
1992 Detroit Golf Club (North Course) (MI) United States Danny Yates 1 up United States David Lind
1991 Long Cove Club (SC) United States Jim Stuart (2) 1 up United States Bert Atkinson
1990 Troon Golf & Country Club (AZ) United States Jim Stuart 1 up United States Mark Sollenberger
1989 Crooked Stick Golf Club (IN) United States James Taylor 4 & 3 United States Bill Hadden
1988 Prairie Dunes Country Club (KS) United States David Eger 2 & 1 Bermuda Scott Mayne
1987 Brook Hollow Golf Club (TX) United States Jay Sigel (3) 20 holes United States David Lind
1986 Annandale Golf Club (WI) United States Bill Loeffler 4 & 3 United States Charles Pinkard
1985 The Vintage Club (Mountain Course) (CA) United States Jay Sigel (2) 3 & 2 United States O. Gordon Brewer, Jr.
1984 Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course) (GA) United States Michael Podolak 5 & 4 United States Bob Lewis
1983 Cherry Hills Country Club (CO) United States Jay Sigel 1 up United States Randy Sonnier
1982 Knollwood Club (IL) United States William Hoffer 3 & 2 United States Jeffrey Ellis
1981 Bellerive Country Club (MO) United States Jim Holtgrieve 2 up United States Bob Lewis

* Match was conceded due to injury

Multiple winners

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Future sites

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Year Edition Course Location Dates
2025 44th Troon Country Club Scottsdale, Arizona September 13−18
2026 45th Sand Valley Resort Nekoosa, Wisconsin September 26 − October 1
2027 46th Jupiter Hills Club Tequesta, Florida TBD
2030 49th Bel-Air Country Club Los Angeles, California September 14−19

References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Open to cancel qualifying, have all-exempt field; 4 more USGA events nixed". Golfweek. May 18, 2020.
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