Mid-Am – Syndication Server

Amateur Matthew McClean, a trained optometrist, found himself leading the Masters early in the first round

He played his way into the field by winning the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

AUGUSTA, Georgia – Matthew McClean joked coming off the fourth green that he should take a screenshot of the leaderboard. The 29-year-old optometrist found himself briefly leading the 87th Masters at 2 under.

“I was flying there,” said McClean, who won the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur to earn his spot in the field.

How does an optometrist manage to get his golf in order between eye exams?

“I’m pretty much full-time golf,” he explained. “So, yeah, that’s how I fit it in, is just don’t work really.”

McClean typically works three to four months over the winter months, filling in at local offices. So far this year, however, he hasn’t done a single eye exam.

In addition to the help given by Golf Ireland, the single governing body for the island, McClean also benefits from NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) sponsorship deals. He has BelkerTech on his sleeve and the Kainos logo on his chest.

McClean, who defeated another Irishman in the Mid-Amateur final, has his sights set on the Walker Cup Sept. 2-3 at the Old Course at St. Andrews. He’ll be 30 by then.

Matthew McClean holds up the trophy after winning the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin. (Photo: Steven Gibbons/USGA)

While McClean had plans to attend DP World Tour qualifying school several years ago, those dreams were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While his immediate goal is to play in the Walker Cup, McClean hasn’t yet decided if he will then turn professional.

“It was a good sort of good stepping stone today I think for the rest of the year,” said McClean about future plans beyond the Walker Cup.

“But I got tomorrow, obviously, and, yeah, U.S. Open in June and a few big tournaments throughout the summer and have to play well in those to make the Walker Cup, and then I’ll see where I lie in September, as to whether or not I’ll do anything further.”

The Northern Irishman is one of seven amateurs in the field of 88. He felt like he played better than his 5-over 77 scorecard reflects, noting that adrenaline played a factor on several shots.

Growing up, McClean played on provincial teams for Ireland and made it to the elite national panel, which has a dozen amateurs, four years ago.

Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly said the men’s and women’s golf unions in Ireland integrated in 2021. There are about 500 players in the overall program annually and 20 coaches. The cost to fund it is 1.5 million euros annually, with 300,000 euros going to emerging professionals.

The support for each young pro, Kennelly said, depends on how many are in the program but typically amounts to around 30,000 euros.

In February, the USGA officially launched its own U.S. National Development Program, designed to create a unified pathway that nurtures top Americans through the junior and amateur ranks to the pinnacle of the sport.

Beginning this year, the program will fund 50 juniors. That number will grow each year so that by 2027, the U.S. national program will fund 1,000 juniors across the country and impact thousands more.

“The Ireland system is vital,” said McClean, one of four Irishmen in the field. “We wouldn’t get half the sort of standard of payers coming out of Ireland if we didn’t have it.

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Packed leaderboards at 2022 International Mid-Am/Senior Championship after first round

Plenty of big names are near the top of the leaderboard after the first round.

A weekend of top tier mid-am and senior golf officially teed off in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, on Friday, and the competition got fierce fast. With both team and individual titles on the line, there’s no time to waste against the best. The 2022 International Mid-Amateur & Senior, Team and Individual Championship has yet to crown champions but has plenty of contenders vying for their shot at being crowned champion.

Rod Baronet and Jon Lindstrom are paving the way for the senior division. Both at 6 under, the duo matched each other shot for shot with seven birdies and a bogey. Leading the pack by three shots, the pair is being chased by Wes McNulty and John Wright at 3 under.

Behind them lurks Tony Wise at 2 under and a pack of five golfers at 1 under, led by Rusty Strawn and Doug Hanzel.

In the team portion, Lindstrom is once again leading the way. Team Colorado leads by two in large part because of Lindstrom. His round of 6 under, accompanied by Chris Carson’s 2-over 74, is good for a two stroke lead over Team Arkansas. Richard Bradsby fills out Colorado’s roster but was not counted in the team score with a 4-over 76.

Team St. George, Team Georgia (South), and North Carolina (East) trail by less than five heading into the second round.

In the mid-am competition, Marc Engellenger carded a bogey-free 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead over the field.

