WHO’S HERE – Among the 264 golfers in the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur field, there are:
Oldest Competitors: Paul Simson (64, born 5-10-51), Pat Tallent (62, born 8-12-53), Dave Ryan (61, born 3-27-54), David Delich (58, born 12-27-56), Randal Lewis (58, born 5-8-57)
Youngest Competitors: Nathan Young (25, born 8-19-90), Dale Smith (25, born 8-8-90), Anthony Ciaccio (25, born 7-11-90), Mike Smith (25, born 7-1-90), Michael Muscatell (25, born 6-23-90)
Average Age of Field: 37.12
U.S. States Represented – There are 43 states represented in the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur: California (28), Texas (22), Georgia (15), Florida (14), Illinois (14), Pennsylvania (14), New York (11), North Carolina (10), Michigan (10), Ohio (10), Virginia (8), Massachusetts (7), Tennessee (6), Arizona (5), Minnesota (5), Mississippi (5), Colorado (4), Iowa (4), South Carolina (4), Washington (4), Alabama (3), Indiana (3), Kansas (3), Kentucky (3), Nebraska (3), Nevada (3), New Jersey (3), Oklahoma (3), Utah (3), Connecticut (2), Idaho (2), Louisiana (2), Maryland (2), Oregon (2), Wisconsin (2), Alaska (1), Arkansas (1), Delaware (1), Missouri (1), New Mexico (1), Rhode Island (1), Vermont (1), West Virginia (1) and the District of Columbia (1).
International – There are nine countries represented in the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur: United States (248), Canada (5), England (3), Australia (1), Jamaica (1), the Republic of Korea (1), the Republic of Moldova (1), Puerto Rico (1) and Wales (1).
USGA Champions (12): Scott Harvey (2014 Mid-Amateur), Jack Larkin (1979 Junior Amateur), Randal Lewis (2011 Mid-Amateur), Kevin Marsh (2005 Mid-Amateur), Mike McCoy (2013 Mid-Amateur), Greg Puga (2000 Mid-Amateur), Paul Simson (2010, 2012 Senior Amateur), Nathan Smith (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 Mid-Amateur; 2015 Amateur Four-Ball), Pat Tallent (2014 Senior Amateur), Todd White (2015 Amateur Four-Ball), Steve Wilson (2008 Mid-Amateur), Dave Womack (2006 Mid-Amateur)
USGA Runners-Up (5): Randal Lewis (1996 Mid-Amateur), Bryan Norton (2003 Mid-Amateur; 2014 Senior Amateur), Brad Nurski (2014 Mid-Amateur), Pat Tallent (2010 Senior Amateur), Bill Williamson (2013 Mid-Amateur)
Played in 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur (41): Brian Ahern, Keith Blythe, Ryan Brimley, Eric Burch, Chris Cassetta, Patrick Christovich, Michael Cushing, Brian Edick, Jeffrey Fortson, Jeff Frazier, Jaime Girardi, Jeff Golden, Denver Haddix, Michael Harrington, Scott Harvey, Keith Humerickhouse, Josh Irving, John Kelly, Randal Lewis, Kevin Marsh, Mike McCoy, Stephen McKalko, Rich Messina, Michael Muehr, Brad Nurski, Jeffrey Osberg, Bob Royak, Joseph Saladino, Matthew Salane, John Sawin, Corby Segal, Nathan Smith, Charlie Stevens, Matthew Swan, Tom Werkmeister, Todd White, Brad Wilder, Bill Williamson, Steve Wilson, Dave Womack, Andrew Wyatt
Played in 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur (43): Joe Alfieri, Chad Bolt, Jim Chang, Patrick Christovich, Packard Dewitt, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Fawcett, Matthew Fields, Brad Gibson, Michael Greene, Steven Groover, Scott Harvey, Colby Harwell, Aaron Hickman, Bryan Hoops, Keith Humerickhouse, Blake Johnson, Randal Lewis, Kevin Marsh, Andy McCabe, Mike McCoy, Michael McDermott, Brad McFadden, Robby McWilliams, Bryan Norton, Matt Parziale, Michael Pearson, Clint Provost, Bob Royak, Dave Ryan, Joseph Saladino, Corby Segal, Paul Simson, Craig Smith, Nathan Smith, Matthew Swan, Keith Unikel, Jay Whitby, Todd White, Bill Williamson, Jeff Wilson, Steve Wilson, Dave Womack
