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Bobby Massa has won his share of tournaments. Until Sunday, though, he had never been medalist in the stroke-play portion of a USGA championship.
That ended at Sand Valley Resort. The 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up added a 2-under 69 at the Sand Valley Course to his opening 64 at The Lido. His 36-hole total of 133 (-9) earned medalist honors at the 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur by three strokes over Zach Foushee. He missed the championship's 36-hole record by two; Yaroslav Merkulov shot 131 in 2021 at Sankaty Head and Miacomet on Nantucket. Massa goes into Monday's Round of 64 as the No. 1 seed. Every match from here is on The Lido, the course where he opened the week with one of the best rounds in championship history.
A 64 for the record books
On a firm, fast opening day, the field averaged 75.42 at The Lido and 76.13 at Sand Valley. Massa shot 7-under 64. That matched the second-lowest 18-hole score in U.S. Mid-Amateur history; only Jim Wilson's 63 in 2000 at The Homestead is lower.
The round turned on the 443-yard 10th. Massa's 130-yard lob wedge from the left rough dropped for an eagle 2, and he only realized it when his fellow competitors shouted "great shot." He then birdied 13, 15, 16 and 17 to reach 8 under before a three-putt bogey at the last.
"That left a sour taste in my mouth," Massa said Saturday. "Other than that, it was a great day."
Round 2: every fairway
Sunday was calmer, with temperatures climbing from the high 40s into the mid-60s. Massa, one of the longest hitters in the field, used his length on the Sand Valley Course. He hit every fairway and never had more than a pitching wedge into a par 4.
Starting on the back nine, he made 3s on the 11th, 13th and 15th. The one bad moment came at the par-3 14th: he found a greenside bunker, bladed his second shot and made double-bogey 5. After the turn he reached the par-5 4th with his mini-driver and two-putted for birdie. He nearly drove the green on the 361-yard 1st and got away with what he called a "good par" after a poor putt from a sand-filled divot. He also missed a 3-foot birdie chance at the par-5 7th. He signed for 69.
"I drove it really well today," Massa said. "Struggled a little bit to read some of the greens. I was hitting it close with my wedges for a while, and then kind of had a mishap on 14. But other than that, it was a good day."
The chasers had their moments without catching him. Foushee, a 32-year-old real estate agent from Lake Oswego, Ore., shot a back-nine 31 on The Lido for a 67 and finished at 136. Matthew Paradis, Andrew Bailey and Round 1 runner-up Phillip Mollica tied for third at 137.
The résumé
Massa's week at Sand Valley isn't a surprise to anyone who has followed his record in USGA play:
- 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up at Kinloch Golf Club, where he lost the final to Evan Beck.
- 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist.
- 2024 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist at Hazeltine National.
- 2026 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinalist with his brother Cody. They lost in 22 holes to the eventual champions, Grady Brame Jr. and Lawrence Allan. Brame is sixth here at 138, so a rematch in the bracket is possible.
His route to this point wasn't a straight line. Massa is a reinstated amateur who had little success on the mini-tours. He now works as an athletic trainer at the SandersFit Performance Center in downtown Dallas, helping athletes add swing speed. He arrived in Wisconsin with doubts about his game. "I've struggled pretty much all year, to be honest with you," he said Saturday. He had been working on swing feels at home. They started to click in the last round of the Crump Cup at Pine Valley, even though he lost there, and he carried them to Wisconsin.
What's next
As the medalist, Massa gets the No. 1 seed in Monday's Round of 64, which starts at 8 a.m. CT on The Lido. His opponent will come out of a 13-for-4 playoff among players at 145, starting at 7:20 a.m. The rest of the bracket is full of names he'll know:
- Stewart Hagestad, chasing a record-tying fourth title, at 140.
- Defending champion Brandon Holtz, also at 140.
- Grady Brame Jr., at 138.
Massa isn't treating the top seed as a head start.
"It's not much different," he said of the switch to match play. "It's one hole at a time, one [opponent] at a time. It's trying to survive and advance. It's a marathon for sure. Just try to get some rest tonight, and hopefully it's a long week."
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