Evan Beck (USGA Photo)
WHO’S HERE – Among the 264 golfers in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur field, there are:
Oldest Competitors: Michael McCoy (61, born 11-21-62), Mark Gardiner (61, born 8-6-63), Louis Brown (61, born 8-24-63), Daniel Sullivan (57, born 4-25-67), Rick Stimmel (57, born 8-20-67), Todd White (56, born 11-7-67)
Youngest Competitors: Segundo Oliva Pinto (25, born 9-1-99), Julien Paltrinieri (25, born 7-2-99), Justin Park (25, born 6-25-99), Connor Doyal (25, born 5-15-99), Aaron Montgomery (25, born 5-7-99)
Average Age of Field: 35.53
Field breakdown by age:25-29: 57 competitors
30-34: 72 competitors
35-39: 70 competitors
40-49: 55 competitors
50-plus: 10 competitors
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U.S. States Represented – 41 states are represented in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur: California (25), Texas (21), North Carolina (14), Florida (11), Ohio (11), Massachusetts (10), Arizona (9), Illinois (9), Pennsylvania (9), Georgia (8), Alabama (7), Virginia (7), Colorado (6), Minnesota (6), New York (6), South Carolina (6), Tennessee (6), Iowa (5), Maryland (5), Michigan (5), Mississippi (5), Missouri (5), New Jersey (5), Connecticut (4), Utah (4), Washington (4), Arkansas (3), Kentucky (3), Wisconsin (3), Indiana (2), Louisiana (2), Oklahoma (2), Idaho (1), Kansas (1), Nevada (1), New Hampshire (1), North Dakota (1), Oregon (1), Rhode Island (1), South Dakota (1) and West Virginia (1).
International – 22 countries are represented in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur: United States (237), Canada (5), Argentina (2), Australia (2), Austria (1), Bahamas (1), Brazil (1), Cayman Islands (1), Colombia (1), El Salvador (1), England (1), Guatemala (1), Republic of Ireland (1), Italy (1), Mexico (1), Netherlands (1), Northern Ireland (1), Panama (1), Puerto Rico (1), Singapore (1), Sweden (1) and Venezuela (1).
USGA Champions (13): Brian Blanchard (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Louis Brown (2024 U.S. Senior Amateur), Sam Engel (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Stewart Hagestad (2016, 2021, 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Scott Harvey (2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur, 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Matthew McClean (2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Michael McCoy (2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Lukas Michel (2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Kevin O’Connell (2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Matt Parziale (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Nathan Smith (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur, 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Todd White (2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur), Chad Wilfong (2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball)
USGA Runners-Up (11): Evan Beck (2008 U.S. Junior Amateur, 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Mark Costanza (2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Joseph Deraney (2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Hugh Foley (2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Scott Harvey (2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Drew Kittleson (2008 U.S. Amateur, 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Cody Paladino (2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links), Rick Stimmel (1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Daniel Sullivan (2024 U.S. Senior Amateur), Ben Warnquist (2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Michael Weaver (2012 U.S. Amateur)
Players in Field with Most U.S. Mid-Amateur Appearances (2024 included) – Michael McCoy (25), Nathan Smith (19), Scott Harvey (15), Daniel Sullivan (11), Matt Parziale (10)