Played in 2015 U.S. Open: (none)
Played in 2015 U.S. Senior Open (8): Dave Bunker, Dave Delich, Jack Larkin, Mike McCoy, Bryan Norton, Dave Ryan, Pat Tallent, Jeff Wilson
Played in 2015 U.S. Amateur (13): Scott Harvey, Josh Irving, Mike McCoy, Michael Muehr, Bryan Norton, Brad Nurski, Andrew Price, Corby Segal, Nathan Smith, Pat Tallent, Keith Unikel, Todd White, Jake Yount
Played in 2015 U.S. Senior Amateur (7): Nick Lambos, Randal Lewis, Bryan Norton, Dave Ryan, Paul Simson, Glenn Smeraglio, Pat Tallent
Played in 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (30): Cory Bacon, Matthew Collins, Mike Cromer, Brian Csipkes, Jim Dunlap, Daniel Eggertsson, Gene Elliott, Jeffrey Fortson, Scott Harvey, Erik Heggelund, Satch Herrmann, Keith Humerickhouse, Danny Lovell, Kevin Marsh, James Mastaglio, Mike McCoy, Tim Mickelson, David Noll Jr., Brian Noonan, Brad Nurski, Darrin Overson, Jon Peterson, Daniel Ragsdale, Nathan Smith, Andrew Tapia, Keith Unikel, Michael Walker, Todd White, Andrew Wyatt, Jake Yount
Played in 2015 Walker Cup Match (2): Scott Harvey, Mike McCoy
Played in 2013 Walker Cup Match (2): Nathan Smith, Todd White
Played in 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links (3): Michael Greene, Philip Lee, John Wright
PLAYER NOTES:
Charlie Blanchard, 50, of Warwick, R.I., is in his fifth year as head golf coach at Bryant University, where he led the Bulldogs to an NCAA appearance and Northeast Conference championship in 2014. Blanchard, who was previously Bryant’s assistant lacrosse coach, played seven years for the National Lacrosse League’s Boston Blazers and was a two-time All-America midfielder at Ohio Wesleyan University. He is competing in his 14th USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Dave Bunker, 50, of Canada, qualified for his first U.S. Senior Open and second USGA championship this year at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, Calif. He has used his summer vacation from teaching physical education and health studies to Lawrence Heights Middle School students in Ontario to put together a solid amateur career. Bunker won three consecutive Canadian Mid-Amateur Championships from 2008-10, one Ontario Amateur and three Ontario Mid-Amateurs. He raised twin daughters, Kristine and Sandra, who went on to be collegiate swimmers at Cleveland State University.
Mike Christensen, 38, of Minneapolis, Minn., caddied for Kevin Streelman on the PGA Tour for five years. Christensen, who was Streelman’s college teammate at Duke University, now works in sales for Medtronic Advanced Energy, an electrosurgical product company. He has played in four USGA championships, but last competed in the 1998 U.S. Amateur.
Patrick Christovich, 37, of New Orleans, La., is playing in his fourth consecutive U.S. Mid-Amateur and advanced to the quarterfinals last year. Christovich, a realtor, helped Louisiana tie for fifth in the 2014 USGA Men’s State Team Championship and is competing in his 10th USGA championship. In 2015, he was runner-up in the Birmingham National Invitational (lost in playoff) and tied for fifth in the Azalea Invitational.
Brian Csipkes, 44, of Gretna, Neb., was a professional bowler in the 1990s and rolled six 300 games. Csipkes, who is a certified public accountant, has competed in four USGA championships, including this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with his brother, Jay. In 2013, he drove 12 hours to Columbus, Ohio, and slept overnight in his car in the club parking lot to play in a U.S. Open sectional qualifier.
