The Steam Room by midamgolfHQ Vol 34
The Steam Room by midamgolfHQ
September 2026
What we are steaming on this month:
August more than made up for the slower pace of July and boy, it did not disappoint. The mid-amateur calendar came roaring back to life, with action across the board and plenty of great golf to follow. From the Picard Cup to the Canadian Mid-Am up north, and an epic finish at the Valentine Invitational, August delivered the kind of stretch that reminds us just how deep and competitive the mid-am game has become. Full recaps on all those events below.
The month also brought the Walker Cup into focus, with two familiar mid-am names once again earning the opportunity to represent their respective sides. Stewart Hagestad was selected to the U.S. squad, adding yet another chapter to what has become a remarkable Walker Cup career. Across the pond, Stuart Grehan will once again bring his experience and steady play to the GB&I team. For two players balancing careers and life outside the game while continuing to compete alongside the best amateurs in the world, their selections are a tremendous accomplishment and another great reflection of the strength of mid-amateur golf.
Looking ahead we have a BIG September ahead. Beyond the Walker Cup we have the U.S Women’s Mid-Am, Trans-Miss, and this little event called the Crump Cup.
We finally want to thank the brands that continue to support this newsletter including Holderness & Bourne with our “Worth the Detour” section! We also continue to partner with IBT Golf who can help with putting together some epic international golf trips for you……..with that said lets get into it!
2026 August Major Tournament Results
The Picard Cup
August 13-14, 2026
Canterbury Golf Club
Champions: Bobby Wyatt & Vince Cave
The 32nd Picard Cup delivered exactly what we’ve come to expect from a trip to Canterbury Golf Club: a deep field, a demanding format, and plenty of drama coming down the stretch. In the end, it was Bobby Wyatt and Vince Cave who emerged with the title, defeating Nick Robillard and Paul Vardaman in a playoff after both teams finished regulation at 16-under 200.
Wyatt and Cave entered the final round two shots behind overnight leaders Andrew Bailey and John Ebert after navigating the opening best-ball and alternate-shot rounds at 8-under. With the format shifting back to best ball on Friday, they went on the offensive. The duo fired an 8-under 64 to erase the deficit and get themselves into the playoff, where they ultimately finished the job against Robillard and Vardaman. For Wyatt, the victory adds another big title to an already impressive stretch of mid-am golf, while Cave once again showed why he remains one of the most consistent names on the circuit.
The leaderboard behind them was packed. Bailey and Ebert nearly went wire-to-wire, closing with a 67 to finish just one shot outside the playoff at 15-under. Blanton Farmer and Brandon Ramsuer posted a final-round 65 to finish T4 alongside Jimmy Delp and Justin Young at 14-under.
But the round of the tournament belonged to Scott Turner and Will Davenport. The pair caught fire in the final best-ball session and carded an incredible 13-under 59, vaulting themselves from outside the top 10 into a tie for sixth. On a course like Canterbury, 59 in any format is going to get our attention.
Congrats to Bobby and Vince on a well-earned victory and kudos to everyone at Canterbury for another great edition of the Picard Cup.
Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur
August 18-21, 2026
Brantford Golf & Country Club
Champion: Garrett Rank
Garrett Rank added another chapter to an already remarkable amateur career at Brantford Golf & Country Club, rallying on the final day to capture his fourth Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Rank closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 18-under 270, one shot clear of 54-hole leader Evan Nachtigall.
For much of the week, it looked like the championship belonged to Nachtigall. After opening with an 8-under 64, he followed with rounds of 67 and 68 to reach 17-under and take a two-shot advantage over Rank into the final round. Rank, however, never went away. The three-time champion stayed within striking distance all week before finally making his move on Friday.
Rank’s closing 69 proved to be enough as Nachtigall, who had played his first 54 holes without a round higher than 68, settled for an even-par 72. That left him at 17-under and one shot shy of the title after an impressive wire-to-wire run through the first three rounds.
The victory is a historic one for Rank, who previously won three consecutive Canadian Mid-Am titles from 2014 through 2016. His fourth championship moves him alongside Stu Hamilton on the all-time list, with only seven-time champion Graham Cooke owning more titles. The win also earns Rank an exemption into this fall’s U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sand Valley.
Congrats to Garrett on Canadian Mid-Am title No. 4!
Leaderboard
-18 | Garrett Rank | 64-68-69-69=270-17 | Evan Nachtigall | 64-67-68-72=271-15 | Cam Burke | 69-67-67-70=273The Valentine Invitational
August 21-23, 2026
Hermitage Country Club
Champion: Will Collins
Will Collins went wire-to-wire at Hermitage Country Club to capture the 84th Valentine Invitational, finishing the week at 13-under 203 and three shots clear of Winburne Hughes.
Collins wasted little time putting his stamp on the tournament. The Keswick Golf Club member opened with a blistering 7-under 65 on Friday, immediately creating some separation from a strong field. He followed it with another impressive round on Saturday, keeping control of the tournament as Hughes made a charge of his own with a second-round 65.