Played in 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur (63): Doug Albers, Carlos Ardila, Matheus Balestrin, Ben Balter, Evan Beck, Stephen Behr Jr., Brian Blalock, Logan Blondell, Andy Butler, Christian Cavaliere, Mark Costanza, Will Davenport, Preston Dembowiak, Joseph Deraney, Parker Edens, Torey Edwards, Sam Engel, Jeronimo Esteve, Hugh Foley, Mitchell Ford, Richard Gibson Jr., Stewart Hagestad, Bryce Hanstad, Scott Harvey, Ben Hogan, Sam Jackson, Christian Jensen, Chris Kamin, Justin Kaplan, Taylor Klopp, Nick Maccario, Nolan Marks, Bobby Massa, Matthew McClean, Michael McCoy, Will McCurdy, Lukas Michel, Jamie Miller, Paul Mitzel, Kevin O’Connell, George Ordway, Cody Paladino, Matt Parziale, Brett Patterson, Andrew Paysse, Josh Persons, Andrew Price, Hans Reimers, Hudson Ross, David Sahs, Andres Schonbaum, Matt Seramin, Brady Shivers, Derek Smith, Nate Smith, Nathan Smith, Daniel Sullivan, Scott Turner, Zach Vandolah, Alejandro Villavicencio, Dan Walters, Todd White, Chad Wilfong
Played in 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur (41): Joel Alexander, Brian Atkinson, Andrew Bailey, Evan Beck, Stephen Behr Jr., Mark Costanza, Preston Dembowiak, Joseph Deraney, Torey Edwards, Jeronimo Esteve, Hugh Foley, Mitchell Ford, Stewart Hagestad, Stephen Hale, Bryce Hanstad, Scott Harvey, Cole Isban, Sam Jackson, Chris Kamin, Trent Leon, Connor Lyon, Nick Maccario, Sam Marley, Bobby Massa, Thomas McCarthy, Matthew McClean, Michael McCoy, Lukas Michel, Cody Paladino, Matt Parziale, Andrew Paysse, Josh Persons, Chris Smith, Nathan Smith, Omar Tejeira, Scott Turner, Max Tylke, Alejandro Villavicencio, Christopher Wheeler, Chad Wilfong, Pat Wilson
Played in 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur (40): Lucas Armstrong, Andrew Bailey, Stephen Behr Jr., Derek Busby, Mark Costanza, Jay Csipkes, Joseph Deraney, Jeronimo Esteve, Kevin Fajt, Darren Fletcher, Stewart Hagestad, Stephen Hale, Hunter Hawkins, Aaron Ingalls, Cole Isban, Drew Kittleson, Taylor Klopp, Kevin Koerbel, Nick Maccario, Michael McCoy, Tommy McDonagh, Lukas Michel, Sam Migdal, Jamie Miller, Cam Moniz, George Ordway, Cody Paladino, Matt Parziale, Andrew Paysse, James Pleat, Andrew Price, Andres Schonbaum, Brady Shivers, Nathan Smith, Brad Sutherland, Alejandro Villavicencio, Dan Walters, Charles White, Chad Wilfong, Brian Zimmerman
Played in 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur (33): Doug Albers, Ryan Axlund, Lane Branum, Bobby Bucey, Derek Busby, Mark Costanza, Will Davenport, Joseph Deraney, Jeronimo Esteve, Darren Fletcher, Darin Goldstein, Stewart Hagestad, Stephen Hale, Scott Harvey, Drew Kittleson, Jay Livsey, Michael McCoy, Lukas Michel, Cam Moniz, Rusty Mosley, Kevin O’Connell, Matt Parziale, James Pleat, Andrew Price, John Rosenstock, Andres Schonbaum, Nathan Smith, Daniel Sullivan, Scott Turner, Alejandro Villavicencio, Ben Warnquist, Todd White, Chad Wilfong
Played in 2024 U.S. Open (2): Stewart Hagestad, Colin Prater
Played in 2024 U.S. Senior Open (1): Todd White
Played in 2024 U.S. Amateur (20): Andrew Bailey, Evan Beck, Brian Blanchard, Bobby Bucey, Sam Engel, Stewart Hagestad, Garrett Jones, Davey Jude, Bobby Leopold, Bobby Massa, Matthew McClean, Segundo Oliva Pinto, Julien Paltrinieri, Matt Parziale, Josh Persons, Colin Prater, Nate Smith, Daniel Stringfellow, Omar Tejeira, Todd White
Played in 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur (5): Louis Brown, Michael McCoy, Rick Stimmel, Daniel Sullivan, Todd White
Played in 2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (26): Evan Beck, Brian Blanchard, Mark Costanza, Kolton Crawford, Will Davenport, Richard Dowling, Torey Edwards, Sam Engel, Darren Fletcher, Bryce Haney, Scott Harvey, Nicholas Jarrett, John Jonas, Davey Jude, Drew Kittleson, Sam Migdal, Matthew Mitchell, Brett Patterson, Trent Peterson, Colin Prater, Nathan Smith, Alejandro Villavicencio, Dan Walters, Charles White, Todd White, Chad Wilfong
PLAYER NOTES:
Jack Barber, 27, of San Mateo, Calif., was a member of Stanford University’s No. 2-ranked tennis team. He played from 2015-19 but three wrist surgeries tempered his college career. He has transitioned to golf where he won this year’s Northern California Golf Association Mid-Amateur and tied for eighth in the Trans-Mississippi Amateur. Barber, who earned his B.S. and M.A. from Stanford, has co-founded an ecommerce software business. He advanced to his first U.S. Mid-Amateur as the medalist in the Peru, Ind., qualifier on Aug. 1. He carded a 7-under 65 at Rock Hollow Golf Course.
