39Th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship – Storylines

39th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship – Storylines

Sept. 14-19, 2019, Colorado Golf Club, Parker, Colo. and CommonGround Golf Course, Aurora, Colo.

FIELD NOTES – Among the 264 golfers in the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur field, there are:

Oldest Competitors: Kent Moore (63, born 10-1-55), Randal Lewis (62, born 5-8-57), Don DuBois (60, born 5-28-59)

Youngest Competitors: Joey Savoie (25, born 8-17-94), P.J. Acierno (25, born 1-27-94), Lukas Michael (25, born 1-23-94), Tyler Ota (25, 10-20-93)

Average Age of Field: 36.70

U.S. States Represented – There are 43 states represented in the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur: California (32), Texas (19), Georgia (15), Florida (14), Illinois (13), Colorado (12), Ohio (11), Michigan (9), North Carolina (9), Massachusetts (8), New York (8), Arizona (7), New Jersey (6), Pennsylvania (6), Virginia (6), Maryland (5), Minnesota (5), Oklahoma (5), South Carolina (5), Iowa (4), Louisiana (4), Missouri (4), Washington (4), Mississippi (3), Oregon (3), Tennessee (3), Utah (3), Alabama (2), Connecticut (2), Idaho (2), Indiana (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (2), New Hampshire (2), Arkansas (1), Delaware (1), Hawaii (1), Nebraska (1), Nevada (1), Rhode Island (1), South Dakota (1), West Virginia (1) and Wisconsin (1).

International – There are 10 countries represented in the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur: United States (246), Canada (7), England (3), Argentina (2), Australia (1), France (1), Guatemala (1), Puerto Rico (1), South Africa (1) and Wales (1).

USGA Champions (11): Stewart Hagestad (2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Scott Harvey (2014 U.S. Mid- Amateur, 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Tim Hogarth (1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links), Randy Lewis (2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Michael McCoy (2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Kevin O’Connell (2018 U.S. Mid- Amateur), Matt Parziale (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Bob Royak (2019 U.S. Senior 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), Jeff Wilson (2018 U.S. Senior Amateur),

USGA Runners-Up (11): Brett Boner (2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Chip Brooke (2018 U.S. Amateur Four- Ball), Scott Harvey (2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Tim Hogarth (2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Drew Kittleson (2008 U.S. Amateur), Randy Lewis (1996 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Josh Nichols (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Brad Nurski (2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Garrett Rank (2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Ben Warnquist (2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Bill Williamson (2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur).

Players in Field with Most U.S. Mid-Amateur Appearances (2019 included) – Michael McCoy (21), Randy Lewis (17), Tim Hogarth (16), Gene Elliott (15), Nathan Smith (15), Jeff Wilson (13), Scott Harvey (12).

Played in 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur (49): Herbie Aikens, Frank Alafoginis, JD Anderson, Brett Boner, Kory Bowman, Chip Brooke, Derek Busby, Steve Carter, , Tyler Crawford, Cates Culpepper, Ian Dahl, Benjamin Day, Daniel Debra, Ryan Eibner, Gene Elliott, Darin Goldstein, Stewart Hagestad, Michael Harrington, Scott Harvey, Reid Hatley, Jacob Koppenberg, David Lebowitz, Randy Lewis, Matthew Mattare, Michael McCoy, Paul McNamara III, Rusty Mosley, Josh Nichols, David Noll Jr., Brad Nurski, Kevin O’Connell, Sam O’Dell, Sean O’Donnell, Matt Parziale, Michael Pearson, Nick Reardon, Kyler Sauer, Andres Schonbaum, Jordan Sease, Nathan Smith, Scott Strickland, Dan Sullivan, Ben Warnquist, Robbie Wight, Chad Wilfong, Jeff Wilson, Brett Young, Justin Young, Jason Zubatkin

Played in 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur (41): Colby Amparan, Ryan Axlund, Michael Brown, Derek Busby, Jimmy Chestnut, , Tyler Cooke, Tyler Crawford, Ian Dahl, Joseph Deraney, Timothy Driver, Gene Elliott, Marc Engellenner, Jeronimo Esteve, Matthew Finger, Darin Goldstein, Clay Guerin, Stewart Hagestad, Scott Harvey, Troy Johnson, Randy Lewis, Jeff Mallette, Michael McCoy, Michael Muehr, Joseph Nichols, Josh Nichols, Brad Nurski, Sam O’Dell, Tommy Parker, Matt Parziale, Andrew Price, Andrew Rhodes, Andres Schonbaum, Nathan Smith, Scott Strickland, Dan Sullivan, Todd White, Brad Wilder, Chad Wilfong, Ryan Wilkins, Bill Williamson, Andrew Wyatt

