The USGA's championship season rolls along next weekend with the playing of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, which tees off Saturday with 36-holes of stroke play qualifying at Erin Hills and co-host Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wis.
A field of 264 competitors will make their way to northern Wisconsin for the 41st playing of the championship, won last year by Stewart Hagestad at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Mass. Hagestad will be in search of his third U.S. Mid-Amateur title, which would tie Jay Sigel (1983, 1985, 1987) for third-most in the history of the championship, trailing only Nathan Smith, who has won the championship on four occasions (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012).
The last time the Mid-Amateur championship was held in Wisconsin was 2008, when Milwaukee Country Club hosted the tournament won by Steve Wilson. It will be the third amateur national championship held at Erin Hills, following the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the 2011 U.S. Amateur.
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The Path to Wisconsin
Open to any amateur golfer who has reached their 25th birthday as of Sept. 10 and whose Handicap Index does not exceed 3.4, the USGA accepted a record 5,708 entries for the championship. Of the 264 competitors in the field, 223 players earned their spots through 18-hole qualifying which took place at 68 sites between July 27 to August 24, while 41 other players had exempt status.
Related: U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying roundup
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Format and Schedule of Play
The low 64 scorers following two days of stroke play competition at Erin Hills and Blue Mound will qualify for match play and if necessary, a playoff will be conducted to determine the last qualifiers for the draw. Match play begins with the Round of 64 on Wednesday. The schedule:
Saturday, Sept. 10 (Stroke Play, Round 1, 18 holes)
Sunday, Sept. 11 (Stroke Play, Round 2, 18 holes)
Monday, Sept. 12 (Round of 64, match play)
Tuesday, Sept. 13 (Round of 32/Round of 16, match play)
Wednesday, Sept. 14 (Quarterfinals/Semifinals, match play)
Thursday, Sept. 15 (Championship Match, 36 holes)
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Name Dropping
Former USGA Champions
Gene Elliott (2021 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up; Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Stewart Hagestad (2016 and 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; Qualified for 2022 U.S. Open; Playing member of 2019 and 2021 USA Walker Cup Teams; Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Scott Harvey (2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Randal Lewis (2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Mike McCoy (2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Lukas Michel (2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Matt Parziale (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Sammy Schmitz (2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Nathan Smith (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Chad Wilfong (2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion)
Davis Womble (2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion)
They've Knocked on the Door
Andrew Bailey (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Brett Boner (2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up)
Hayes Brown (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist)
Mark Costanza (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up; Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Joseph Deraney (2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up; Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Colby Harwell (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Nicholas Maccario (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist)
Gregor Orlando (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Jason Schultz (2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist)
Christian Sease (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Not to be Overlooked
Evan Beck (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Stephen Behr Jr. (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Harry Bolton (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Christophe de Grancey (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Felix Dominguez (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Jeronimo Esteve (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Hugh Foley (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Sam Jones (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
James Leow (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Matthew McClean (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Nate McCoy (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Miguel Ordonez (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Matt Roberts (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Faisal Salhab (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Henry Shimp (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Agustin Tarigo (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Omar Tejeira (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Bradford Tilley (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Alejandro Villavicencio (Top 40 age-eligible points leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
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About Erin Hills and Blue Mound Golf & Country Club
Located 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee in the Kettle Moraine region, Erin Hills was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten. The public facility, which features bentgrass greens and fine fescue fairways, opened for play in 2006. The same team oversaw a major renovation to the layout in 2010.
It will be the third amateur national championship held at Erin Hills, following the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the 2011 U.S. Amateur.
Blue Mound Golf & Country Club, located in Wauwatosa, is the co-host of the tournament. The historic golf course, designed by the acclaimed Seth Raynor, was the first in Wisconsin to host a golf major: the 1933 PGA Championship, won by Gene Sarazen. It also hosted the 1916 Western Open, with Walter Hagan claiming a one-stroke victory over Jock Hutchison & George Sargent to win his first of five Western Open titles.
“I think the balance of the two courses is going to really produce a great championship and a wonderful champion,” said championship director Bill McCarthy.
Notable Events at Erin Hills
2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links (Tiffany Joh)
2011 U.S. Amateur (Kelly Kraft)
2017 U.S. Open (Brooks Koepka)
Notable Events at Blue Mound
1916 Western Open (Walter Hagen)
1919 Wisconsin State Open (Francis Gallett)
1933 PGA Championship (Gene Sarazen)
1940 Women's Western Open (Babe Didrikson Zaharias)
1955 Miller High Life Open (Dr. Cary Middlecoff)
2010 Western Junior (Patrick Rodgers)
2020 Wisconsin State Open (Harrison Ott)
Fast Fact: Erin Hills becomes the fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur venue to have previously hosted a U.S. Open, joining Bellerive Country Club, Cherry Hills Country Club, Atlanta Athletic Club and Hazeltine National Golf Club.
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What the Winner Receives
• A gold medal
• Custody of the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy for one year
• Exemption into 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club
• Exemptions from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Mid-Amateurs
• Exemptions from qualifying for the next two U.S. Amateurs
• Likely invitation to the 2023 Masters Tournament (must be an amateur)
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A Look Back at Last Year
Stewart Hagestad (Newport Beach, Calif.) has won his second U.S. Mid-Amateur championship, withstanding a charge from Mark Costanza (Morristown, N.J.) and emerging with a 2 and 1 finals victory at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Mass. To read more, click
here.
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Future Sites
2023: Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Scarborough, N.Y./Sept. 9-14
2024: Kinloch Golf Club, Manakin-Sabot, Va./Sept. 21-26
2025: Troon Country Club, Scottsdale, Ariz./Sept. 13-18
2030: Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif./Sept. 14-19
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The USGA contributed to this report.