Evan Beck, 34, of Virginia Beach, Va., was the runner-up in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur, held at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, in Scarborough, N.Y. He advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2022 Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills. Beck, an analyst for an investment group, has also played in four U.S. Amateurs, was runner-up in the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur and reached the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Dan Walters, his former assistant coach at Wake Forest University. He was chosen Virginia State Golf Association Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Beck, a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection while playing at Wake Forest, won this year’s George L. Coleman Invitational and George C. Thomas Invitational.
Stephen Behr Jr., 31, of Atlanta, Ga., works in global sales for a multinational software company. He advanced to last year’s quarterfinals while competing in his fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur. He reached the Round of 16 in the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur, where he lost to eventual champion Stewart Hagestad in 23 holes. Behr also advanced to the Round of 16 in 2018, when he was the stroke-play medalist. He won the 2022 Crump Cup and was the runner-up the following year. Behr, who earned a degree in accounting from Clemson University, was a second-team All-American for the Tigers in 2016. His father, Steve, is the head golf professional at Florence (S.C.) Country Club.
Louis Brown, 61, of Marietta, Ga., won the 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur at The Honors Course, in Ooltewah, Tenn. He is competing in his seventh USGA championship but first U.S. Mid-Amateur. Brown made his first USGA start in 1981 when he reached the U.S. Junior Amateur quarterfinals, losing to eventual champion Scott Erickson. He earned all-conference honors at the University of Georgia and won the 1985 Georgia State Amateur. Brown then played as a professional on the PGA, Canadian, Nike and Australian tours. He would later become a partner and wealth advisor for a financial investment firm.
Christian Cavaliere, 26, of Katonah, N.Y., will play in his second U.S. Mid-Amateur after he advanced through the Schenectady, N.Y., qualifier on Aug. 7. Cavaliere, who competed in the 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club and qualified for five U.S. Amateurs, founded Tremont Sporting Company, which manufacturers golf accessories. He was the runner-up in this year’s Metropolitan Golf Association Amateur and tied for third in the Met Open. A winner of the 2016 Metropolitan Golf Association Junior, Cavaliere was an All-Northeast Region and All-New England selection at Boston College.
Mark Costanza, 35, of Morristown, N.J., was the runner-up in the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sankaty Head Golf Club on Nantucket Island. He advanced to the Round of 16 the following year and the Round of 32 in 2023. Constanza is a three-time Metropolitan Golf Association Player of the Year (2020, 2021, 2023). In 2020, he won the New Jersey State Open and the MGA Met Amateur. An investment banker for an independent firm, Costanza played his college golf at St. John’s and Southern Methodist (SMU). He finished as the runner-up in the 2023 Met Open at Arcola Country Club in New Jersey.
Joseph Deraney, 41, of Tupelo, Miss., has played in five U.S. Mid-Amateurs and was the runner-up to Lukas Michel in 2019 at Colorado Golf Club. He advanced to the Round of 16 last year. Deraney won his third John T. Lupton Memorial at The Honors Course on May 26 when he defeated Tucker Jenkins on the first playoff hole. In 2023, he claimed his third Canadian Mid-Amateur with a 72-hole score of 10-under 278. Deraney has also captured the 2019 Mississippi State Amateur and three Mississippi Mid-Amateurs (2020, 2021, 2022). A stay-at-home father to three children, Deraney is a two-time Mississippi Golf Association Player of the Year. His wife, Sarah, is a diagnostic radiology specialist.
Parker Edens, 34, of Brookings, S.D., is in his third season as head men’s golf coach at South Dakota State University. He previously worked at Colorado State University, his alma mater, as an assistant for three years. Edens reached the quarterfinal round in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur last year and advanced to match play through a 16-for-14 playoff. Edens, who played in the 2010 and 2012 U.S. Amateurs, won six times on mini tours and had Web.com conditional status as a professional before regaining his amateur status in 2019. In 2023, he won the South Dakota Golf Association Mid-Amateur and Colorado Golf Association Four-Ball. He made the semifinals of this year’s Colorado Match-Play Championship.
