The Steam Room by midamgolfHQ Vol 30
The Steam Room by midamgolfHQ
May 2026
What we are steaming on this month:
Welcome to volume 30! We have been at this for exactly 2.5 years now. Thank you to everyone for the support with reading these monthly updates. We hope you find it valuable.
We also want to thank the brands that have supported us including Holderness & Bourne. We continue to feature our “Worth the Detour” section which is the brain child of midamgolfHQ + Holderness & Bourne. We hope you are enjoying the content as we think its a fresh take on some unique courses that should be on every mid-ams travel list!
April was a relatively quiet month on the mid-am side, with no majors on the calendar, but there were still a couple standout moments worth highlighting. Brandon Holtz earned the honor of representing the mid-am game at The Masters, which is a remarkable achievement. We also saw friend of the page Connor Doyal capture the Terra Cotta Invitational, beating a strong field of top collegiate amateurs.
Looking ahead to May, things begin to ramp up. We’ve included a full preview of the month’s events below and are excited to see how it all unfolds.
Up Next
The Giles Invitational
May 1-3, 2026
Defending Champion: Andrew Bailey
By the time you read this the Giles will be teeing off in round 1! The event returns in 2026 with serious momentum after a standout inaugural year that immediately put it on the map in mid-amateur golf. Hosted at Kinloch Golf Club in Virginia, the event honors amateur legend Vinny Giles and is played on the course he co-designed, a setting that blends championship pedigree with a deep respect for the game’s history. After earning rave reviews in year one, expectations are elevated across the board, with a stronger field and even more attention as the tournament continues its rapid rise toward “must-play” status.
The inaugural edition set a high bar. Andrew Bailey claimed the first title at 9-under par, closing with a final-round 67 after an aggressive start that vaulted him into contention early. The field itself was loaded, featuring top mid-amateurs and proven winners, signaling right away that this wasn’t just another new event but rather it was built to attract elite talent. With Bailey returning as defending champion, the story line writes itself: can he go back-to-back, or will an even deeper field produce a new champion?
Up Next
The Jupiter Invitational
May 7-9, 2026
Defending Champion: New Event
The 2026 Jupiter Invitational arrives as one of the most exciting new additions to the mid-amateur calendar, bringing a fresh, high-end event to one of the game’s most talent-rich regions. Set at Jonathan’s Landing in Jupiter, Florida, the tournament will feature a select field of elite mid-am and senior players competing on the Gil Hanse designed Match Course — a layout known for its strategic design and emphasis on shot-making. Positioned in May, it lands right in the heart of the spring season and has the early feel of an event aiming to establish itself quickly among the top invitationals in the country.
What stands out immediately is the intention behind the event. This is not a large-field, open-style tournament and it’s curated, competitive, and built around quality of field and experience. With a limited roster and a venue that rewards creativity and precision, the Jupiter Invitational should produce a leaderboard filled with recognizable names and high-level play. Combine that with the South Florida setting and the buzz surrounding its debut, and this feels like a tournament that could rise quickly as players begin circling it as a premier stop on the mid-am schedule.
Up Next
The Walter J. Travis Invitational
May 15-17, 2026
Defending Champion: Chris DeJohn
The Walter Travis Invitational returns in 2026 as one of the most prestigious and unique tests in mid-amateur golf, once again hosted at the iconic Garden City Golf Club. Known for its firm conditions, strategic bunkering, and emphasis on creativity, Garden City provides a classic match-play stage where patience and precision are paramount. The format itself which is a blend of stroke play qualifying followed by match play consistently delivers drama, rewarding players who can adapt quickly and elevate their game under pressure.
Up Next
The Huddleston Cup
May 15-17, 2026
Defending Champion: Bobby Massa
The Huddleston Cup returns in 2026 as one of the most demanding and exclusive tests in mid-amateur golf, once again hosted at Maridoe Golf Club just outside Dallas. Known for its sheer length and difficulty, Maridoe stretches to nearly 7,900 yards with a daunting course rating and slope, creating a true championship environment where only the most complete players can contend. The format which is 54 holes of stroke play keeps the pressure constant from the opening tee shot, with no room to ease into the tournament. As an invite-only event featuring a small, elite field, the Huddleston Cup has quickly built a reputation as one of the purest competitive tests on the calendar.