Played in 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur (40): JD Anderson, Brett Boner, Kory Bowman, Derek Busby, , Gene Elliott, Michael Fastert, Matthew Finger, Darin Goldstein, Stewart Hagestad, Scott Harvey, Reid Hatley, Sean Heidrick, Tim Hogarth, John Hunter, Troy Johnson, Bryan Jones, Colton Knedler, David Lebowitz, Eric LeFante, Randy Lewis, Matthew Mattare, Michael McCoy, Andrew Montooth, Michael Muehr, Josh Nichols, Chris Noel, David Noll Jr., Brad Nurski, Kevin O’Connell, Michael O’Neal, Matt Parziale, Andrew Price, Trevor Randolph, Andrew Rhodes, Nathan Smith, Scott Strickland, Dan Sullivan, Todd White, Brad Wilder, Bill Williamson

Played in 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur (35): Chip Brooke, Dave Bunker, Jimmy Chestnut, Jeff Cox, Tyler Crawford, Brian Csipkes, Timothy Driver, Gene Elliott, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Fawcett, Darin Goldstein, Stephen Groover, Michael Harrington, Scott Harvey, Reid Hatley, Blake Johnson, Randy Lewis, Michael McCoy, Michael Muehr, David Noll Jr., Brad Nurski, Sam O’Dell, Matt Parziale, Michael Pearson, Andrew Price, Bob Royak, Nathan Smith, Scott Strickland, Keith Unikel, Todd White, Brad Wilder, Bill Williamson, Jeff Wilson, Andrew Wyatt, Justin Young

Played in 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur (29): Luke Bakke, David Bartman, Bradley Bastion, Tim Beans, Derek Busby, Kevin Carrigan, Don DuBois, Dan Ellis, Nick Geyer, Michael Harrington, Scott Harvey, John Hunter, Eric LeFante, Randy Lewis, Matthew Mattare, Michael McCoy, Michael Muehr, Brad Nurski, Jon Olson, Trevor Randolph, Bob Royak, Trevor Sauntry, Nathan Smith, Dan Sullivan, Todd White, Robbie Wight, Brad Wilder, Bill Williamson, Andrew Wyatt

Played in 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur (32): Bradley Bastion, Eddie Davis, Benjamin Day, Daniel DeBra, W. Jay Degenhart, John Ehrgott, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Fawcett, Steven Groover, Erik Hanson, Scott Harvey, Tim Hogarth, Brodie Hullinger, John Hunter, Blake Johnson, Troy Johnson, Scott Kraul, Randy Lewis, Matthew Mattare, Michael McCoy, Matt Parziale, Michael Pearson, Garrett Rank, Bob Royak, Steve Serrao, Nathan Smith, Dan Sullivan, Keith Unikel, Todd White, Robbie Wight, Bill Williamson, Jeff Wilson

Played in 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur (22): Luke Bakke, Kory Bowman, Brian Csipkes, Daniel Day, Daniel DeBra, John Ehrgott, Erik Hanson, Scott Harvey, Tim Hogarth, Joseph Latowski, Randy Lewis, Matthew Mattare, Andrew Montooth, Michael Muehr, Andrew Price, Trevor Randolph, Garrett Rank, Trevor Sauntry, Nathan Smith, Todd White, Eric Williams, Jeff Wilson

Played in 2019 U.S. Open (3): Stewart Hagestad, Kevin O’Connell, Matt Parziale

Played in 2019 U.S. Senior Open (4): Tim Hogarth, Michael McCoy, Bob Royak, Jeff Wilson

Played in 2019 U.S. Amateur (16): Brett Boner, Timothy Driver, Jeronimo Esteve, Nick Geyer, Stewart Hagestad, Scott Harvey, Michael McCoy, Kevin O’Connell, Matt Parziale, Andrew Price, Garrett Rank, Joey Savoie, Andres Schonbaum, Ben Warnquist, Jeff Wilson, Robbie Ziegler

