Much has been made about the mid-amateur's place in elite amateur golf this season.
 |
That contingency will be putting their best games on display this week at the U.S. Mid- Amateur.
With a likely spot in the field at the 2014 Masters, as well as early favorite status for the 2015 Ryder Cup on the line, you can bet that some solid golf will be played.
Here's a look at the five names you must watch as they sit as contenders entering stroke play:
1.) Doug Hanzel: Perhaps the hottest player in the field, Hanzel is fresh off a win at the USGA Senior Championship. In 2013, the Savannah, Ga. resident also took low amateur at the U.S. Senior Open, tied for fifth at the Coleman Invitational and took ninth at the Oglethorpe.
2.) Nathan Smith: Smith is the defending champion and a four-time winner at the U.S. Mid-Am. Clearly, he's a favorite. Smith was also a key contributor on the U.S. Walker Cup squad last month.
3.) Scott Harvey: A regular at some of the nation's top tournaments, Harvey was considered a potential Walker Cup selection earlier this year. He played well, but just not well enough. That said, he'll enter the Mid-Am with a pair of Top 20s at the prestigious Porter Cup and Cardinal Amateur. He also placed sixth at the Coleman Invitational.
4.) Todd White: White was the second mid-amateur on this year's Walker Cup squad. And boy did he earn it. White ramped up his summer schedule and took some impressive finishes, including a T5 at the Northeast Amateur, T6 at the Jones Cup and a Top 15 at the Terra Cotta.
5.) Bobby Leopold: Another longshot for a Walker Cup position earlier this year, Leopold is no stranger to USGA success. He burst onto the scene with a run at the 2011 U.S. Amateur and has continued to play at a high level. The youngest of our contenders, look for Leopold to handle himself well this week.