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 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 3.4 or lower, as opposed to 2.4 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
| Year | Venue | Winner | Score | Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sleepy Hollow Country Club Fenway Golf Club (NY) |  Stewart Hagestad (3) | 3 & 2 | Evan Beck | |
| 2022 | Erin Hills Blue Mound Golf & Country Club (WI) | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Matthew McClean | 3 & 1 |  Hugh Foley | |
| 2021 | Sankaty Head Golf Club Miacomet Golf Course (MA) | Stewart Hagestad (2) | 2 & 1 | Mark Costanza | |
| 2020 | Kinloch Golf Club | Tournament deferred to 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic[1] | |||
| 2019 | Colorado Golf Club (CO) | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Lukas Michel | 2 & 1 | Joseph Deraney | |
| 2018 | Charlotte Country Club (NC) | Kevin O'Connell | 4 & 3 | Brett Boner | |
| 2017 | Capital City Club Atlanta National Golf Club (GA) | Matt Parziale | 8 & 6 | Josh Nichols | |
| 2016 | Stonewall (Old and North Courses) (PA) | Stewart Hagestad | 37 holes | Scott Harvey | |
| 2015 | John's Island Club (West Course) (FL) | Sammy Schmitz | 3 & 2 | Marc Dull | |
| 2014 | Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course) (PA) | Scott Harvey | 6 & 5 | Brad Nurski | |
| 2013 | Country Club of Birmingham (West Course) (AL) | Mike McCoy | 8 & 6 | Bill Williamson | |
| 2012 | Conway Farms Golf Club (IL) | Nathan Smith (4) | 1 up | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Garrett Rank | |
| 2011 | Shadow Hawk Golf Club (TX) | Randal Lewis | 3 & 2 | Kenny Cook | |
| 2010 | Atlantic Golf Club (NY) | Nathan Smith (3) | 7 & 5 | Tim Hogarth | |
| 2009 | The Kiawah Island Club (SC) | Nathan Smith (2) | 7 & 6 | Tim Spitz | |
| 2008 | Milwaukee Country Club (WI) | Steve Wilson | 5 & 4 | Todd Mitchell | |
| 2007 | Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (OR) | Trip Kuehne | 9 & 7 | Dan Whitaker | |
| 2006 | Forest Highlands Golf Club (Canyon Course) (AZ) | Dave Womack | 1 up | Ryan Hybl | |
| 2005 | The Honors Course (TN) | Kevin Marsh | 10 & 9 | Carlton Forrester | |
| 2004 | Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course) (GA) | Austin Eaton III | 1 up | Josh Dennis | |
| 2003 | Wilmington Country Club (DE) | Nathan Smith | 9 holes* | Bryan Norton | |
| 2002 | The Stanwich Club (CT) | George Zahringer | 3 & 2 | Jerry Courville Jr. | |
| 2001 | San Joaquin Country Club (CA) | Tim Jackson (2) | 1 up | George Zahringer | |
| 2000 | The Homestead (Cascades Course) (VA) | Greg Puga | 3 & 1 |  Wayne Raath | |
| 1999 | Old Warson Country Club (MO) | Danny Green | 2 & 1 | Jerry Courville Jr. | |
| 1998 | NCR Country Club (South Course) (OH) | Spider Miller (2) | 1 up | Chip Halcombe | |
| 1997 | Dallas Athletic Club (Blue Course) (TX) | Ken Bakst | 1 up | Rick Stimmel | |
| 1996 | Hartford Golf Club (CT) | Spider Miller | 3 & 2 | Randal Lewis | |
| 1995 | Caves Valley Golf Club (MD) | Jerry Courville Jr. | 1 up | Warren Sye | |
| 1994 | Hazeltine National Golf Club (MN) | Tim Jackson | 1 up | Tommy Brennan | |
| 1993 | Eugene Country Club (OR) | Jeff Thomas | 1 up | Joey Ferrari | |
| 1992 | Detroit Golf Club (North Course) (MI) | Danny Yates | 1 up | David Lind | |
| 1991 | Long Cove Club (SC) | Jim Stuart (2) | 1 up | Bert Atkinson | |
| 1990 | Troon Golf & Country Club (AZ) | Jim Stuart | 1 up | Mark Sollenberger | |
| 1989 | Crooked Stick Golf Club (IN) | James Taylor | 4 & 3 | Bill Hadden | |
| 1988 | Prairie Dunes Country Club (KS) | David Eger | 2 & 1 |  Scott Mayne | |
| 1987 | Brook Hollow Golf Club (TX) | Jay Sigel (3) | 20 holes | David Lind | |
| 1986 | Annandale Golf Club (WI) | Bill Loeffler | 4 & 3 | Charles Pinkard | |
| 1985 | The Vintage Club (Mountain Course) (CA) | Jay Sigel (2) | 3 & 2 | O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. | |
| 1984 | Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course) (GA) | Michael Podolak | 5 & 4 | Bob Lewis | |
| 1983 | Cherry Hills Country Club (CO) | Jay Sigel | 1 up | Randy Sonnier | |
| 1982 | Knollwood Club (IL) | William Hoffer | 3 & 2 | Jeffrey Ellis | |
| 1981 | Bellerive Country Club (MO) | Jim Holtgrieve | 2 up | Bob Lewis | |
* Match was conceded due to injury
Multiple winners
- 4 wins: Nathan Smith
- 3 wins: Jay Sigel, Stewart Hagestad
- 2 wins: Tim Jackson, Spider Miller, Jim Stuart
Future sites
| Year | Edition | Course | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 43rd | Kinloch Golf Club | Manakin-Sabot, Virginia | September 21−26 |
| 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
- ↑ "U.S. Open to cancel qualifying, have all-exempt field; 4 more USGA events nixed". Golfweek. May 18, 2020.
External links
- Official site (most information is in the archive sections)