Davis upends No. 2 seed in U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship

For the fourth time in the last two months, the No. 63 seed advanced from the Round of 64 at a USGA championship. On Monday at the 44th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, Ian Davis, of Edmond, Okla., defeated co-medalist and No. 2 seed Patrick Dewey, of Jupiter, Fla., 3 and 2, at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale.

Davis, 36, a former Oklahoma State standout who regained his amateur status in 2022 and won the Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship that same year, used four consecutive winning holes from Nos. 6–10 to take a comfortable lead early. He became the first player to eliminate a Mid-Amateur medalist in the opening round since 2021.

“My caddie (Eddie Lakey) was asking me about if seeding mattered really,” Davis said. “As long as you make it into match play, anything can happen.”

Top-seeded Cody Massa, of Cave Creek, Ariz., survived his opening match against playoff qualifier Troy Vannucci, 2 and 1, while younger brother and 2024 runner-up Bobby Massa eliminated reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion Louis Brown, 3 and 2.

“I was thinking that yesterday,” said Massa on having earned co-medalist honors. “I wasn’t sure I wanted that because it feels like added pressure. When I finished yesterday, I didn’t think there was any way that I would be medalist. I was shocked, but it was super cool.”

Defending champion Evan Beck, of Virginia Beach, Va., advanced with a 3-and-1 victory, while three-time champion Stewart Hagestad, of Newport Beach, Calif., defeated 2018 champion Kevin O’Connell, 6 and 5.

“It’s very different for sure. Been trying to figure out distances, it seems like later in the day the ball just goes forever,” Beck said. “I think we’re getting adjusted.”

Other notable players to advance include two of the remaining Arizonans in the field: 2024 semifinalist Drew Kittleson, of Scottsdale, Ariz., who won 5 and 3, and Phoenix resident Chris Kamin who edged Gregor Orlando, 1 up. No. 4 seed Ryan O’Rear advanced in 20 holes after his opponent’s caddie mistakenly rode in a golf cart to the teeing area of the 20th (hole No. 2).

What’s Next
Match play continues on Tuesday morning with the Round of 32, which will be played off split tees due to available daylight, followed in the afternoon by the Round of 16 off No.1. In the morning, matches in the upper half of the bracket will begin on No. 1 at 6:50 a.m. MST and continue in 10-minute intervals. Matches in the lower half of the bracket will start off the 10th tee at 6:50 a.m. and continue in 10-minute intervals. The first Round-of-16 match is scheduled for noon and will also continue in 10-minute intervals. Admission is free, and spectators are encouraged to attend.

Notable

• The 10-for-3 playoff for the final match-play spots concluded in two holes and lasted 55 minutes, with Davis, Matt Cohn and Vannucci advancing. The cutline of 4-over 146 tied for the fifth lowest in championship history. The record is 142, established at Sankaty Head Golf Club in 2021 and Kinloch Golf Club a year ago.
• Of the 39 competitors who were fully exempt for the championship, just 14 advanced to match play.
• Only four international competitors were among the final 64: Daniel Faccini (Colombia), Harrison Arnold (England), Aidan Gavey (Canada) and Mateo Pulcini (Argentina), who at 25 years, 14 days, is the youngest among the qualifiers. He was the second-youngest player in the championship. Faccini was the lone player to advance, defeating Nicholas Dentino, 2 and 1. Lukas Michel (Australia, 2019) and Matthew McClean (Northern Ireland, 2022) are the only two international champions in U.S. Mid-Amateur history.
• Besides the Ryan O’Rear 20-hole victory, one other match went extra holes with Denver Haddix defeating Harrison Arnold on the 19th hole.
• Brandon Holtz, a Bloomington, Ill., native, played four seasons (2005-09) at Division I Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference. He pursued professional golf after graduating in 2009 and regained his amateur status a year ago. This edition of the U.S. Mid-Amateur is Holtz’s first USGA championship. In his debut, he defeated 2025 U.S. Open qualifier and dentist Matt Vogt, 5 and 4, on Monday’s Round of 64.

Quotable
“It’s great, we’ve got to make it to the semifinals so we can tussle. That’s the goal.” – Cody Massa when asked about his brother Bobby’s victory on Monday

“It was a little sloppy. I think there is a couple things to work on. I think neither one of us had our best stuff, but I grinded out a couple [of] pars and luckily it was good enough.” – Stewart Hagestad

“I don’t love desert golf. I just don’t know really how far [the ball] goes. We’re kind of learning as the week goes [on]. My brother [Cody] definitely likes it. He has a huge advantage of just playing out here all the time and knowing how far the ball goes.” – Bobby Massa

“My stepmom, I didn’t know she was here. My wife came for the first time this week for like eight holes because she had to go pick up my kid from school. Just a couple pals and random people from Desert Highlands and Whisper Rock, and some staff at Whisper Rock. I feel grateful to be supported. It felt good…Probably like 15 people.” – Drew Kittleson on his gallery