Beck: The Resumé of a Front-Runner

Since winning the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Kinloch in dominating fashion, Evan Beck has done everything asked of a Walker Cup hopeful. He followed up his major USGA title with victories at the Coleman Invitational and George C. Thomas Invitational. In 2025, he earned starts at both the Masters Tournament (T86) and the U.S. Open (104th), gaining experience on the biggest stages in golf.

As of July 22, Beck has climbed to World Amateur Golf Ranking No. 16, with 6 wins and 13 counting events over the past 104 weeks. He leads all American mid-ams in both WAGR point average and performance consistency, and is widely seen as the “lock” if just one mid-am is chosen for the 10-man U.S. team.

Hagestad: A Late Push and a Legacy

Then there’s Stewart Hagestad. A four-time Walker Cup team member and three-time U.S. Mid-Am champion, his 2025 campaign was relatively quiet—until this summer.

Hagestad finished T8 at the Northeast Amateur, one of the most competitive all-ages fields in amateur golf. He followed that with a T24 at the Southern Amateur, proving he’s still able to contend against the country’s best college players. These results, combined with strong showings at the 2024 Azalea Invitational (1st) and 2024 Crump Cup (3rd), have helped keep him in the conversation.

His WAGR is now No. 38, with 6 wins and 17 counting events over the last two years. While Beck has the hotter hand and more recent major championship experience — including starts at both the 2025 Masters and U.S. Open — Hagestad brings a decade of elite amateur experience and a Walker Cup match record of 8-6-1 across four undefeated U.S. squads. That kind of leadership can’t be overlooked.

Mid-Am Trends: Room for One or Two?

The U.S. team has historically carried just one mid-amateur. Since 2017, that slot has gone exclusively to Hagestad. But in 2013 and 2015, the team included two: Nathan Smith and Todd White in the former, Mike McCoy and Scott Harvey in the latter.

This year, with Nathan Smith serving as team captain and a few collegiate stars rumored to be turning pro early, there’s a narrow—but real—chance for a repeat of the two mid-am model. If that happens, Hagestad would be the obvious second pick beside Beck.

Who Gets the Nod?

Prediction: Beck will earn the 2025 Walker Cup Mid-Amateur slot. He’s the reigning champion, the most consistent mid-am in the country, and a rising figure in amateur golf’s national scene. He’s earned it on merit, momentum, and message.

But Hagestad hasn’t made this easy. His Northeast Amateur performance reminded everyone why he’s been a Walker Cup staple since 2017. If Team USA opts to honor experience alongside form—and finds room for two mid-ams—he’ll be right there.

One way or another, Team USA will head to Cypress Point with an elite Mid-Amateur presence. The only question is whether they bring both Beck and Hagestad—one peaking, one proven—for what could be a generational pairing.