Newport Beach, California native Stewart Hagestad made the move to the Met Area during the summer of 2014. Treating golf as a high priority, Hagestad wasted little time getting involved with the area's golf community. The former USC golfer competed in his first MGA events during the 2015 season, bursting upon the MGA scene with a solo second finish at Friar's Head in the Ike Championship. His quality golf continued throughout the summer, as he made a run to the semifinals of the Met Amateur, won the Mittelmark Invitational and competed in his sixth U.S. Amateur to finish the season on the MGA's Player of the Year Honor Roll.

We had a chance to catch up with Hagestad for an insightful Q&A and had him answer some survey style questions:

MGA:	What were your expectations as you competed in MGA events for the first time in 2015?
SH:	Friar’s Head, Baltusrol, and Winged Foot hosted the majors for the MGA in 2015. That’s a pretty iconic slate of courses in a calendar year, especially for amateurs.  The competition is also second-to-none, with a history of top-tier, nationally ranked amateurs hailing from this section. Whatever expectations I had coming in have been surpassed.

MGA:	You represented the MGA in the Carey Cup at Metedeconk National. What will you remember most from that event?
SH:	Team events are absolutely the most fun events. The camaraderie, competition, and then the opportunity to spend time with your teammates after the competition creates memories that stay with you forever. As for the competition aspect, the emotion and excitement of each round is amplified. You obviously want to win every event you enter, but even more so when teammates are counting on you.
MGA:	Being from California, have you experienced snow and this kind of a forced off-time from golf before?
SH:	The biggest difference is any time I had ever taken time off before moving to New York, the decision was completely my choice. While I am very comfortable taking time away from the game, my hand is obviously forced due to the weather. There is nothing I can do about it though, so I try to look for the positives. By the time May comes around, I can’t wait to get out on the course. In a way, the winter break from golf is almost a blessing in disguise. During the playing season, the desire to play and compete is much more intense knowing that the season is relatively limited. That said, I do find time to sneak back to California to play a bit while visiting family for the holidays.
MGA:	Are there any particular events that you’re really looking forward to this summer?
SH:	I would love to get another shot at the Ike this year at Essex County CC. I’m still blown away by Cameron Young’s third round, bogey-free 66 at Friar’s Head—such a solid round of golf. The Met Amateur is another one I look forward to in ’16 at the Country Club of Fairfield.

MGA:	You’re one of several Met Area players that used an anchored putting stroke. What made you turn to that method and how long had you used it?
SH:	After PAC-12s my sophomore year of college, I was simply annoyed with how I was putting. I had putted poorly the whole spring season, and I felt like I needed to make a change to get some confidence flowing. Up until that point, I had always used a conventional, traditional-length putter. However, even after the change to the long putter, I have always tried to keep some degree of muscle memory with the traditional-length putter.
MGA:	How will you approach the new ban on anchored strokes?
SH:	I started committing to a different method after the Carey Cup last October. The putter I’m currently using is a counterbalance TaylorMade Spider +. The putter feels great in my hands, and I am very comfortable with the change. At the end of the day, no matter how you putt, you have to be confident. Whether it’s the stroke, the putter type, the technique you use, your routine… there are a lot of different ways to get the ball in the hole. The most important factor that separates the good from the great, is between your ears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MGA:	What’s your best round and where was it? What is your low round?
SH:	One of my best rounds that comes mind might have been a 73 (+2) in the first round of the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay. The weather was hot and windy, the greens were rock hard and rolling around at 15, and the golf course was playing uncontrollably firm and fast. Even though I didn’t make any putts that day (37 putts!), I still remember that particular round as the most comfortable I’ve ever felt standing over the ball. My low round, both in and out of competition, is 62 (-10).
MGA:	Any “good luck charms” you keep in the golf bag?
SH:	I have 3 coins I keep in my bag. One is from Augusta National, and it serves as motivation to one day play my way into the Masters as an amateur. One from Deepdale Golf Club, which I bought my senior year of college when I came to New York. I played one of the days on that trip with my father, and ever since I have always felt that the club is a special place. The coin has been in my bag ever since. The last coin is to remind me of a good friend I lost a few years ago, and that no matter what happens on the course, it’s a blessing just to be out there.

 

Strongest aspect of your game:	I feel like I am a solid ball-striker, but generally consistent from tee to green.
Favorite course in the Met Area:	National Golf Links of America
Favorite course outside the Met Area:	Augusta National Golf Club
Music on the range:	It depends. Anything that puts me in a positive frame of mind and is somewhat mellow. Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney are always in my starting line up.
Most common swing thought:	On my downswing: move from the ground up as I start my transition with the downswing and into impact.
Favorite golf memory:	Outside of playing for a team in any capacity (USC, Canon Cup, Carey Cup), anytime I get the chance to play with my father it’s special for me.
Preferred snack on the course:	Not really a snack, but I love a great Arnold Palmer.
Pre-round rituals or superstitions:	I always stretch before getting to the course during competitions, and I only use white tees.
Go-to shot:	A baby fade
"Can't miss" club:	Driver
Favorite golf movie:	As timeless as Caddyshack is, I have to say Happy Gilmore.
Other hobbies outside of golf:	Skiing, surfing, volleyball, really anything outside. If it’s near the beach, even better.