What ’ s in my bag ?
“ I think the only other match play event I ’ ve ever won was the Princess Anne Club Championship ,” Beck said with a chuckle . “ It ’ s tough . I ’ ve struggled with the format . It ’ s like every match is do or die . You really have to stay aggressive , and that ’ s something I ’ ve struggled with in the past , and it was something I was able to overcome that week .”
The path to the final wasn ’ t easy . Beck earned stroke-play co-medalist honors
20
NO .
As of late October , Beck rose to No . 20 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking .
with Argentinian Segundo Oliva Pinto and was seeded No . 2 in the 64-player match-play bracket . He was stretched to the limit in two matches and past the limit in a round of 16 battle with Miami ’ s Michael Buttacovoli . Beck trailed going to the 18th hole in that match and dialed up a brilliant approach for a tap-in birdie to extend the match , then finally won with a birdie on the par-5 3rd to advance in 21 holes .
PATH TO THE FINAL
Beck became just the second player to win the U . S . Mid-Am after losing in the previous year ’ s final match .
Stroke play qualifying : 68 at Independence , 65 at Kinloch – 133 ( T1 )
Round of 64 : def . ( 63 ) Cody Paladino , 5 and 3
Round of 32 : def . ( 31 ) Jackson Spires , 1 up
Round of 16 : def . ( 15 ) Michael Buttacavoli , 21 holes
Quarterfinals : def . ( 55 ) Connor Doyal , 1 up
Semifinals : def . ( 27 ) Stephen Behr Jr ., 5 and 3
CHAMPIONSHIP : def . ( 8 ) Bobby Massa , 9 and 8
In the quarterfinals against Connor Doyal , Beck squeezed out a par after hitting into gnarly , deep rough well short of the green on 18 to win and advance . After beating Stephen Behr Jr . in the semifinals , Beck ’ s mindset was laser focused on one thing : getting off to a hot start in the championship match , with the memory of Hagestad ’ s early ambush in the 2023 final fresh in his mind .
The story of the scheduled 36-hole final was simple . Beck hit every fairway . Massa — one of the longest hitters in the field — struggled to keep it out of the rough . The result was Beck surging to a 5-up lead through nine holes and an 8-up lead after 18 . Then came the chef ’ s kiss , as Beck hit a 40-foot birdie putt on the first hole of the afternoon 18 to push the lead to 9-up and signal that he wouldn ’ t stand for any comeback — eventually grinding out a 9-and-8 victory .
USGA CHAMPIONS FROM VIRGINIA
Evan Beck - 2024 Mid-Amateur Lauren Greenlief - 2015 Women ’ s Mid-Amateur Pat Tallent - 2014 Senior Amateur Vinny Giles - 1972 Amateur and 2009 Senior Amateur Virginia team : David Partridge , Keith Decker , Tom McKnight ( 1995 USGA State Team ) Curtis Strange - 1988 and 1989 U . S . Open Lanny Wadkins - 1970 Amateur Lew Worsham - 1947 U . S . Open
What ’ s in my bag ?
• Titleist TSR1 ( driver , 5-wood and 7-wood )
• Titleist u505 ( 4-iron )
• Titleist 718 ap 2 ( 5-iron through pitching wedge )
• Vokey wedges ( 52 degrees , 56 degrees , 60 degrees )
• Bettinardi studio stock arm-lock putter
• Titleist ProV1X ball
• Always uses a Princess Anne Country Club ball mark repair tool
• Always uses a 1960s quarter as a ball marker
LOGAN WHITTON , USGA vsga . org