Sean Daly, 34, of Visalia, Calif., shared medalist honors with a 69 at the Arroyo Grande, Calif., sectional qualifier. Daly, who appeared in Golf Channel’s Big Break II in 2004, started playing golf at age 20 and is competing in his first USGA championship. Daly, who works for a produce packaging company, was selected in the 10th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies as a first baseman and catcher.
David Delich, 58, of Colorado Springs, Colo., is competing in his fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur and 11th USGA championship. Delich, who was selected in the seventh round of the 1976 NHL Draft by the Minnesota North Stars, led the USA to a gold medal in the 1983 World Championship and nearly made the 1980 USA Olympic “Miracle on Ice” team roster. Delich, who played in the 2008 U.S. Senior Open and works in commercial real estate, is a member of the Colorado College athletic hall of fame and is the hockey program’s all-time top scorer with 285 points (111 goals, 174 assists).
Packard Dewitt, 51, of Germantown, Tenn., is a colon cancer survivor who was a college teammate of two-time major champion John Daly at the University of Arkansas. Dewitt, who works in promotional sales and food distribution, is competing in his 10th USGA championship and fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur. He played in the 1994 U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
Marc Dull, 29, of Lakeland, Fla., is the grandson of Dexter Daniels, who won the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship in 1961 and 1966, Dull, a caddie at Streamsong Resort in Florida, was the medalist in Mid-Amateur sectional qualifying with a 3-under-par 69 on his home course. Dull regained his amateur status 20 months ago after playing on professional mini-tours.
Daniel Eggertsson, 32, of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., is playing in his second USGA championship after competing in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Eggertsson, who is a manager for a commercial painting contractor, was a consensus NCAA Division III All-America punter at Franklin & Marshall College, where he had a 40.8-yard average as a senior. He is also among the program’s career leaders in PATs made (71).
Gene Elliott, 53, of West Des Moines, Iowa, is competing in his 24th USGA championship. Elliott, who has reached match play in all 10 U.S. Mid-Amateurs played, helped Iowa to a third-place finish in the 2014 USGA Men’s State Team Championship. Elliott was a 2006 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist and reached match play in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Mike McCoy. Elliott, who owns a sanitation and street equipment company, had open-heart surgery in 2000.
Jeronimo Esteve, 34, of Puerto Rico, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2001 but is now in recovery following radiation treatments. Esteve, who is a general manager of a Florida car dealership, is playing in his fourth USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur. He is a National Auto Sport Association instructor, teaching drivers to handle high performance cars on a variety of circuits.
Scott Fawcett, 42, of Dallas, Texas, is a reinstated amateur who advanced through all four stages of qualifying school to earn a Nationwide Tour card in 2008. Fawcett, who served as Will Zalatoris’ caddie when he won the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, is playing in his fourth USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur. He works as an energy consultant for commercial properties.
Mark Gardiner, 52, of Schertz, Texas, is a retired Air Force chief master sergeant. He made the Air Force’s golf team 13 times, competed on the U.S. Armed Forces team on 11 occasions, playing in both national and international competitions, and is a four-time winner of the Air Force Golf Championship. Gardiner estimates he has played in a dozen different countries, including a match against a Ugandan general who was the third man in charge of his nation’s army. His wife, Michelle (a master sergeant), and son, Jaime (a staff sergeant), continue to serve in the U.S. Air Force. Gardiner, who competed in the 2014 U.S. Senior Open, has also qualified for a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) event.
Jeff Golden, 30, of Jacksonville, Fla., is an assistant tennis pro at Julington Creek Plantation. Golden, who played golf at Rollins College, was reinstated as an amateur last year. He has played in four USGA championships, including the 2007 U.S. Open. His father, Jay, is a teaching professional.
Denver Haddix, 35, of Lexington, Ky., reached the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinals in his first USGA championship. Haddix, who works as a certified residential real property appraiser, was the runner-up in last year’s Kentucky State Amateur. Haddix, who grew up in a rural part of the state with no courses in his county, won the 2014 Kentucky Match Play and was a quarterfinalist this year. He was diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and is 85 percent deaf in one year.
