On the final 18 the advantage for Price was always at least 3 up and once the players halved No. 15 the match was in hand.

For the first time since 2009, a mid-amateur will be crowned CDGA Amateur champion, as Bloomington's Todd Mitchell and Lake Bluff's Andrew Price won semifinal matches Wednesday morning. They will play the 36-hole championship match Thursday morning at 8 a.m.

Mitchell, a two-time Illinois State Amateur winner, advanced to his first CDGA Am final with a 2-and-1 victory over SIUE golfer Kyle Slattery. Mitchell struggled with his putter throughout the match, particularly early on when he found himself 2 down through 10. However, bogeys from Slattery on 11, 13, 15 and 17 opened the door for Mitchell to earn the victory.

Similar to Mitchell, Price overcame some early shakiness to win his semifinal against Steve Sawtell, 2 up. After bogeys on 6 and 8, Price found himself 2 down before righting the ship by winning 9 and 10. The match was deadlocked before the par-3 17th, which Price won with par before birdieing 18 to move on.

Sawtell is the only mid-amateur to win the event in the last 12 years, claiming the title in 2004 and 2009.

QUARTERFINALS RECAP

The four quarterfinal winners utilized very different paths to victory. Two matches went to extra holes, while two other victors never trailed.

Kyle Slattery outlasted Kyle Nathan in a seesaw affair to earn a semifinal spot. The match was all square through 18 holes and remained that way until the 22nd hole of the match, when Slattery parred the par-4 fourth to earn the victory.

Similarly, the match between Steve Sawtell and Robert Renner, Jr., was tight throughout. Renner, Jr. won the par-5 18th to send the match to extra holes, but Sawtell proceeded to end the tilt with a par at the second playoff hole.

Conversely, Todd Mitchell and Andrew Price never trailed in their quarterfinal matches. Mitchell seized control early against Paul Schlimm, building a 5-up lead at the turn before winning 4-and-3. Price went 1-up at the first hole and never looked back, knocking off Tim Hoss, Jr., 3 and 2.

Both co-medalists were eliminated in the first round of match play, as five lower seeds won matches and advanced to the quarterfinals. Top-seeded Graham O'Connor-Brooks was eliminated by 2016 CDGA Mid- Amateur winner Kyle Nathan, 6 and 4, while Ricky Palonis lost to Robert Renner, Jr., 2 and 1. Two-time CDGA Amateur champion Steve Sawtell continued his quest for a third title by knocking off Derek Meinhart 1 up. Only one match went longer than regulation, as Kyle Slattery outlasted Jordan Wetsch in 20 holes.

Graham O'Connor Brooks and Ricky Palonis earned CDGA Amateur co-medalist honors Monday at Calumet Country Club. Both played 36 holes at even-par 140, clearing a trio at 141 by one shot.

O'Connor-Brooks posted a 3-under 67 in the morning round, the second-best of that session, before firing 73 in the afternoon. Palonis was steady throughout the windy day, carding two even-par 70s.