Played in 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur (7): Michael Del Rocco, Don DuBois, Gene Elliott, Steve Harwell, Michael McCoy, Bob Royak, Jeff Wilson

Played in 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (31): Herbie Aikens, Kory Bowman, Cullen Brasfield, Chip Brooke, Michael Brown, Derek Busby, Tyler Cooke, Tyler Crawford, Benjamin Day, Daniel Day, Gene Elliott, Ben Fisher, Steven Groover, Tyler Gulliksen, Stewart Hagestad, Erik Hanson, Scott Harvey, John Hunter, Troy Johnson, Michael McCoy, Jace Moore, Matt Parziale, Michael Pearson, Bob Royak, Maxwell Scodro, Nathan Smith, Troy Vannucci, Ben Warnquist, Todd White, Justin Young, Robbie Ziegler

Played in 2019 Walker Cup Match (1): Stewart Hagestad

Played in 2017 Walker Cup Match (1): Stewart Hagestad

Played in 2015 Walker Cup Match (2): Scott Harvey, Michael McCoy

Played in 2013 Walker Cup Match (2): Nathan Smith, Todd White

PLAYER NOTES:

Jonathan Bale, 31, of Wales, moved to the United States to play college golf at Louisiana Tech University (2008-12). Bale, a managing director for a wealth management and consulting firm, is competing in his first USGA championship. He shot a 69 to earn medalist honors in the Canton, Miss., sectional qualifier. He finished tied for fourth in the 2019 Louisiana State Amateur and was a semifinalist in the 2016 Welsh Amateur.

David Banks, 31, of Oceanside, Calif., is a staff sergeant for the United States Marine Corps who is competing in his first USGA championship. After wrestling professionally for 10 years, Banks enlisted in the Marine Corps and got back into golf while stationed in North Carolina in 2014. He is a three-time All- Marine golf team member. Banks finished 16th in the 2019 Armed Forces Championship despite fracturing his ankle while deployed in Kuwait the previous year.

Zack Bellenger, 28, of Weatherford, Texas, is a fifth-generation funeral home director. He is competing in his first USGA championship. Bellenger was a starting third baseman on the Dartmouth College baseball team as a freshman but transferred to Texas Christian University to play one semester before leaving the program. Bellenger, who earned all-district honors on the high school level in baseball and football, was recently nominated for Parker County’s Bachelor of the Year, a community charity event.

Nico Bollini, 36, of Laguna Beach, Calif., has competed in four USGA championships, including three U.S. Junior Amateurs and the 2003 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. The insurance broker played briefly on PGA Tour Latinoamerica and the European Challenge Tour before regaining his amateur status several years ago. The 2002 Southern California Golf Association Amateur champion occasionally conducts golf clinics and outings where he is known for his swing imitations of various pros. He earned All-Pac-10 Conference honors at the University of Southern California.

Brett Boner, 45, of Charlotte, N.C., was the runner-up to Kevin O’Connell in the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club. Boner defeated 2016 Mid-Amateur champion Stewart Hagestad in the semifinals. His brother-in-law, Stephen Woodard, reached the Round of 32 in the same championship. Boner, who also advanced to match play in the 2016 Mid-Amateur, has competed in four USGA championships, including this year’s U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4. Boner, a financial advisor, is a member at Carolina Golf Club, last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur stroke-play co-host course.

Chip Brooke, 43, of Altamonte Springs, Fla., was a caddie at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore., where his father managed the caddie program. Chip later helped develop the caddie program at Streamsong Resort, in Bowling Green, Fla. He has competed in five USGA championships, including two U.S. Mid-Amateurs (2015, 2018). He and partner Marc Dull were U.S. Amateur Four-Ball runners-up in 2018 and semifinalists in 2017. Brooke, who won the 2016 Florida Mid-Amateur, is a salesman for a pallet company.

Dave Bunker, 54, of Canada, was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame last year. The three-time Canadian Mid-Amateur champion has played in two U.S. Senior Opens (2015, 2016) and the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open in 2010 and 2011. Bunker, a middle school teacher and basketball coach in Toronto, reached the Round of 16 in the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur and has made the field for the third time.

Derek Busby, 35, of Ruston, La., has competed in four U.S. Mid-Amateurs, reaching the Round of 16 twice (2016, 2018), and eight USGA championships. He and Stewart Hagestad reached the Round of 16 in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Bandon Dunes. On Aug. 11, he defeated Gregory Berthelot in a playoff to win the Louisiana Mid-Amateur, and he also finished second behind champion Mike Finster in the Gasparilla Invitational.