Mark Harding, 55, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., won three U.S. National Outdoor Racquetball doubles championships (1982, 1983, 1985). Harding, who manages a supply chain consulting firm, is playing in his second U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Michael Harrington, 43, of Colorado Springs, Colo., is competing in his fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur and reached the quarterfinals last year at Saucon Valley Country Club. Harrington, who is a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley, is playing in his 10th USGA championship. He has won consecutive Colorado Golf Association Mid-Amateur Match Play titles (2014, 2015) and was twice chosen CGA Mid-Amateur of the Year (2009, 2014).
Scott Harvey, 37, of Greensboro, N.C., was one of two mid-amateurs on the 2015 USA Walker Cup squad. He won the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur by defeating Brad Nurski, 6 and 5, in the final, which earned him an invitation to the 2015 Masters, where he missed the cut. He and partner Todd Mitchell reached the semifinals of the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at The Olympic Club. Harvey, who is a property manager for S&K Triad Properties, won the 2015 South American Amateur in Lima, Peru, by two strokesKim . He has played in 17 USGA championships, including seven Mid-Amateurs. Harvey’s late father, Bill, who taught him the game, played in 23 USGA championships, including 15 U.S. Amateurs.
Scott Hasley, 41, of Winnetka, Ill., qualified for his second U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship by advancing in a 3-for-2 playoff at the Golf, Ill., sectional qualifier. Hasley returned to Glen View Club from the airport for the playoff without his clubs and won a spot with borrowed clubs. He still made his flight, which was delayed, with his clubs aboard. Hasley, who is a financial asset manager, trains for golf by playing platform tennis.
Brian Katrek, 42, of Mableton, Ga., hosts both a weekday morning program (Teed Off with Brian Katrek) and handles PGA Tour Network play-by-play on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Katrek, who is competing in his first USGA championship and started playing golf at age 25, has also caddied on the PGA, Champions and LPGA tours and was once the mascot of the International Hockey League’s Atlanta Knights.
Alexsei Koika, 39, of the Republic of Moldova, became the first golfer from his country to qualify for a USGA championship when he played in the 2012 U.S. Amateur. He grew up as a swimmer and competed on Moldova’s national team in the 100-meter butterfly and 200- and 400-meter individual medley. Koika, who caddies part-time at San Francisco Golf Club, owns a flooring company.
Jack Larkin, 54, of Atlanta, Ga., is competing in his 12th USGA championship and qualified for this year’s U.S. Senior Open at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, Calif. Larkin, who is playing in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur since 1999, works in sales for Pacific Southern Wine Company. Larkin, whose son is a freshman golfer at the University of Georgia, won the 1979 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Randal Lewis, 58, of Alma, Mich., is competing in his 31st USGA championship and 12th U.S. Mid-Amateur. He became the oldest winner in U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship history by defeating Kenny Cook, 3 and 2, at age 54 at Shadow Hawk Golf Club. Lewis, who has a 21-8 match-play record in Mid-Amateurs, 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 advanced to the U.S. Senior Amateur semifinals last year.
Endel Liias, 34, of the District of Columbia, founded Ninos con Valor, an organization that supports abandoned and high-risk youth in Bolivia, in 2005. Liias, who works as an investment consultant, has traveled to more than 50 countries and has lived in Bolivia and New Zealand. Liias, an All-Ivy League golfer at the University of Pennsylvania, is playing in his fourth USGA championship and second U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Stephen Marland, 48, of England, was a college soccer striker at American University. He played as a freshman in the 1985 NCAA final, losing to UCLA in eight overtimes, and earned all-conference recognition as a junior. Marland, who works as a broker for an energy company, was a member of England’s U-18 national squad. He is competing in his second U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Kevin Marsh, 42, of Henderson, Nev., won the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. A commercial real estate developer, Marsh is playing in his 12th Mid-Amateur and owns a 24-9 match-play record in this championship. In addition to his 2005 title, he has advanced to the semifinals three times (2007, 2013, 2014) and the quarterfinals in 2004.
James Mastaglio, 39, of Garden City, N.Y., was an All-Ivy League basketball guard at Princeton University who played on three NCAA Tournament squads. The Tigers won a pair of first-round games, including a 1996 upset of defending champion UCLA. Mastaglio, who works in the hedge-fund industry, is a four-time club champion at Cherry Valley Club. He played in his first USGA championship earlier this year at the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball.
