Home Sweet Home: Evan Beck finds redemption by winning U.S. Mid-Amateur

September 27, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Evan Beck (USGA Photo)

The Virginia native won his first USGA title after finishing runner-up to Stewart Hagestad in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur final

A year after he lost to Stewart Hagestad in the final match, Evan Beck is now a U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and USGA champion.

Beck defeated Bobby Massa in the final match of the U.S. Mid-Amateur final at Kinloch Golf Club in Midlothian, Va., 9 and 8 after leading 8-up through the first 18 holes.

Beck finished as the runner-up in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur to Stewart Hagestad, falling 3 and 2 in the final match. He is currently ranked No. 5 in the AmateurGolf.com Mid-Amateur Rankings. Beck wasted no time in this one, going 2-up through three holes and 5-up through nine holes.

The Virginia Beach native has racked up mid-amateur trophies and would be the leader in the clubhouse to represent the mid-amateurs at the 2025 Walker Cup. He won the 2024 Coleman Invitational and 2024 George Thomas Invitational and recently made the final 16 at the Crump Cup.

Beck, a Wake Forest graduate, becomes the first medalist/co-medalist to claim the title since Scott Harvey in 2014. And now, he's hoping to replace Stewart Hagestad as the sole Mid-Amateur on the USA Walker Cup team when the matches are played at Cypress Point in 2025.

He also lost in the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur final 10 and 8 to Cameron Peck at Shoal Creek in Alabama.

But being named to the Walker Cup team isn't a sure thing. Getting into two majors is. The champion earns an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club and a likely invitation to next April’s Masters.

Beck said yesterday to the USGA, “It's nice to have another shot. I started playing really nice last eight, ten holes, like I found something, and hopefully will carry that on to tomorrow.”

Suffice it to say it has.

His margin of victory was the second largest in championship history after Kevin Marsh’s 10-and-9 decision over Carlton Forrester in 2005 at The Honors Course, in Ooltewah, Tenn.

“It's pretty sweet,” Beck told the USGA. “I’ve always dreamt of winning one of these. It's incredible that it happened so close to home.

Beck added, “To get all the way there and come up short [twice] is gut-wrenching. To be able to push through and prove that you can do it to yourself, more than anything, it's pretty awesome.”

What Champion Receives

-A gold medal and custody of the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy for one year

-Exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships

-Exemption into the 2025 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

-Exemptions into the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Amateur Championships at The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, Calif., and Merion Golf Club, in Ardmore, Pa., respectively

-Likely invitation to the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club in April

-Name inscribed on 2024 USGA champions’ plaque that will live in the Hall of Champions inside the USGA Museum, Liberty Corner, N.J.

Results: U.S. Mid-Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts
Win	Evan Beck	Virginia Beach, VA	1000
Runner-up	Bobby Massa	Grand Prarie, TX	700
Semifinals	Stephen Behr	Atlanta, GA	500
Semifinals	Drew Kittleson	Scottsdale, AZ	500
Quarterfinals	Josh Persons	Fargo, ND	400

View full results for U.S. Mid-Amateur

About the U.S. Mid-Amateur

Home Sweet Home: Evan Beck finds redemption by winning U.S. Mid-Amateur

The U.S. Mid-Amateur originated in 1981 for the amateur golfer of at least 25 years of age, the purpose of which to provide a formal national championship for the post-college player. 264 players begin the championship with two rounds of sroke play q...