Wisconsin, United States: Mother Nature threw the 41st US Mid-Amateur Championship another curveball on Wednesday morning when fog caused a 30-minute delay for the resumption of the Round of 64 that was suspended due to darkness on Tuesday.
Following Sunday’s storm – four inches fell at Erin Hills – this was just another blip on the radar for the best 25-and-older golfers hoping to add their name to the Robert T. Jones Memorial Trophy and earn a spot in next year’s US Open at The Los Angeles Country Club.
The good news? Once the fog lifted, the 26 matches that weren’t completed on Tuesday, as along with the 16 second-round contests, were all concluded well before sunset.
Defending champion Stewart Hagestad, the highest-ranked player in the field at number eight in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), 2014 champion Scott Harvey, 2022 US Amateur Four-Ball champion Chad Wilfong, and 2021 US Mid-Amateur runner-up Mark Costanza, were among the notables to advance into the Round of 16.
Co-medallists Jake Shuman, and New Zealander Sam Jones, did not fare as well. Shuman was defeated by Bryce Hanstad, 2-up, and Jones by Scott Turner, 4 and 3. Before beating Christian Raynor 5 and 4 in the Round of 64, Jones was presented with his medal for finishing joint leader with Shurman after 36 holes of stroke play, on seven-under 134.
But the day’s most impressive performance belonged to 25-year-old Singaporean James Leow, who has yet to lose a hole through two rounds.
Leow, 60th in the WAGR, eliminated 2008 US Junior Amateur runner-up Evan Beck, 8 and 7, tying the fourth-largest margin of victory in an 18-hole match in this championship.
In 23 holes of match play, Leow has produced video-game-like numbers: 10 birdies and one bogey. He was six-under in his win over Beck - a continuation of a strong summer season for Leow, who graduated in May after helping Arizona State to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona.
In July, he led the International team to victory at the Arnold Palmer Cup in Switzerland and won the Pacific Coast Amateur in Oregon. He also represented his country in the World Amateur Team Championship in France at the start of the month. Singapore finished 21st as a team and he tied for 58th as an individual.
Before arriving at ASU as a 21-year-old freshman, Leow spent 22 months serving in the military as part of his country’s mandate for all males who reach their 18th birthday.
Next week, he heads to Stage I of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in Arizona, although he said his plans to turn professional at year’s end would change should he win the US Mid-Amateur, since the player must be an amateur to be eligible for the US Open exemption and likely invitation to next April’s Masters.
His golf through two stroke play rounds and two matches has looked worthy of a champion.
“I just feel like the key out here was hitting really good tee shots and just being on the fairway. I’ve done a great job about that, hitting the fairways, keeping it way down there in the fairway, hitting short or mid-irons into the green, and getting it close,” said Leow, who will next face Turner, conqueror of Kiwi Jones.
Hagestad spotted fellow-American Stephen Hale an early two-up lead, before taking four of the next five holes – three with birdies – in posting a 5-and-3 win.
The quarter-finalist in last month’s US Amateur, who also captured this title in 2016, is bidding to join Pennsylvanians Nathan Smith (four) and Jay Sigel (three) as the only players with three or more US Mid-Amateur titles, and Smith and Jim Stuart as the only players to successfully defend.
“It’s crossed my mind,” said 31-year-old Hagestad of possibly making history. “But I haven’t really given it a lot of thought. I talk to Nathan a lot. We’re very close. To be one step closer, that would be really cool. But just go back to the US Am. It’s not even that you can’t get ahead of yourself, it’s just like everyone is really good.”
Harvey, 44, was the victim of Hagestad’s 2016 triumph when he rallied from four- down late to post a 37-hole victory in one of the best 36-hole finals in championship history.
After defeating former Oklahoma State standout Trent Leon, 3 and 1, in his suspended Round-of-64 match, Harvey won the first three holes against Chris Thayer, before holding on for a hard-fought 3-and-1 victory.
Costanza eliminated Jason Steiner, 4 and 3. Wilfong registered a winning par on the 21st hole to defeat Yale graduate Thomas McCarthy.
Also advancing to the Round of 16 was 2014 runner-up Brad Nurski, a 6-and-5 winner over 2021 US Mid-Amateur quarter-finalist Christian Sease. The long-hitting left-hander won five of six holes in the middle of the match.
Andrew Paysse, brother-in-law of world number one and current Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, held off eighth seed and current University of San Diego assistant men’s golf coach Sam Faust, 1-up.