Golfweek and the Midwestern Golf Association partner for the 15th annual National State Team Invitational to be held August 4-7, 2022 at Caledonia and True Blue Golf Club on Pawleys Island, SC. The National State Team Invitational is a tournament …
Golfweek and the Midwestern Golf Association partner for the 15th annual National State Team Invitational to be held August 4-7, 2022 at Caledonia and True Blue Golf Club on Pawleys Island, SC. The National State Team Invitational is a tournament within a tournament where individual and team champions will be crowned in both the Mid-Amateur and Senior divisions.
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.
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.
A talented field of amateur golfers are making their way to Nantucket for the 2021 edition at Sankaty Head Golf Club.
The 2020 U.S. Mid-Amateur was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the talented field of amateur golfers have made their way to Nantucket, Massachusetts, for the 2021 edition at Sankaty Head Golf Club.
All players in the field this week are 25 years or older and with a handicap index not exceeding 3.4. Players earned their way into the tournament by local qualifying or through a series of exemption categories.
Schedule
Participants will play two stoke-play rounds Sept. 25-26, one each at Sankaty Head and nearby Miacomet Golf Club.
The top 64 will then advance to a match-play bracket and all matches will be played at Sankaty Head. The final match is scheduled for Sept. 30 and will consist of 36 holes.
Golf courses
Miacomet Golf Club is Nantucket Island’s only public 18-hole golf course. It will be set up as a par 70, measuring in at 6,765 yards. Many of the fairways are generous off the tee, but a countless amount of bunkers and tall fescue await any off-target drive.
Much like Miacomet, Sankaty Head offers generous landing areas while fescue sits just a few steps off the short grass. Sankaty Head will measure in a shade shorter at 6,652 yards, but will also play as a par 70.
The views around this track are breathtaking, highlighted by the walk up 18 where the incredible clubhouse, American flag and Sankaty Head lighthouse are all visible. The ocean can also be seen through much of the routing, making this a perfect venue for the final 64.
Both courses are featured among Golfweek’s Best Courses in Massachusetts. Miacomet ranked second in best courses you can play, while Sankaty ranked 10th on the best private courses list.
Weather
The island of Nantucket has little protection from the wind. Combine that with a consistent tide crashing on shore and players will battle heavy gusts all week long.
Day
Conditions
Percent chance of rain
Wind & Direction
Saturday
Scattered Thunderstorms
54%
9 MPH (E)
Sunday
Mostly Sunny
24%
17 MPH (W)
Monday
Mostly Sunny
8%
20 MPH (W
Tuesday
Partly Cloudy
18%
16 MPH (WSW)
Wednesday
Scattered Thunderstorms
40%
15 MPH (NE)
Thursday
Partly Cloudy
24%
18 MPH (NNE)
Tee times
Stroke-play tee times will begin at 6:50 a.m. ET at both venues, with the last group teeing off at 1:30 p.m.
What’s at stake
The winner of next week’s U.S. Mid-Amateur will automatically receive an invitation to both the 2022 U.S. Open, and perhaps even better, the 2022 Masters.
Golfweek will have boots on the ground in Nantucket, so look forward to detailed coverage throughout next week.