All eyes will be on defending champion Bobby Massa, who delivered one of the most dominant performances in recent memory last year, cruising to a nine-shot victory over Steele Dewald. That kind of margin at Maridoe is almost unheard of and speaks to just how dialed-in Massa was across all three rounds. He returns in 2026 as the clear player to beat, but with a stacked field of elite mid-amateurs and a course that punishes even the slightest mistake, nothing will come easy. If history is any indication, the Huddleston Cup will once again demand elite ball-striking, mental toughness, and endurance……the exact traits that define the best in mid-am golf.
2026 “Major” Mid-Am Event Final Results
The Tree Farm Invitational - January 2026 - Rescheduled
The Gasparilla Invitational - February 2026 - Hayes Brown
The Snedeker Memorial - March 2026 - Brett Patterson
Champions Cup Four-Ball - March 2026 - Stewart & Gibbons
The Giles Invitational - May 2026
The Jupiter Invitational - May 2026
The Walter J. Travis Invitational - May 2026
The Huddleston Cup - May 2026
C.B Macdonald Invitational Tournament - June 2026
Anderson Memorial Four-Ball - June 2026
George C Thomas Invitational - June 2026
European Men’s Mid-Amateur - June 2026
Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur - August 2026
The Picard Cup - August 2026
The Valentine Invitational - August 2026
USGA Women’s Mid-Am - September 2026
Trans-Miss Mid-Master Championship - September 2026
The Farrell - September 2026
The Crump Cup - September 2026
USGA Men’s Mid-Am - October 2026
The Stocker Cup - October 2026
John R. Williams Four-Ball - October 2026
The Berkeley Cup - October 2026
Carlton Woods Invitational - October 2026
National Invitational Tournament - November 2026
Ewing Cup Four-Ball - November 2026
East West Matches
Mid-Am Standings
As of April 29, 2026
Christian Cavaliere | East | 897.00
Bobby Massa | West | 792.18
Andrew Bailey | East | 649.00
Brandon Holtz | East | 475.00
Evan Beck | East | 462.50
Drew Kittleson | West | 400.00
Chris Wheeler | West | 398.00
Ben Reeves | East | 368.60
Will Davenport | East | 362.10
Ryan Terry | 360.00
Jeg Coughlin | 350.00
Christian Brand | East | 338.50
Johnny Spellerberg | 333.68
Joe Deraney | East | 331.25
Michael Buttacavoli | East | 322.50
Parker Edens | West | 321.5
Hayes Brown | East | 317.00
Stewart Hagestad | East | 317.00
Bobby Wyatt | East | 300.00
Steele Dewald | 292.50
Marc Dull | East | 286.50
Dan Walters | East | 274.00
Brad Nurski | West | 273.00
Andrew Price | East | 270.00
Tucker Jenkins | 268.50
Worth the Detour
One of the coolest aspects of competitive mid amateur golf is the venues that host many of the events. This extends to qualifiers too which leads us to this months off the beaten path. Many of the finest clubs in America open their doors to USGA qualifiers. Recently this included The Valley Club of Montecito.
The Valley Club of Montecito was founded in 1928 at the height of golf architecture’s Golden Age, when a group of Santa Barbara enthusiasts set out to bring world-class design to the foothills of Montecito. They turned to legendary architect Alister MacKenzie who was fresh off work at Cypress Point and Pasatiempo. The course officially opened in December 1929 and stands as one of the final collaborations between MacKenzie and Robert Hunter From the beginning, it was celebrated for its naturalism and understated elegance, often described as resembling an English parkland course with gentle contours and flowing lines. Over the decades, the club has remained remarkably true to its original vision, with thoughtful restorations preserving MacKenzie’s routing and strategic intent.
What makes the Valley Club so special is its restraint and purity which are qualities that separate it from flashier, more modern designs. Set against the backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the course moves effortlessly across rolling terrain, using natural landforms rather than artificial features to create interest and challenge. MacKenzie’s brilliance shows up in the subtlety: strategic bunkering, angles that reward thoughtful positioning, and greens that demand precision without ever feeling overbuilt.
Back in 2022 the club opened its doors to the USGA and hosted a mid-am qualifier. The qualifier provided drama and excitement with a 5 for 1 playoff stretching across holes 16-17-18 which are within eye site of the clubhouse. A true cathedral of American golf!
The golf shop is the perfect amount of functional and quant. Of course make sure to load up on H&B gear while you’re on property! Cheers to more golden age architecture!
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Until next month…..