Jeronimo Esteve, 43, of Puerto Rico, was the stroke-play medalist and reached the Round of 32 in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow. He is vice president and general manager of an automobile group and a driving instructor for high-performance racing cars. Esteve has driven in a 25-hour endurance race and has built cars to compete at that level. He has played in 11 USGA championships, including eight U.S. Mid-Amateurs. Esteve, who lives in Windermere, Fla., and played golf at Dartmouth College, has competed in eight Latin America Amateur Championships and four World Amateur Team Championships for Puerto Rico. He placed eighth in the 2023 LAAC, his best finish in the event.
Kevin Fajt, 46, of Greensburg, Pa., is an insurance agent who also serves as Mayor of the Borough of South Greensburg where his chief responsibility is overseeing the police department. He is playing in his third U.S. Mid-Amateur after advancing as the medalist from the Carlisle, Pa., qualifier on Aug. 26. His 5-under 65 at Carlisle Country Club included an eagle on the par-4 10th hole. Fajt, who has played in two U.S. Amateurs, took lessons as a youth from former Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club professional Bob Ford.
Mark Gardiner, 61, of Washington, Utah, is a retired Air Force chief master sergeant. Gardiner advanced to his second U.S. Mid-Amateur through the Salt Lake City, Utah, qualifier on Aug. 19. He made the Air Force’s golf team 13 times, competed on the U.S. Armed Forces team on 11 occasions, playing in both national and international competitions, and is a four-time winner of the Air Force Golf Championship. Gardiner estimates he has played in a dozen different countries, including a match against a Ugandan general who was the third man in charge of his nation’s army. His wife, Michelle, and son, Jaime, have each served in the U.S. Air Force. The 2014 U.S. Senior Open participant also has qualified for a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) event.
Stewart Hagestad, 33, of Newport Beach, Calif., is one of four players to win at least three U.S. Mid-Amateurs (2016, 2021, 2023). He defeated Evan Beck, 3 and 2, in last year’s weather-delayed 36-hole final at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. The veteran of 30 USGA championships also has been a member of four winning USA Walker Cup Teams (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) and won a gold medal in the mixed team competition of the 2019 Pan American Games. Hagestad is tied for sixth for most match-play victories in U.S. Mid-Amateur history with a 28-4 record. He was the low amateur in the 2017 Masters Tournament and has played in five U.S. Opens. The financial analyst claimed the 2024 Azalea Invitational.
Scott Harvey, 46, of Greensboro, N.C., is a two-time USGA champion. He has competed in 34 USGA events, including 14 U.S. Mid-Amateurs, and represented North Carolina in five USGA Men’s State Teams. He won the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Saucon Valley Country Club and was the runner-up to Stewart Hagestad in the 2016 final at Stonewall. Harvey, a self-employed property manager, has a 24-12 Mid-Amateur match-play record and was a member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team. In 2019, he won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Todd Mitchell at Bandon Dunes. Harvey advanced to his first U.S. Open in 2017 at Erin Hills when he shot a 63 in the first round of final qualifying. He has won 10 Carolinas Golf Association championships.
Ben Hogan, 43, of Wellington, Ohio, is a retired police officer who was on the force for 12 years after training at the San Diego Police Academy. Hogan, who retired due to medical reasons and now works as a volunteer at a local department, played as a professional on the Golden State, Pepsi and Gateway tours prior to 2006. Hogan, who was reinstated as an amateur in 2015, will play in his second consecutive U.S. Mid-Amateur after being added to the field as the first alternate from the Oberlin, Ohio, qualifying site. He shot 68 at Oberlin Golf Club on July 29 but was the odd man out of a 2-for-1 playoff for the second of two spots available. In 2023, he advanced from a 5-for-1 playoff in qualifying when he eagled the first extra hole.
Sam Jackson, 31, of West Columbia, S.C., advanced to the semifinals in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur, losing to eventual champion Stewart Hagestad, 1 down. He reached the Round of 32 in his first Mid-Amateur in 2022 at Erin Hills. Jackson, a sales representative for a windows and doors company, was the runner-up in this year’s Palmetto Amateur and has top-10 finishes in the South Carolina Amateur (4th), Carolinas Amateur (T-6) and Azalea Invitational (T-10). In 2023, Jackson carded a second-round 63 en route to winning the Carolinas Amateur. He was chosen the South Carolina Golf Association’s top player in 2022.