Matt Call, 41, of Castle Rock, Colo., should have plenty of local knowledge in this year’s championship as a Colorado Golf Club member. Call played at the University of Colorado from 1997-2001, including a stint as captain. This will be his fifth USGA championship, including the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Call, who works in commercial real estate and chairs the Castle Rock Economic Development Council, has won two Colorado State Amateurs (1998, 2000). His uncle, Kevin, was an offensive lineman for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, from 1984-93.

Tyler Cooke, 27, of Warwick, R.I., played 76 games over 2½ seasons as a defenseman and co-captain on the University of Connecticut’s hockey squad and was a member of the school’s golf team. Cooke and his brother-in-law, Bobby Leopold, advanced to the quarterfinals in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Cooke, whose father, Scott, was an All-America golfer at Rollins College, won the 2017 Rhode Island Stroke Play Championship and has been chosen Rhode Island Golf Association Player of the Year.

Tyler Crawford, 46, of Bermuda Dunes, Calif., has played in seven U.S. Mid-Amateurs (10 USGA championships overall) and reached the quarterfinals in 2017 at Capital City Club. He combined for 10 birdies in 25 holes played in the Rounds of 32 and 16 to advance in the match-play bracket. Crawford, who works as a real estate private equity lender, earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors at Mississippi State University in 1994.

Joseph Deraney, 36, of Tupelo, Miss., won the Canadian Mid-Amateur for the second consecutive year and the 2019 Mississippi Amateur Championship, earning him Mississippi Golf Association Player of the Year honors for 2019. He also won the 2016 and 2017 Kentucky Mid-Amateur Championships. Deraney, a stay-at-home father, has competed in four USGA championships. His wife, Sarah, is a radiologist and is affiliated with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Ryan Eibner, 28, of Dallas, Texas, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The national electrical contractor also competed in the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club. He was a member of the East Carolina University team from 2011-14 and teammates with PGA Tour player Harold Varner III. His older brothers Drew (golf) and Brett (baseball) were student-athletes at the University of Arkansas. Brett has played for four MLB teams as an outfielder. Drew was a high school teammate of 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Kevin O’Connell.

Gene Elliott, 56, of West Des Moines, Iowa, has competed in 33 USGA championships and 14 U.S. Mid- Amateurs. Elliott, who has reached match play in 12 of his 14 U.S. Mid-Amateurs, was the runner-up to Craig Davis in this year’s Seniors Amateur, conducted by The R&A. Davis won on the third playoff hole. He also finished third in the 2018 Seniors Amateur. The 2006 Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist owns a sanitation and street equipment company, and underwent open-heart surgery 19 years ago. He was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.

Tyler Gulliksen, 32, of Daytona Beach, Fla., graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and is a Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer. Gulliksen earned his master’s degree from the University of San Diego where he competed on the school’s Division I golf team at age 30. He still had college eligibility due to his military commitment. He has played in the 2016 and 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships and is coached by 2005 USA Walker Cup Team competitor Chris Riley.

Stewart Hagestad, 28, of Newport Beach, Calif., won the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship by rallying to defeat Scott Harvey in 37 holes, and advanced to the semifinals in 2018 at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club. He was a member of the victorious 2017 and 2019 USA Walker Cup Teams and won a gold medal in the Mixed Team competition of this year’s Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Hagestad, who became the second-youngest Mid-Amateur champion, produced the largest comeback victory (4 down with 5 holes to play) since a 36-hole final was introduced in 2001. Hagestad, who advanced to match play in the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Amateurs, has played in the last three U.S. Opens and was the low amateur in the 2017 Masters Tournament, becoming the first invited U.S. Mid-Amateur champion to make the 36-hole cut He has competed in 19 USGA championships.

Erik Hanson, 54, of Kirkland, Wash., was a right-handed pitcher for four Major League Baseball teams. He was named to the 1995 American League All-Star Team during his 15-5 season for the Boston Red Sox. He also won 18 games for the Seattle Mariners in 1990. He has played in 14 USGA championships, including four U.S. Mid-Amateurs. Hanson has advanced to match play three times in the Mid-Amateur, including his last appearance when he reached the Round of 32 in 2013.

