Cavaliere, Hagestad Eliminated at U.S. Mid-Amateur
Christian Cavaliere during stroke play qualifying at the 43rd U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. Photo: USGA
UPDATE (September 24, 2024) -- Both Christian Cavaliere of Mahopac and Stewart Hagestad of Newport Beach, Calif., were eliminated from the 43rd U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Tuesday, dropping their Round of 32 matches at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va.
Related: U.S. Mid-Amateur Home Page | Scoring
Cavaliere found himself in a four-hole deficit early as Stephen Behr, Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., used three birdies in the first six holes to take control of the match. After six consecutive ties on Nos. 7-12, Cavaliere got his first win of the day with birdie on the par-4 13th. The duo traded the next two holes and matching pars on the par-3 16th earned Behr the 3-and-2 victory.
Meanwhile, defending champion Hagestad won his first hole with birdie against Will Davenport of Palm City, Fla., who is scheduled to compete in The Farrell this weekend at The Stanwich Club. However, Davenport won Nos. 3, 6 and 9 to take a 2-up advantage. Hagestad responded with a win on No. 10, but he wouldn't win another hole. Davenport took Nos. 14 and 16, both with birdies, to earn the 3-and-2 victory.
UPDATE (September 23, 2024) -- Christian Cavaliere of Mahopac, N.Y., and past Met Amateur champion and MGA Player of the Year Stewart Hagestad of Newport Beach, Calif., both picked up Round of 64 victories on Monday after advancing to the bracket of the 43rd U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va.
Related: U.S. Mid-Amateur Home Page | Scoring
Cavaliere garnered the No. 6 seed after firing rounds of 69-66 in stroke play qualifying at Kinloch and stroke play co-host Independence Golf Club in Midlothian, Va., respectively. In the Round of 64, Cavaliere had the largest margin of victory, defeating Nate Smith of Tetonia, Idaho, 8 and 6. Cavaliere's consistency led him to the victory, as six of the 26-year-old's hole victories came with pars. His win tied for the seventh biggest win in terms of margin in championship victory.
Hagestad, the defending champion after his victory last year at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, also cruised in his opening round win, defeating M. Tyler McKeever of Atlanta, Ga., by a 5-and-4 margin. Hagestad was 2-up through eight holes, while consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-13 helped propel him to the big win.
“What’s nice about this week [so far] is [my game is] just getting a little bit better every day,” Hagestad told the USGA. The 33-year-old owns a 29-4 record in U.S. Mid-Amateur match play record and is competing in his 31st USGA championship.
In the Round of 32, Cavaliere will match up against Stephen Behr, Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., while Hagestad matches up against Will Davenport of Palm City, Fla.
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (Sept. 17, 2024) – The 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship begins this Saturday with 12 Met Area players looking to make national headlines at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va.
Two former MGA Players of the Year, Stewart Hagestad of Newport Beach, Calif. and Mark Constanza of Morristown, N.J., were both exempt into this year's U.S Mid-Amateur. Hagestad captured the 2023 championship at Sleepy Hollow Country Club and also won in 2021 and 2016, joining a select list of players who have won three or more U.S. Mid-Amateurs. Hagestad, the 2016 MGA Player of the Year and 2016 Met Amateur champion, has represented the U.S. on four winning Walker Cup teams.
Costanza advanced to the Round of 16 in 2023 at Sleepy Hollow but was defeated by Hagestad. He was runner-up in the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur, also to Hagestad, at Sankaty Head Golf Club on Nantucket. Costanza is the reigning MGA Player of the Year, a title he also won in 2021 due to his consistent high-level play in local and national events.
Christian Cavaliere of Katonah, N.Y., earned his spot in the championship by qualifying at Mohawk Golf Club in Schenectady, New York. Cavaliere, a three-time Westchester Amateur champion, has had strong performances this season, finishing as the runner-up at the Met Amateur at Somerset Hills Country Club and as the co-low amateur at the Met Open at Wee Burn Country Club. Costanza and Cavaliere will represent the Met Area in the upcoming French-American Challenge Matches at Fontainblue Golf Club in France in October.
Clifford Lindholm of Montclair, N.J., Aaron Montgomery of New York, N.Y., Tommy McDonagh of New York, N.Y., Pat Wilson of Andover, N.J., and Conor Casey of Madison, N.J, qualified at Old Westbury Golf & Country Club in Westbury, N.Y. Casey earned medalist honors with his round of 4-under 68, two better than the rest of the field. Both McDonagh and Wilson are former MGA champions; McDonagh captured the 2011 Ike and 2008 Met Amateur, while Wilson won the 2021 Mid-Amateur and 2013 Met Amateur.
Thomas McCarthy of New Canaan, Conn., Richard Dowling of Shelton, Conn., and Andrew Watson of White Plains, N.Y., all qualified at Ridgewood Country Club in Danbury, Conn. Dowling and Watson earned co-medalist honors posting 2-under 69.
James Mongey of Morristown, N.J. earned medalist honors after shooting 3-under 69, qualifying at Hackensack Golf Club at Oradell, New Jersey.
Playing for a cause: A group of Met Area competitors have teamed up with the MGA to to raise funds for the MGA Foundation. By pledging any dollar amount for each birdie made by the team of Conor Casey, Christian Cavaliere, Mark Costanza, Stewart Hagestad, Clifford Lindholm and Pat Wilson, you are directly supporting the MGA Foundation’s youth opportunities and player development initiatives. Learn More
The championship begins with 36 holes of stroke play qualifying at Kinloch and stroke play co-host, Independence Golf Club in Midlothian, Va. From there, the starting field of 264 competitors, all age 25 and over, will be reduced to the low 64 competitors who will advance to the match play for the duration of the championship. The 36-hole final match will take place on Thursday, September 26.
This is the first U.S. Mid-Amateur to be hosted by Kinloch. The club hosted the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2011 and the 2003 Virginia State Amateur, while Independence Golf Club is a multi-time host of the Virginia State Open and Senior Open championships.
The U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion receives exemption into the 2025 U.S. Open, the next 10 U.S. Mid-Amateurs, and the next two U.S. Amateurs.