Drew Kittleson, 35, of Scottsdale, Ariz., will play in his third U.S. Mid-Amateur after earning co-medalist honors in the Las Vegas, Nev., qualifier on Aug. 5. He reached the Round of 16 in his last Mid-Amateur start in 2021. Kittleson was the runner-up in the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 and has been a finalist with partner Drew Stoltz in two U.S. Amateur Four-Balls (2022, 2023). Kittleson, an All-America selection at Florida State University, is an owner of a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company. He has competed in 13 USGA championships and played in both the Masters and U.S. Open in 2009.
Trent Leon, 38, of Fort Worth, Texas, is playing in his second U.S. Mid-Amateur after advancing from the Houston, Texas, qualifier on Aug. 26. He comes from a golf family. He and his brother, Tyler, helped Oklahoma State University win the 2006 NCAA Championship and are now managing partners for an independent oil and gas investment company. His sister, Taylor, competed in five U.S. Women’s Opens and was a member of the 2006 USA Curtis Cup Team. Their father, Art, played in the 1987 and 1994 U.S. Senior Opens. Trent competed in three U.S. Amateurs, advancing to match play in 2008, and was a three-time college All-American. His OSU teammates included Rickie Fowler and Peter Uihlein.
Bobby Leopold, 40, of England, will play in his fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur but first since 2013. He advanced from an 11-for-4 playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole in the Oradell, N.J., qualifier on July 24. Leopold, a property and casualty insurance broker, has played in 13 USGA championships, including this year’s U.S. Amateur, and represented Rhode Island in five USGA Men’s State Teams. Leopold, who also coaches the golf team at Bishop Hendricken High School, in Warwick, R.I., has won the Rhode Island Amateur five times, including this summer’s 39-hole victory, the longest in the championship’s history, to earn a spot in the U.S. Amateur.
Bobby Massa, 36, of Dallas, Texas, advanced to the quarterfinals in this year’s U.S. Amateur, falling to eventual champion Jose Luis Ballester, 3 and 1. He also reached the quarterfinal round while playing in his second U.S. Mid-Amateur last year at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Massa is a personal trainer who works with golf speed and stability, from weekend players to professional athletes. He played professionally for eight years, including the Adams Tour, and was reinstated as an amateur in 2019. Massa earned all-region and all-conference recognition at the University of Texas-Arlington.
Matthew McClean, 31, of Northern Ireland, won the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills in his first USGA start. McClean, who became the second international champion of the Mid-Amateur, played in the U.S. Open and Masters, and was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team in 2023. A self-employed optometrist, he represented Ireland in the 2022 and 2023 World Amateur Team Championships. He captured this year’s Irish Men’s Amateur Open and was runner-up in the George L. Coleman Invitational at The Los Angeles Country Club. McClean also reached the semifinals of the 2023 Western Amateur. McClean is ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Mid-Amateur Rankings.
Michael McCoy, 61, of Des Moines, Iowa, served as captain of the victorious 2023 USA Walker Cup Team after playing on the 2015 U.S. squad. He has competed in 61 USGA championships, including 20 U.S. Amateurs and a record 24 U.S. Mid-Amateurs. He has also played in eight USGA Men’s State Teams, representing Iowa. In 2013 at age 50 he became the second-oldest winner of the Mid-Amateur when he defeated Bill Williamson at the Country Club of Birmingham (Ala.). McCoy, who has a 27-14 Mid-Amateur match-play record, was the low amateur in the 2014 and 2015 U.S. Senior Opens. The insurance executive also won the 2022 R&A Senior Amateur. He is a member of the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame.
Lukas Michel, 30, of Australia, became the first international player to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur when he defeated Joseph Deraney in the 36-hole final at Colorado Golf Club in 2019. Michel, who earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Melbourne, works as a golf course design associate for a London-based group. He grew up playing with Curtis Luck (2016 U.S. Amateur champion) and Oliver Goss (2013 U.S. Amateur runner-up) after his father, Ivor, immigrated from communist Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s. Michel posted top-25 finishes in this year’s Australian Amateur (T-21) and Australian Master of the Amateurs (T-16).
Jamie Miller, 39, of Silver Creek, N.Y., will play in his fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur after earning medalist in the East Aurora, N.Y., qualifier on Aug. 5. He is a member of a decorated golf family. His father, Allen, was a member of the 1969 and 1971 USA Walker Cup Teams and was a PGA Tour winner. His mother, Cindy (Kessler), competed on the LPGA Tour from 1979-81 and played in five U.S. Women’s Opens. Miller, who works as a financial advisor, serves as president of the New York State Golf Association. He has won two New York State Mid-Amateurs (2014, 2018).