Michael Harrington, 47, of Colorado Springs, Colo., has competed in 12 USGA championships, including five U.S. Mid-Amateurs. He advanced to quarterfinals in 2014 at Saucon Valley Golf Club, in Bethlehem, Pa. Harrington, who works as a wealth manager, won the 2009 Colorado Golf Association Mid-Amateur and 2015 Mid-Amateur Match Play. The seven-time Colorado Springs City Amateur champion played at the University of Rhode Island and captured the 1994 Atlantic-10 Conference Championship.

Scott Harvey, 41, of Greensboro, N.C., has competed in 31 USGA championships, including 11 U.S. Mid-Amateurs. He won the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., and was the runner-up to Stewart Hagestad in 2016. Harvey, a property manager, has a 20-9 match-play Mid-Amateur record and was a member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team. In May, he won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Todd Mitchell at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and the George C. Thomas Invitational at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club for the fourth consecutive year. In 2017, Harvey qualified for his first U.S. Open at Erin Hills.

Steve Harwell, 56, of Mooresville, N.C., reached the quarterfinals of this year’s U.S. Senior Amateur. He has played in 14 USGA championships and twice advanced to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Mid-Amateur (1993, 2010). Harwell, who works in a life insurance company’s finance division and was a NAIA All- America selection at Guilford College, has won four championships in 2019. He captured the North Carolina Senior Amateur with a 54-hole score of 213 (3-under), the National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame and Carolinas Golf Association Four-Ball. Harwell also won the senior division of George L. Coleman Invitational at Seminole Golf Club

Tim Hogarth, 53, of Northridge, Calif., has competed in 15 U.S. Mid-Amateurs and 31 USGA championships. He won the 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links title and was runner-up to Nathan Smith in the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Hogarth, a health food broker, has played in eight U.S. Amateurs and three U.S. Senior Opens (2017, 2018, 2019). He is a three-time Southern California Golf Association Player of the Year. Hogarth, who was born in Hawaii and played collegiately at California State University- Northridge, participates in Muay Thai, a form of kickboxing.

Steven Irwin, 45, of Golden, Colo., was the last player added to the U.S. Md-Amateur field as an alternate from the Englewood, Colo., sectional qualifier. He has played in 12 USGA championships, including the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club. Irwin has competed in five U.S. Mid- Amateurs and advanced to Round of 16 in 2004. He has won six Colorado Golf Association championships, including two CGA Mid-Amateurs. Irwin played at the University of Colorado (1994-97) where his father and five-time USGA champion Hale Irwin won the 1967 NCAA individual title and was an All-Big 8 Conference defensive back.

Drew Kittleson, 30, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was the runner-up to Danny Lee in the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. Kittleson, who was reinstated as an amateur four years ago, is a sales manager for a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company. He is competing in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur and eighth USGA championship. Kittleson, who competed in the 2009 Masters and U.S. Open, reached the quarterfinals of the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur.

Jacob Koppenberg, 32, of Bellingham, Wash., is a volunteer assistant golf coach at his alma mater, Western Washington University and helped the program claim the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. Koppenberg, who advanced to match play in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur, works in business development for a communications services company. He has competed in four U.S. Amateurs, advancing to the Round of 32 in 2008, when he lost to Rickie Fowler. Koppenberg was a two-time All- American and twice GNAC Player of the Year as a collegian.

Randy Lewis, 62, of Alma, Mich., has competed in 33 USGA championships and 16 U.S. Mid-Amateurs. He became the oldest winner (age 54) in U.S. Mid-Amateur history by defeating Kenny Cook, 3 and 2, at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in 2011 and was the runner-up to past USA Walker Cup captain John “Spider” Miller in 1996. Lewis, who has a 21-9 match-play Mid-Amateur record, was named the Michigan Golf Association’s Player of the Decade for the 1990s and was inducted in the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. He has also played in nine U.S. Amateurs and two U.S. Senior Opens.

Matthew Mattare, 33, of Jersey City, N.J., has competed in five U.S. Mid-Amateurs. Mattare reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur, his first USGA championship, and was the medalist the following year. The financial advisor advanced to the Round of 16 in 2014 at Saucon Valley Country Club, where his father, Gene, served as the general manager and director of golf until recently retiring, and last year at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club. He won the 2017 Met Amateur and 2018 Pennsylvania Mid- Amateur.