Mike McCoy, 52, of Des Moines, Iowa, became the third-oldest Walker Cup competitor (52 years, 9 months and 11 days) in the international competition’s history when he competed this year at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. McCoy was low amateur in both the 2014 and 2015 U.S. Senior Opens, tying the record for lowest 72-hole score by an amateur (282) this year at Del Paso Country Club. McCoy won the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur, becoming the second-oldest champion at age 50. He advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-Amateur in 2005 and 2008. A10-time Iowa Player of the Year, McCoy works in the insurance business and is an Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member (2011). A collegiate golfer at Wichita State University, he has played in 45 USGA championships, including 16 Mid-Amateurs.
Tim Mickelson, 38, of Tempe, Ariz., is the head golf coach at Arizona State University and the brother of Phil Mickelson, who won the 1990 U.S. Amateur and is a six-time U.S. Open runner-up. Mickelson, who was chosen 2015 Pacific 12 Conference Coach of the Year and currently coaches 2015 Mark H. McCormack Medal winner Jon Rahm, is playing in his 10th USGA championship and fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur. He advanced to the Mid-Amateur quarterfinals in 2007 and 2010 and played in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball.
Michael Muehr, 43, of Potomac Falls, Va., is competing in his fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur. He advanced to match play in his four previous appearances, including the quarterfinals in 2011. Muehr was diagnosed with melanoma in 2003 and is the founder of Golf Pros Beating Cancer, a charitable foundation in Virginia. He underwent successful treatment and surgery. He is playing in his 15th USGA championship.
Bryan Norton, 56, of Mission Hills, Kan., is competing in his 24th USGA championship and seventh U.S. Mid-Amateur. Norton, who works in insurance and is president of the Kansas Golf Association, was the runner-up in the 2003 U.S. Mid-Amateur, where he was forced to concede the final match to Nathan Smith due to a calf injury. Norton was also the runner-up in the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur and tied for 31st in the 1990 Open Championship, conducted by The R&A, at St. Andrews.
Brad Nurski, 36, of St. Joseph, Mo., was the runner-up to Scott Harvey in the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He is playing in his ninth USGA championship and advanced to the Round of 32 in this year’s U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Nurski, who also shared co-medalist honors in last year’s Mid-Amateur, works as a conductor and switchman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway. He claimed the 2010 Missouri State Amateur title.
Sam O’Dell, 37, of Hurricane, W.Va., has a family and cosmetic dentistry practice. He graduated from the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in 2005. O’Dell, who is competing in his sixth USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur, missed the cut by two strokes in the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic this year. He also won his second West Virginia State Amateur, a wire-to-wire, five-stroke victory. O’Dell earned all-conference and all-academic recognition at Marshall University.
Matt Parziale, 28, of Brockton, Mass., is a firefighter with the Brockton Fire Department. Parziale, whose father, Vic, has worked for the same fire department for more than 30 years, is playing in his fourth USGA championship and second U.S. Mid-Amateur. Parziale was reinstated as an amateur two years ago after competing on the NGA Hooters and eGolf tours and making three trips to PGA Tour Qualifying School. He won this year’s Massachusetts Mid-Amateur by a record 15 strokes.
Jay Potter, 46, of Tullahoma, Tenn., is a network technical specialist with the U.S. Air Force and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1991-95. He was a member of the All-Marine and Inter-Service golf teams. Potter, who is also a high school baseball and football official, is competing in his third USGA championship and second U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Greg Puga, 44, of Long Beach, Calif., won the 2000 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and was a quarterfinalist in the 2001 U.S. Amateur Public Links. Puga, who was reinstated as an amateur last year, was once a caddie for LPGA players Lizette Salas and Ryann O’Toole and worked for seven years at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. Puga is competing in his 12th USGA championship.
