FINAL UPDATE: Players to Watch at the 2019 U.S. Mid-Am

Before the 39th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship teed off Saturday, we highlighted 18 "Players to Watch", a sampling of some of the players who have had big wins or high finishes this year, or who had finished well in previous big events.

Related: Players to Watch at the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur
Related: FINAL: U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying roundup

13 of the 18 made it to match play, but six, including the two top Canadians (Garrett Rank and Joey Savoie) and three U.S. Mid-Amateur champions (Nathan Smith, Matt Parziale, and Scott Harvey), fell in their first match.

Seven moved on to the second round, including the defending champion Kevin O'Connell and past champion Stewart Hagestad. O'Connell fell in the third round but Hagestad and four others won both of their Tuesday matches to reach the quarterfinals.

After two more rounds on Wednesday afternoon, the two remaining Players to Watch -- Joseph Deraney of Belden, Miss., and Lukas Michel of Australia -- battled for the title in the 36-hole final match on Thursday, with Lukas Michel becoming the first international player to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

PLAYERS TO WATCH LEADERBOARD

Winner of the 39th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
69-76=145 (T33) Lukas Michel
Beat Marc Engellenner 2 up, Beat Nick Nosewicz 2 and 1, Beat Dan Ellis 4 and 3, Beat Jacob Koppenberg 20 holes, Beat Stewart Hagestad 2 up, Beat Joseph Deraney 2 and 1

Lost in the Championship Final
69-72=141 (12) Joseph Deraney
Beat Colby Amparan 6 and 5, Beat Jimmy Chestnut 2 up, Beat Paul McNamara 1 up, Beat Yaroslav Merkulov 2 and 1, Beat Jason Schultz 1 up, Lost to Lukas Michel 2 and 1

Lost in the Match Play Semifinals
73-66=139 (T7) Stewart Hagestad
Beat William Davenport 4 and 3, Beat Blake Parks 5 and 4, Beat John Ehrgott 5 and 4, Beat Nick Geyer 4 and 2, Lost to Lukas Michel 2 up

Lost in the Match Play Quarterfinals
74-68=142 (T13) Andres Schonbaum
Beat Bryan Jones 5 and 4, Beat Kevin O'Connell 19 holes, Beat Johnny DelPrete 2 and 1, Lost to Jason Schultz 3 and 2
72-73=145 (T33) Jake Koppenberg
Beat Scott Strickland 4 and 2, Beat Jack Dukeminier 1 up, Beat Daniel DeBra 19 holes, Lost to Lukas Michel 20 holes

Lost in the 2nd round of Match Play
77-69=146 (T47) Kevin O'Connell
Beat Andrew Wyatt 4 and 3, Lost to Andres Schonbaum 19 holes
74-72=146 (T47) Derek Busby
Beat Scott Harvey 23 holes, Lost to Maxwell Scodro 5 and 4

Lost in 1st round of Match Play
69-69=138 (6) Garrett Rank
Lost to Daniel DeBra 3 and 1
66-73=139 (T7) Drew Kittleson
Lost to John Ehrgott 19 holes
70-72=142 (T13) Scott Harvey
Lost to Derek Busby 23 holes
70-72=142 (T13) Matt Parziale
Lost to Jeremy Gearhart 4 and 3
76-69=145 (T33) Nathan Smith
Lost to Stephen Hale 5 and 4
75-72=147 (T59) Joey Savoie*
Lost to Ben Warnquist 2 up
*advanced from an 18-for-6 playoff

Missed the Cut for Match Play
76-72=148 (T77) Michael Muehr
77-71=148 (T77) Brad Nurski
71-77=148 (T77) Sam O’Dell
75-74=149 (T91) Reid Hatley
79-72=151 (T115) Tim Hogarth