Segundo Oliva Pinto, 25, of Argentina, is the youngest player in the U.S. Mid-Amateur field. He played in his second U.S. Amateur in August and reached the championship’s Round of 16 in 2020 at Bandon Dunes, falling to eventual champion Tyler Strafaci. Oliva Pinto tied for eighth in this year’s Latin America Amateur Championship in Panama and has twice represented his country in the World Amateur Team Championship (2022, 2023). He captured two different conference titles as a collegian. Oliva Pinto began his career at UNC-Wilmington and won the 2019 Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) crown. He transferred to Arkansas where he claimed the 2021 Southeastern Conference Championship and earned All-Central Region and All-SEC honors.
Brinson Paolini, 33, of Virginia Beach, Va., will compete in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur after advancing from the Lexington, S.C., qualifier on Aug. 12. A four-time Virginia State Golf Association Amateur champion, he played at Duke University, where he won the Byron Nelson Award for academic and athletic achievement and was an all-region performer. Paolini won on Europe’s Challenge Tour and competed primarily on PGA Tour Canada as a professional before being reinstated as an amateur in March of this year. He earned his MBA from the College of William & Mary and serves as regional director for an investment firm.
Brett Patterson, 32, of Oxford, Miss., reached the semifinal round while competing in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur last year. A veteran of 13 USGA championships, including the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club, Patterson advanced to the quarterfinals of this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner and current University of Tennessee assistant coach Payne Denman. Patterson, who holds a Ph.D. in accounting and is a certified public accountant, teaches cost and financial accounting at the University of Mississippi. A three-time all-conference selection at Middle Tennessee State University, Patterson won this year’s Greenwood Invitational and was runner-up in both the Mississippi State Amateur and Mid-Amateur in 2023.
Trent Peterson, 37, of St. Paul, Minn., is a certified registered nurse anesthetist who manages patient care following surgeries and procedures. He will play in his second U.S. Mid-Amateur after surviving a 3-for-2 playoff in the Medina, Minn., qualifier on Aug. 8. Peterson reached matched play in his first Mid-Amateur in 2017. He has embarked on mission trips to more than 40 countries and has a private pilot license. His sisters, Tabitha and Tara, have each competed for USA Curling in the Winter Olympics.
Colin Prater, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colo., teaches biology to ninth graders and is the boys’ and girls’ golf coach at Cheyenne Mountain High School. Prater, who is competing in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur, was one of 11 players to advance through both stages of qualifying to this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. A two-time Colorado Golf Association Player of the Year, Prater won the 2024 Colorado State Amateur and has twice claimed the CGA Mid-Amateur (2022, 2023). Prater, who played in his fourth U.S. Amateur in August, was a four-time NCAA Division II All-American at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Matt Parziale, 37, of Brockton, Mass., won the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course. Parziale became the first Mid-Amateur champion to earn a full exemption into the following year’s U.S. Open. A former firefighter who now works for an insurance brokerage firm, Parziale shared low-amateur honors in the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. He has reached match play six times in nine U.S. Mid-Amateur starts. Parziale, who has competed in 21 USGA championships and two USGA Men’s State Teams for Massachusetts, reached the semifinals of the 2024 Massachusetts State Amateur.
Andrew Paysse, 29, of Temple, Texas, is competing in his fourth consecutive U.S. Mid-Amateur after advancing from the Houston, Texas, qualifier on Aug. 26. He reached the quarterfinals in 2022 at Erin Hills. Paysse is the brother-in-law of Scottie Scheffler, a two-time winner of both the Masters Tournament (2022, 2024) and Players Championship (2023, 2024) as well as the 2024 Olympic gold medalist. Paysse, an account executive for the family’s insurance company, married Callie Scheffler, who played golf at Texas A&M University and competed in the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior. Paysse earned All-Central Region honors in 2017-18 as a senior at Texas A&M when he posted four top-10 finishes.
Josh Persons, 40, of Fargo, N.D., is competing in his ninth USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur. He advanced to the semifinals in 2022 at Erin Hills and made match play last year. Persons, who played in this summer’s U.S. Amateur, was reinstated as an amateur in 2018 after competing on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Canada. In high school, he won a state golf title and was a member of an undefeated state championship basketball team. He is employed as an insurance advisor.