Michael McCoy, 56, of Norwalk, Iowa, has competed in 61 USGA championships, including 20 U.S. Mid- Amateurs. He was the low amateur in the 2014 and 2015 U.S. Senior Opens and in 2013 was the second-oldest winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur when he defeated Bill Williamson, 8 and 6, in the 36-hole final at the Country Club of Birmingham (Ala.). McCoy owns a 27-13 match-play Mid-Amateur record, He advanced to the Round of 16 in this year’s U.S. Senior Amateur after reaching the semifinals last year. A member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team, McCoy works in the insurance business and is a member of the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame.

Dalton Melnyk, 39, of Atlanta, Ga., is playing in his third USGA championship but first since the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links. His brother, Butler, who works for a sports management company, competed in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Their father, Steve, won the 1969 U.S. Amateur and was a network television golf analyst. Dalton, who is an insurance broker, played at the University of Florida, which won the 2001 NCAA Championship and two Southeastern Conference titles during that period.

Kent Moore, 63, of Centennial, Colo., is the oldest player in the U.S. Mid-Amateur field after advancing through the Englewood, Colo., qualifier on Aug. 19. His wife, Janet, will also play in this year’s U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, being held concurrently in Flagstaff, Ariz. Moore has won state titles on the junior, match play and stroke play levels, joining a group that includes U.S. Open champions Hale Irwin and Steve Jones. Moore, who has competed in 10 USGA championships, including five U.S. Mid-Amateurs, was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 and serves on the Colorado Golf Association Board of Director’s Executive Committee.

Rusty Mosley, 37, of Vidalia, Ga., reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He played in the 2000 U.S. Amateur and then did not compete for a 12-year period until attempting to qualify for the 2017 Mid-Amateur. He made a 25-foot par putt on the 18th hole to defeat No. 1 seed and medalist Stephen Behr in the Round of 16. Mosley, who works as a production manager for a uniform and apparel company, was a member of the Florida State University team from 2001-05. In 2019, he tied for sixth in the Gasparilla Invitational and was seventh in the Southeastern Amateur.

Josh Nichols, 28, of Apex, N.C., was the runner-up to Matt Parziale in the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course. Nichols, who is competing in his third consecutive Mid-Amateur, works as a wedding caterer. In 2017, he won the Carolinas Open and Triad Amateur, while finishing fifth in the North Carolina Amateur. Nichols is a 2013 Appalachian State graduate, where he was a four-year member of the golf team.

Nick Nosewicz, 35, of Aurora, Colo., carded a 69 to earn medalist honors in the Broomfield, Colo., sectional qualifier on Aug. 13 and will play in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur. Nosewicz, who has represented Colorado in two USGA Men’s State Teams (2014, 2016), is a sales representative for a ski and golf sporting goods store. He won the 2015 Colorado Golf Association Match Play, held at CommonGround Golf Course, the stroke-play co-host for this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur, and was runner-up in the 2014 Colorado Amateur. His grandfather, Ed, is a member of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

Brad Nurski, 40, of St. Joseph, Mo., was the runner-up to Scott Harvey, whom he shared medalist with in the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He has played in 15 USGA championships. Nurski, who also has reached match play twice in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Skip Berkmeyer, works as a conductor and switchman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway. The left-hander has won three Missouri Golf Association State Amateur titles. He also captured this year’s MGA Stroke Play in a three-way playoff and was runner-up in the MGA Amateur.

Kevin O’Connell, 31, of Jacksonville, Fla., defeated Brett Boner, 4 and 3, to win the 2018 U.S. Mid- Amateur and earn an exemption into this year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. O’Connell, who is originally from Cary, N.C., has competed in seven USGA championships, including this year’s U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4. O’Connell, who once worked for a club manufacturer, earned All-America honors at the University of North Carolina. In 2008, he was named Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year. This year, he owns three top-10 finishes, including a tie for third in the George L. Coleman Invitational at Seminole Golf Club.

Sam O’Dell, 41, of Hurricane, W.Va., advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the Round of 16 the previous year. He has a family and cosmetic dentistry practice and graduated from the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in 2005. O’Dell, who has competed in 10 USGA championships, including five U.S. Mid-Amateurs, has won four state amateur and five state mid-amateur championships. O’Dell earned all-conference and all-academic recognition at Marshall University.