Daniel Ragsdale, 38, of Oak Park, Calif., won the 1999 Gagliardi Trophy for being NCAA Division III’s top college football player. He passed for 3,363 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior quarterback at the University of the Redlands and went to play professionally in both the Arena Football League and National Indoor Football League. Ragsdale, an insurance broker, competed in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Satchel Herrmann, who is also in 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur field, and the 2011 Mid-Amateur.
Travis Russell, 31, of Arlington, Va., is playing in his first USGA championship. His younger brother, Evan, has competed in four USGA championships, including this year’s inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Travis was a college hockey goaltender at the University of Vermont from 2002-06, where he finished with a 3.07 goals against average and 1,291 saves. Russell, who works in financial services and coaches youth hockey in Washington, D.C., made a school-record 52 saves against Harvard.
John Sawin, 30, of San Francisco, Calif., is competing in his fourth USGA championship. In 2014, he left his job in financial services to play a full season of amateur golf. He qualified for the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur in the same week and won the Pennsylvania State Amateur at Oakmont Country Club. Sawin, who produced a website and blog about his golf adventures, is a four-time club champion at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., and served as a caddie in the 2013 U.S. Open.
Corby Segal, 44, of Santa Clarita, Calif., is competing in his fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur. Segal, who caddies on the PGA Tour for Briny Baird and has also worked for Brandt Jobe, has played in three U.S. Amateurs. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mid-Amateur in 2012 and the Round of 32 the following year. Segal won the 2012 Burbank City Amateur by eight strokes, including a final-round 65.
Paul Simson, 64, of Raleigh, N.C., is the oldest player in this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur field and is competing in his 58th USGA championship. Simson is playing in his 17th Mid-Amateur and was a semifinalist in 1998. He has won two U.S. Senior Amateurs (2010, 2012) and claimed three Seniors Amateur titles (2006, 2008, 2010), conducted by The R&A. Simson is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Nathan Smith, 37, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion (2003, 2009, 2010, 2012) and a member of three USA Walker Cup Teams (2009, 2011, 2013). He also won this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title with partner Todd White. When he won the 2003 Mid-Amateur, he became the youngest champion. Smith, who has played in 34 USGA championships and works as an investment advisor, became the first player to win four Mid-Amateurs. In 2007, he became the first golfer to win the Western Pennsylvania Tournament of Champions, Mid-Amateur and Amateur in the same year.
Charlie Stevens, 46, of Wichita, Kan., is a member of a golf family. His father, Johnny, won two Kansas State Amateur titles and played in 11 USGA championships. His son, Sam, is a sophomore on the Oklahoma State University team and competed in this year’s U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Charlie, who is playing in his fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur, won the 2010 Kansas State Amateur. He manages and develops real estate for March Oil Company.
Scott Storck, 45, of Philadelphia, Pa., reached the national finals of Bubble Hockey in 2004 and 2005 and was ranked as a competitor. Strock, who is president of Keystone Title Services, is competing in his first USGA championship. His brother, Chris, qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur last year.
Matt Sughrue, 56, of Arlington, Va., recently became a psychotherapist following 25 years working as an insurance professional. Sughrue earned a master’s degree in human development and marriage & family therapy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 2012. He is a therapist for SERVE, a 90-bed homeless shelter for families and also works with elite golfers, swimmers and baseball players with regard to performance. He is competing in his 10th USGA championship and fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Pat Tallent, 62, of Vienna, Va., is the second-oldest player in this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur field. He is competing in his 31st USGA championship. Tallent, who won the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur, has reached match play in three of his previous six U.S. Mid-Amateur appearances. He also won the 2015 Seniors Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A, at Royal County Down. Tallent, who has also played in five U.S. Senior Opens, was selected in the 1976 NBA Draft’s sixth round by the Washington Bullets.
Justin Tereshko, 25, of Jamestown, N.C., recently completed his first season as the men’s golf coach at Guilford College, where he guided the Quakers to an eighth-place finish in the NCAA Division III Championship, an Old Dominion Athletic Conference title and produced a pair of All-America players. Tereshko, who reached the Round of 32 in the 2014 U.S. Amateur, was the runner-up in the 2015 North Carolina State Amateur and won the North Carolina Open by five strokes, including a second-round 61.
