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see also: Brandon Holtz, View results for U.S. Mid-Amateur, Sand Valley Golf Resort - Sand Valley
Brandon Holtz captures the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Troon, defeating Jeg Coughlin III 3&2 to earn spot in the 2026 Masters
Dates: Sept. 13–18, 2025
Venues: Troon Country Club (Championship host) • Troon North Golf Club (Stroke-play co-host) — Scottsdale, Ariz.
Format: Stroke play followed by single-elimination match play (All times MST)
Brandon Holtz of Bloomington, Ill., captured the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship with a 3 & 2 victory over Jeg Coughlin III of Dublin, Ohio, in Thursday’s 36-hole final at Troon Country Club.
The former Illinois State basketball guard leaned on aggressive driving and a confident putter, seizing control early and maintaining steady pressure across both rounds. Holtz closed the match on the 34th hole to secure the title.
Coughlin—making his first deep USGA run with PGA Tour veteran Kevin Streelman on the bag—matched birdies for stretches but couldn’t overcome Holtz’s pace.
The 44th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship is down to two. Brandon Holtz of Illinois and Jeg Coughlin III of Ohio will meet Thursday in a 36-hole final at Troon Country Club after surviving a steamy, wind-swept semifinal day in Scottsdale.
A former Illinois State basketball guard, Holtz has turned the week into a birdie barrage. He poured in 11 more on Wednesday, rallying late to outlast Justin Hueber in a 19-hole quarterfinal before racing past Christian Cavaliere, 3 and 2, in the afternoon. Holtz, who regained his amateur status just last year, has leaned on fearless driving and a streaky putter to power his run. A win would send him to both the 2026 Masters and next year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
On the other side of the bracket, 28-year-old Coughlin produced the biggest win of his career, knocking out defending champion Evan Beck, 1 up. The Ohio State alum and 2025 Ohio Mid-Am champion showed resilience down the stretch, answering Beck’s birdies with clutch shots of his own. With PGA Tour veteran Kevin Streelman on the bag, Coughlin is playing with confidence and composure that belies his limited USGA match-play experience.
Holtz and Coughlin have combined for a highlight reel of aggressive shot-making, clutch putting, and fearless golf under pressure. On Thursday, only one will leave Scottsdale with the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy — and a ticket to Augusta.
The 44th U.S. Mid-Amateur is down to eight after a windy, hot Tuesday at Troon Country Club. Defending champion Evan Beck, 2024 runner-up Bobby Massa, and a mix of veterans and new faces advanced to the quarterfinals.
Christian Cavaliere delivered the headline, taking out three-time champion Stewart Hagestad 4 and 2. The New Yorker seized the lead on the front nine and never let go.
Beck survived a morning scare before cruising 5 and 4 in the afternoon. Massa poured in an eagle and five birdies to dismiss Ryan O’Rear. Top seed Cody Massa fell in 21 holes to Michael Buttacavoli, who was later stopped by Justin Hueber.
All quarterfinalists are now exempt into next year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sand Valley. Quarterfinals and semifinals are Wednesday, setting up Thursday’s 36-hole final.
Match play began at the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur with a statement upset: No. 63 seed Ian Davis (Edmond, Okla.) eliminated co-medalist Patrick Dewey, 3 and 2, at Troon Country Club, underscoring that once the bracket starts, seeding offers no guarantees.
Co-medalist Cody Massa advanced, 2 and 1, over Troy Vannucci, while his brother Bobby Massa (2024 runner-up) moved on with a 3-and-2 win over U.S. Senior Amateur champion Louis Brown. A potential brothers’ showdown remains alive with both on opposite sides of the bracket.
Defending champion Evan Beck handled Dennis Bull, 3 and 1. Three-time champion Stewart Hagestad dispatched 2018 winner Kevin O’Connell, 6 and 5, despite not recording a birdie. Scottsdale’s Drew Kittleson cruised into the Round of 32, and fellow Arizonan Chris Kamin edged Gregor Orlando on the last to set up an all-local match.
Elsewhere, Colin Prater steadied late to win 3 and 1 after a 4-up lead evaporated, and Ryan O’Rear advanced in 20 holes following an unusual caddie-transport penalty against his opponent.
The field is down to 32. Tuesday features a double session: Round of 32 in the morning and Round of 16 in the afternoon.
The second round of stroke play at the 44th U.S. Mid-Amateur trimmed the field to the low 64 for match play at Troon Country Club. Defending champion Evan Beck answered an opening 71 with a composed 67 (-4) at Troon North to advance comfortably.
Stewart Hagestad cooled slightly after his 66 but moved on without stress, keeping his chase for a fourth title alive. Matthew McClean also progressed, sustaining his sharp desert form. First-timer Patrick Dewey backed up his Day 1 heroics with a gritty follow-up to secure a top seed, while Chandler Mulkey and left-hander Wyatt Johnson stayed within striking distance.
Conditions remained classic Scottsdale: firm turf, quick greens, and hot, dry air. Troon North once again asked for precision off the tee and disciplined approaches into elevated targets.