Sean O’Donnell, 33, of Glendale, Ariz., owns a costume company that specializes in hand-crafted mascots and fur suits. He has competed in three USGA championships, including last year’s U.S. Mid- Amateur. O’Donnell, who played college golf at Chicago State University, won the 2016 Phoenix Amateur title, was the 2016 Arizona Public Links runner-up and was a semifinalist in the 2017 Arizona Amateur.

Jon Olson, 39, of Ankeny, Iowa, was an All-American at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs in 2003. Olson, a sales specialist for a golf cart distributor, has played in six USGA championships and advanced to match play in the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He spent five years playing on several professional mini tours before regaining his amateur status in 2009. Olson was a member of the national runner-up Iowa team in the 2012 USGA Men’s State Team Championship. He was named the 2014 Iowa Golf Association Player of the Year, won the 2012 Iowa Amateur and owns three Iowa Mid-Amateur titles.

Matt Parziale, 32, of Brockton, Mass., won the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship by defeating Josh Nichols, 8 and 6, 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. His margin of victory also matched the third-largest in championship history. A former firefighter who now works for an insurance brokerage firm, Parziale shared low-amateur honors with Luis Gagne in the 2018 U.S. Open. He has played in 15 USGA championships, including this year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. In 2019, he tied for fifth in the Porter Cup and reached the quarterfinals of Massachusetts State Amateur.

Robert Pickett, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is a graduate assistant coach at Old Dominion University. Pickett played his college golf at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., where he ranks third on the program’s all- time single-season scoring average list behind four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and three-time USA Walker Cup Team member Nathan Smith. Pickett’s skills go beyond the golf course. He has been tutored in ballroom dancing and can play the ukulele.

Garrett Rank, 32, of Canada, is entering his fourth season as a full-time National Hockey League referee after working two seasons in the American Hockey League. Rank won the 117th Western Amateur on Aug. 3, defeating Daniel Wetterich, 3 and 2, in the 18-hole final. He became the first Canadian to win the championship in 42 years and the first mid-amateur to win the title since 1997. Rank, who overcame a cancer scare at age 23, has competed in 18 USGA championships, including the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. A runner-up to Nathan Smith in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur, Rank finished second in the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur on Aug. 23, one stroke behind defending champion Joseph Deraney. He is a three-time champion of that event.

Bob Royak, 58, of Alpharetta, Ga., won this year’s U.S. Senior Amateur by defeating Roger Newsom, 1 up, in the final at Old Chatham Golf Club. Royak has competed in 16 USGA championships, including three U.S. Amateurs and two U.S. Senior Opens (2012, 2019). Royak, who is vice president for an executive search firm, was chosen 2017 Georgia State Golf Association Senior Player of the Year after winning the GSGA Senior Amateur. His older brother, Jack, served as his caddie at the U.S. Senior Amateur and his younger brother, Paul, played in the same championship. Bob and Paul played in the same USGA championship for the first time since the 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Kyler Sauer, 28, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., advanced to the semifinals of last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur, losing to eventual champion Kevin O’Connell in 19 holes. A third-generation firefighter for the city of Burbank, Sauer has received a distinguished act award and is currently attending paramedics school. Sauer, who competed in the 2013 U.S. Amateur, played on the Mackenzie Tour as a professional for a brief period before regaining his amateur status in 2017. At California State University-Northridge, Sauer was the 2014 Big West Conference runner-up. His father, Rich, spent two years in the Milwaukee Brewers’ minor league system as a pitcher/first baseman.

Joey Savoie, 25, of Canada, is the youngest player in the U.S. Mid-Amateur field. He has played in five U.S. Amateurs, including this year at Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4, and represented his country in the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship. In 2019, he reached the quarterfinals of the North and South Amateur, advanced to match play in the Australian Amateur and played in the Pan American Games and RBC Canadian Open. He was a Division II All-America at St. Leo University before earning All- Conference USA recognition at Middle Tennessee State University.

Andres Schonbaum, 28, of Argentina, advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club. He lost to eventual champion Kevin O’Connell in 19 holes after defeating 2018 champion Matt Parziale in the Round of 64. Schonbaum was second in this year’s George L. Coleman Invitational at Seminole Golf Club, one stroke behind winner Scott Harvey. He tied for 33rd in the Latin American Amateur in the Dominican Republic after tying for 19th the previous year. Schonbaum, who is an insurance broker, led Jacksonville State (Ala.) University to the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Championship.