Beginning the day on a hot steak, Engellenger coasted on the back nine with pars on eight of his final nine holes. Just one shot back, the trio of Philip Reale, Travis Woolf and Justin Young will all seek to stay in contention in the second round.

Reale has teamed up with Pat Carter, Cam Roam, and Sam O’Dell to form Team West Virginia. Combining for a team score of 6-under 210, they lead Team North Texas by a single stroke.

Team South Texas is the only other team under par at 2 under. Team Mississippi is six shots back at even par.

Saturday’s second round begins at 7:30 am on both of Pawleys Island’s premier courses: True Blue and Caledonia.

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Stewart Hagestad leads U.S. Mid-Amateur after 18 holes at Sankaty Head Golf Course

Stewart Hagestad and Mark Costanza will finish the 36-hole final on Friday in Nantucket.

NANTUCKET, Mass. – Not sure if there’s a better place on earth than the Northeast in the fall. Do I say this as someone who grew up in New Hampshire? Yup.

The only thing that could make it better: head down to Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 65-degree weather to watch the 40th U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sankaty Head Golf Course.

The long week included 36 holes of stroke play, with the low 64 players entering a match-play bracket. Then after two days of matches, the last four players teed it up Thursday morning in the semifinals.

Stewart Hagestad, Nicholas Maccario, Mark Costanza and Hayes Brown were those last four standing, with a trip to the 2022 U.S. Open and 2022 Masters on the line.

Hagestad, 30, was matched up against Brown, who became the first 64 seed to advance to the semifinals in the 40-year history of the Mid-Am. In fact, Brown, 32, was bidding to become the first 64 seed to win any USGA championship since seeding began in match-play championships in the mid-1980s.

Hagestad, meanwhile, is an experienced player, with a resume that includes low-am at the Masters in 2017. He got out to a quick lead, winning the first three holes with pars. They went back and forth for much of the match, and walked off the 12th green with Hagestad still 3 up. He then made eagle on the par-5 15th to close out the match 4 and 3.

The 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Massachusetts. Photo by Chris Keane/USGA

In the other semifinal match, Costanza, 32, took advantage of a 3-under front nine, and made the turn 4 up on Maccario, the Massachusetts native who was seeded 59th. Maccario fought back on the second nine, with wins on Nos. 12 and 13, but Costanza immediately returned to 3 up after a birdie on the par-3 14th.

Maccario, who got married on Sept. 18 and had his wife Meredith on the bag this week, was able to stay alive on 16 with a birdie, although the match was pushed to dormie. Each player made a 5 on the par-5 17th , and Costanza advanced to the finals with a 2-and-1 win.

On to the final

After the USGA trophies were placed on the No. 1 tee, the first 18 holes of the 36-hole final match got underway, and it was a nervy start for Costanza.

His opening tee shot found the hazard area left of the fairway, forcing a provisional. He would immediately go 1 down after making a double bogey. They halved three holes in a row, with Costanza getting up-and-down on multiple occasions to stay alive, while Hagestad was hitting fairways and greens.

But Hagestad’s win on the par-4 5th started a dominating stretch. He won six of the next seven holes, pushing his lead to 7 up through 11.

On the par-5 17th, Hagestad hit a great chip from short of the green to all but guarantee a birdie. Costanza hit an average shot from the right greenside bunker to about 12 feet, but buried the must-make putt.

On 18, Hagestad and Costanza found the fairway, and both had wedges in hand to attack for closing birdies. Costanza found the green with his approach; Hagestad made a rare mistake and flew the green long, leaving a difficult down hill chip from an awkward lie.

Costanza two-putted for par, while Hagestad struggled with his chip, leaving it 12 feet short, and then missing a sliding par bid.

Hagestad will sleep on a 5-up lead but knows it’s not over.

“I haven’t done a thing,” said Hagestad, who is now 19-3 in match play in this championship and could win his 20th on Friday. “[Costanza] gave me a couple holes early, but he’s got a ton of firepower. It’s a good start, but it’s not much more than that.”

On Friday, the two will resume their 36-hole final at 7:30 a.m. ET with Hagestad holding a 5-up lead.

The champion will earn a gold medal and will take possession of the Robert T. Jones Memorial Trophy for one year, as well as exemptions into the 2022 U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, the 2022 Masters Tournament, the next 10 U.S. Mid-Amateurs and the next two U.S. Amateurs.