Cutline: 3-over 145. A Monday morning playoff will finalize the last spots in the bracket before match play begins.
The opening round of the 44th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Troon Country Club and Troon North Golf Club delivered fireworks and familiar names. Stewart Hagestad, fresh off his fifth Walker Cup appearance, showed no signs of fatigue with a 5-under 66 at Troon North. The three-time Mid-Am champion is joined at the top by 2022 winner Matthew McClean, South Carolina’s Chandler Mulkey, and Florida’s Patrick Dewey.
Dewey, playing in his first USGA championship, authored the story of the day with a hole-in-one, a chip-in eagle, and a closing birdie run to post his own 66 at Troon North. McClean, meanwhile, birdied his first four holes en route to his share of the lead at Troon C.C., while Mulkey balanced six birdies and an eagle with a few mistakes to join the lead pack.
One shot back sits Wyatt Johnson (67), with eight more players—including past semifinalists Josh Persons and Colin Prater—just two strokes off the pace. Defending champion Evan Beck opened with an even-par 71 at Troon C.C. as he begins his title defense.
In all, 36 competitors bettered par on a hot, sunny Saturday where Troon North played more than a shot tougher than Troon C.C. (76.1 vs. 74.9). Conditions were firm but fair, with desert breezes and fast greens keeping everyone honest.
“Go out, execute, try to play smart, disciplined golf, which I did a nice job of today. But I’ll be the first one to admit, I’m a little tired.” — Stewart Hagestad
All 263 remaining competitors switch venues for Sunday’s second round of stroke play. The top 64 (plus ties decided by playoff) will advance to match play beginning Monday at Troon Country Club.
Established in 1981 to provide a true national championship for post-collegiate amateurs 25 and older, the U.S. Mid-Amateur now delivers some of the year’s most compelling match play. The champion earns the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy plus exemptions into the next 10 Mid-Ams, the next two U.S. Amateurs, an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and a likely invitation to the 2026 Masters (must remain an amateur). The path: 264 players, 36 holes of stroke play on two courses, then the low 64 advance to single-elimination match play.
At Kinloch Golf Club in 2024, Evan Beck (Virginia Beach, Va.) transformed years of close calls into a statement win, defeating Bobby Massa 9 and 8 in the 36-hole final—one of the most lopsided championship matches in event history. Beck, the medalist/co-medalist and first Virginian to hoist the trophy, parlayed the title into starts at Augusta National (2025 Masters) and the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. He arrives in Scottsdale as the defending champion and a central figure in this year’s narrative.
Routing highlights
• Front nine (Par 35, 3,495 yards): The drivable No. 4 (296 yards) tempts early; precision on No. 5 (214-yard par 3) and No. 6 (463-yard par 4) quickly tightens the screws.
• Back nine (Par 36, 3,482 yards): The gettable No. 15 (130-yard par 3) is a late nerve check, followed by risk-reward No. 17 (625-yard par 5) and a stout No. 18 (440-yard par 4) that will decide matches.
Scottsdale factor: Expect firm turf, quartering breezes, and diurnal temperature swings. Morning waves may find marginally softer conditions; later starters face crisper greens and livelier runout.
From July 16–Aug. 21, 18-hole qualifiers at 69 sites in the U.S. and Mexico funneled a national field toward Scottsdale. Cut lines ran hot across California and the Midwest, and low numbers popped everywhere:
Names to note from qualifying: Trip Kuehne (2007 champion) advanced in Idaho. Cody Massa (brother of 2024 runner-up Bobby Massa) punched his ticket in Arizona. Regional standouts included Matt Cohn/Adam Barkow (co-medalists at Sequoyah CC, Calif.) and Jared Howard, Chandler Mulkey, Brian Quackenbush (all 68s at Mid Carolina Club, S.C.).
Exempt core (highlights): Evan Beck, Stewart Hagestad (2016, 2021, 2023), Matthew McClean (2022), Matt Parziale (2017), Lukas Michel (2019), Kevin O’Connell (2018), Scott Harvey (2014), Michael McCoy (’25 U.S. Senior Am), Matt Vogt (’25 U.S. Open qualifier), and a deep group of world-ranked age-eligible internationals.
Eligibility: Amateurs 25+ with a 2.4 or better Handicap Index. Entries accepted: 5,942.
Match-play cut: Low 64 from 36-hole aggregate; sudden-death playoff for remaining spots if required.
Icons of the Mid-Am include Jay Sigel (’83, ’85, ’87), Nathan Smith (’03, ’09, ’10, ’12), Stewart Hagestad (’16, ’21, ’23), and recent champions Michael McCoy (’13), Scott Harvey (’14), Matt Parziale (’17), Lukas Michel (’19), Matthew McClean (’22), and Evan Beck (’24). Since 1988, the winner has traditionally received a Masters invitation, and beginning in 2017 the champion also earns a U.S. Open exemption for the following year.
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Bloomington, IL | 1000 | ||
| Runner-up | Dublin, OH | 700 | ||
| Semifinals | Katonah, NY | 500 | ||
| Semifinals | Virginia Beach, VA | 500 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Fort Wayne, IN | 400 |
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...
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