Nathan Smith, 41, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a 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) behind Jerry Courville Jr.’s 36, 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 works as an investment advisor. He has played in 45 USGA championships, including 14 U.S. Mid-Amateurs. Smith, who has won two Pennsylvania Amateurs, has been inducted into Western Pennsylvania Golf and Allegheny College halls of fame.

Dan Sullivan, 52, of Pasadena, Calif., has advanced to the semifinals in two U.S. Mid-Amateurs (2016, 2017). He has competed in 11 USGA championships, including eight Mid-Amateurs. Sullivan, who works as a real estate lender, also advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links. He reached the quarterfinals of this year’s Southern California Golf Association Match Play, advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2018 California State Amateur and won the 2017 SCGA Mid-Amateur. His wife, Lindsay, is a senior vice president and general manager with Fox Sports and its regional networks.

Troy Vannucci, 27, of Marlton, N.J., is competing in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur after advancing to the semifinals with partner Vince Kwon in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Vannucci works for a company that builds running tracks and athletic turf fields. He finished fifth in the New Jersey State Amateur on July 11. In 2018, he tied for third in the New Jersey State Open while sharing low-amateur honors.

Ben Warnquist, 26, of Gaithersburg, Md., advanced to match play in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur last year. He has competed in 10 USGA championships, including two U.S. Amateurs (2013, 2016). He and partner Brandon Cigna have played in four U.S. Amateur Four-Balls and were runners-up to Benjamin Baxter and Andrew Buchanan in 2016 at Winged Foot Golf Club. Warnquist, who is an insurance agent and has won two Maryland Amateurs, once played in a scramble with Basketball Hall of Famer and television analyst Charles Barkley.

Todd White, 51, of Spartanburg, S.C., has advanced to match play in all seven U.S. Mid-Amateurs he has played. He reached the Mid-Amateur semifinals in 2012 and was a quarterfinalist in 2014 and 2015. White won the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Nathan Smith at The Olympic Club and was a member of the winning 2013 USA Walker Cup Team. White, a high school history teacher, has competed in 27 USGA championships, including the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. In 2019, he tied for ninth in the South Carolina Amateur on Aug. 3.

Chad Wilfong, 38, of Charlotte, N.C., has competed in three USGA championships. He advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Wilfong, a financial consultant who was reinstated as an amateur in 2016, played in 23 tournaments on the Web.com Tour from 2003-06. His best finish was a tie for ninth in the 2005 Wichita Open, where he posted an eagle and double eagle over the final five holes. Wilfong, who also played on the Hooters and eGolf tours, earned All-America and All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors at Wake Forest University. He also won two Class 2A state high school titles.

Bill Williamson, 42, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up to Michael McCoy at the Country Club of Birmingham (Ala.). Williamson, a partner and real estate attorney, has competed in seven Mid-Amateurs and 15 USGA championships. He won the 2009 Ohio Mid-Amateur and has been runner-up four times. He has also claimed four Greater Cincinnati Mid-Amateur and two Northern Kentucky Amateur titles. Williamson, who has completed four half-marathons, was inducted into the University of Akron Hall of Fame in 2017.

Jeff Wilson, 56, of Fairfield, Calif., won the 2018 U.S. Senior Amateur and advanced to the semifinals this year. He is the general sales manager at an automobile dealership. Wilson, who abandoned a professional golfer’s life, including mini tours, for a more stable career path, was reinstated as an amateur in 1997. He tied for 31st in the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor and became the second player to earn low-amateur honors in both the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open, joining Marvin “Vinny” Giles III. Wilson, who was low amateur in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, has competed in 35 USGA championships and 12 U.S. Mid-Amateurs. He reached the semifinals in 2001 and 2002.

Robbie Ziegler, 29, of Portland, Ore., is playing in his third USGA championship in 2019 after qualifying for the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Ziegler, who was born in Denver, Colo., is a golf manufacturer representative. He has competed in four U.S. Amateurs and reached match play in 2015 at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Ziegler, who defeated Spencer Tibbits, 2 and 1, to win the 2018 Oregon Amateur, earned four varsity letters as a member of the University of Oregon team.

Contact: Brian DePasquale, USGA Communications ([email protected], cell - 908-655-8395)