Andres Schonbaum, 33, of Argentina, advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateurs. Schonbaum, who serves as The R&A’s Latin and Caribbean Development Manager, has played in five Mid-Amateurs and reached match play in the 2020 U.S. Amateur at Bandon Dunes. He has competed in eight Latin America Amateur Championships, with his best finish a tie for 11th in 2020. Schonbaum also represented his country in the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship.
Derek Smith, 40, of Fayetteville, Ark., is a PGA Tour caddie who currently works for Denny McCarthy, a veteran of five U.S. Opens and the runner-up in this year’s Valero Texas Open. Smith is competing in his second consecutive U.S. Mid-Amateur after advancing from the Channahon, Ill., qualifier on July 25. He survived a 3-for-2 playoff after carding a 67 at Heritage Bluffs Golf Club. Smith, who has competed in two U.S. Junior Amateurs, reached match play in last year’s Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow. He played college golf at Wichita State (2003-04) and Texas Tech (2004-05).
Nathan Smith, 46, of Pittsburgh, Pa., will serve as captain of the 2025 USA Walker Cup Team when the competition is played at Cypress Point Club, in Pebble Beach, Calif. He is a record four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012). Smith, who is tied for second in career Mid-Amateur match-play wins (34), also won the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title with partner Todd White. A member of three USA Walker Cup Teams (2009, 2011, 2013), Smith, who works in property and casualty insurance, has competed in 47 USGA championships. He has also played in six USGA Men’s State Teams and won the title in 2009 representing Pennsylvania. The two-time Pennsylvania State Amateur champion received a special exemption from the USGA and will compete in his 19th U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Scott Turner, 40, of Stuart, Fla., advanced to his fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur through the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., qualifier on July 26. He carded a 69 at PGA National Resort & Spa and survived a 5-for-3 playoff. He reached the quarterfinal round in 2022 at Erin Hills. Turner is owner and tournament director of Minor League Golf Tour, a professional mini-tour where 88 former players have 2024 status on the PGA Tour and/or Korn Ferry Tour. He has won three Florida State Golf Association championships.
Jordan Utley, 38, of Richmond, Va., will play in first U.S. Mid-Amateur after moving forward from a 6-for-3 playoff in the Manakin-Sabot, Va., qualifier on Aug. 19. Utley qualified at Hermitage Country Club, the same course where he is tournament chair for the Valentine Invitational, a long-standing amateur golf event. From 2014-16, he was the finance director at Independence Golf Club, the stroke-play co-host course for this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur. A three-time runner-up in the Virginia State Golf Association Amateur, Utley earned All-Atlantic 10 Conference and All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors at the University of Richmond. He is a controller for a fund management group.
Michael Weaver, 33, of Fresno, Calif., will play in his first USGA championship in 11 years after earning medalist in the Ripon, Calif., qualifier on July 29. Weaver, a member of the winning 2013 USA Walker Cup Team and runner-up in the 2012 U.S. Amateur to Steven Fox at Cherry Hills Country Club, made his last USGA start in the 2013 U.S. Amateur. He competed on several professional tours, including the Korn Ferry, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica, until he was reinstated as an amateur in June of 2023. Weaver, a financial planner for business owners and self-employed professionals, finished 64th in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club. He was a first-team All-America and All-Pac-12 selection at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a teammate of current PGA Tour players Max Homa and Michael Kim.
Charles “Boomer” White, 31, of Houston, Texas, was selected in the 10th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft by the San Diego Padres. He was a first-team All-America infielder and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year at Texas A&M University and helped the Aggies to 49-16 record and SEC and NCAA regional titles. White, also known as Boomer, played two summers for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League (2014, 2015). A commercial real estate broker, White advanced to his second U.S. Mid-Amateur after earning one of five spots in the Houston, Texas, qualifier on Aug. 26.
Todd White, 56, of Spartanburg, S.C., claimed the Frederick L. Dold Trophy as the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur champion. It was his second USGA title following he and partner Nathan Smith’s victory in the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2015. White, a member of the victorious 2013 USA Walker Cup Team, has played in 34 USGA championships and six USGA Men’s State Teams for South Carolina. He added to his résumé when he won this year’s R&A Senior Amateur on July 12. He advanced to the U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinals in 2012 and the quarterfinals on two other occasions. White is a history teacher and boys’ and girls’ golf coach at Spartanburg High School.