Keith Unikel, 36, of Potomac, Md., is competing in his sixth USGA championship and third this year. He reached the Round of 32 with partner Trevor Randolph in the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and qualified for the U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Unikel, a vice president at Merrill Lynch, advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2013 Mid-Amateur. He twice earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference and national academic honors at the University of Maryland.
Michael Walker, 37, of Marstons Mills, Mass., serves as general manager of Cape Cod National Golf Club. He is the second member of his family to play in a USGA championship. His mother, Linda, competed in the 1966 U.S. Women’s Open as an amateur. Michael qualified with partner Bill Vanstratum for the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at The Olympic Club. It was his first USGA event.
Tom Werkmeister, 47, of Kentwood, Mich., is competing in his sixth U.S. Mid-Amateur and advanced to the semifinals last year. Werkmeister, who is a three-time Golf Association of Michigan Player of the Year, was inducted into the state’s golf hall of fame in 2013. Werkmeister, who works in Internet sales, is an accomplished bowler who has recorded a 300 game eight times and carries a 225 average in three leagues. He is playing in his 12th USGA championship.
Ben Westgate, 35, of Wales, is a geotechnical mining engineer with SRK Consulting Limited, a company which provides advice and solutions to earth and water resource industries. He has a Ph.D. in geotechnical engineering and an M.A. in contemporary art. Westgate won the 2008 Welsh Amateur and was runner-up the previous year. He helped Wales tie for 11th, along with 2015 GB&I Walker Cup captain Nigel Edwards, in the 2008 World Amateur Team Championship in Australia.
Todd White, 47, of Spartanburg, S.C., is playing in his fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur and reached the semifinals in 2012 and quarterfinals last year. White won the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Nathan Smith. White, who is competing in his 18th USGA championship, is a high school history teacher. He helped the USA to a 17-9 victory in the 2013 Walker Cup Match, held at The National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. White won the 2015 Azalea Invitational by two strokes.
Pete Williams, 33, of Moscow, Idaho, is competing in his first USGA championship after carding a 68 to earn one of five spots from the Vista, Calif., sectional qualifier. Williams, who is self-employed in insurance, caddied for his brother, Chris, in the 2011 U.S. Open. Chris won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the world’s top-ranked amateur, played on the 2011 USA Walker Cup Team and is now a professional.
Bill Williamson, 38, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is playing in his fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur and was the runner-up to Mike McCoy at Birmingham (Ala.) Country Club in 2013. Williamson, an attorney, is competing in his 12th USGA championship and helped Ohio tie for eighth in the 2014 USGA Men’s State Team Championship. He is a three-time Greater Cincinnati Player of the Year (2012, 2013, 2014).
Jeff Wilson, 52, of Fairfield, Calif., is the general sales manager at an automobile dealership. He abandoned a professional golfer’s life, bouncing around mini-tours, for a more stable career path. Wilson, who was reinstated as an amateur in 1997, is competing in his 29th USGA championship. He advanced to the U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinals in 2001 and 2002 and was a quarterfinalist three times. Wilson, whose son, Jack, is a senior on the Brown University golf team, was the low amateur in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.
Steve Wilson, 45, of Ocean Springs, Miss., won the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur by defeating Todd Mitchell, 5 and 4, in the final at Milwaukee Country Club in River Hills, Wis. He advanced to the Mid-Amateur quarterfinals the following year in defense of his title. Wilson, a gas station owner, is playing in his 11th USGA championship.
Dave Womack, 36, of McDonough, Ga., captured the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur by defeating Ryan Hybl, 1 up, at Highlands Golf Club (Canyon Course) in Flagstaff, Ariz. Womack, an insurance agent, is playing in his 10th Mid-Amateur. He also played in three U.S. Amateurs and the 1995 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Jake Yount, 28, of Danville, Calif., is competing in his fifth USGA championship and third this year. Yount and partner Tim Mickelson, who is also in the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur field, advanced to the Round of 16 in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Mickelson was Yount’s head coach at the University of San Diego from 2005-09. Yount, who also qualified for this year’s U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club, is a regional sales manager for Riverbed Technology, an application performance company.