That set the stage for Sunday at Hermitage, with Collins holding the advantage but Hughes still very much within striking distance. Collins never gave him the opening he needed. A steady final round was enough to keep the field at arm’s length and finish off a wire-to-wire victory at one of the longest-running invitationals on the mid-am calendar.
Hughes finished alone in second at 10-under, while Richmond’s own Blanton Farmer took third at 7-under. Keith Guest climbed into fourth at 5-under after a pair of 70s over the weekend, while 2023 champion Sam Beach and Connor Hill tied for fifth at 3-under. There were plenty of familiar names further down the leaderboard as well. Former U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Trip Kuehne finished at 3-over, while Jordan Utley closed with a 68—the best final-round score among the top 10—to jump into a tie for eighth.
Another great week at Hermitage and another deserving name added to the Valentine’s long list of champions. Congrats to Will Collins on an impressive win in Richmond!
Leaderboard
-13 | Will Collins | 65-68-70=203-10 | Winburne Hughes | 69-65-72=206-7 | Blanton Farmer | 69-67-73=209
Last month we covered some of the epic mid-amateur events in the U.K and Ireland. For readers considering making the trip, Matthew and the team at IBT Golf Travel specialize in building bespoke itineraries around these championships, helping competitors turn a single tournament into a larger trip. Readers make sure and use code IBTNicheGolfHQ for preferred rates with Matthew and friends!
2026 September Major Tournament Preview
Playing Thru
US Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship
August 29-September 3, 2026
Montclair Golf Club
Defending Champion: Ina Kim-Schaad
Ivy Shepherd, Emilia Doran and England's Lucy Jamieson shared medalist honors at 1 over 141 after 36 holes of stroke play, though they got there on very different paths: Shepherd was steady at 69-72, Doran rallied from a first-round 74 with a closing 67, and Jamieson split the difference at 73-68. One shot back at 143, Catherine McEvoy authored the low round of the championship, a 6-under 66, to erase an opening 77 and climb into medal contention alongside Talia Campbell, Ina Kim-Schaad and France's Justine Fournand. The 64-player match play field drew a genuinely international group, with competitors representing England, France, Canada, Australia, China, Thailand, Czechia and several other countries.
The match play field was completed after a Monday morning playoff, where an 8-for-4 playoff only took a single hole to decide: Kimberly Dinh, Lauren Greenlief, Ashley Freeman and Sarah Spicer-Baldwin each made par to claim the last four seeds, while Mimi McAndrew, Jasmeen Somrock, Betsy Kelly and Alexandra Grove each made bogey and were sent home before a second playoff hole was ever needed.
That playoff group did not fade quietly once match play began. Greenlief, the field's last seed, beat co-medalist Jamieson 1 up in the round's biggest upset, and Spicer-Baldwin pushed top seed Shepherd to the 18th hole before falling 1 up. The round of 64 also turned into a reunion of USGA Women's Mid-Amateur champions past. Ina Kim-Schaad, the reigning champion and 2019 winner, beat 2023 champion Kimberly Dinh 3 and 2 in a clash of titleholders, while 2013 and 2016 champion Julia Potter-Bobb knocked off No. 9 seed Shannon Fish-Martin 1 up, and both 2018 champion Shannon Johnson and 2022 champion Krissy Carman advanced as well, Carman needing 19 holes to get past Ali Schrock. Not every former champion survived: four-time winner Meghan Stasi fell 3 and 2 to Victoria Jackson, and 2021 champion Blakesly Brock lost 2 and 1 to Amanda Jacobs.
Five past champions remain as the field narrows to the round of 32: Kim-Schaad, Potter-Bobb, Greenlief, Johnson and Carman. Kim-Schaad, seeded 4th, draws Brooke Tyree, a 6-and-4 winner in the opener. Potter-Bobb takes on Hanley Long, herself a 6-and-4 winner over a top-21 seed. Greenlief, still riding her upset of Jamieson, meets Canada's Shelly Stouffer, and Johnson faces Nora Klein while Carman draws Sarah Willis. Elsewhere, top seed Shepherd meets Gabby Minier, medalist Doran takes on Victoria Jackson, and No. 8 Katherine Zhu squares off with No. 25 Jessica Ross in what looks like the round's most evenly matched pairing on paper. By Tuesday’s end, the bracket will narrow to 8 as players will need to survive both a morning and afternoon match.
We look forward to following the action and crowning of the 2026 US Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion.
Trans-Miss Mid-Amateur Championship
September 13-16, 2026
Lakewood Country Club
Defending Champion: Ryan Burgess
The Trans-Mississippi Mid-Amateur Championship heads to Lakewood Country Club in Lakewood, Colorado September 14-16, 2026, with the Mid-Am division running alongside the Mid-Master bracket in the Trans-Miss Golf Association's 54-hole stroke play event. Ryan Burgess of Dallas, TX enters as the defending Mid-Amateur champion after a dominant week at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in 2025, firing rounds of 69-70-68 for a 9-under 207 to win outright, two shots clear of Ben Briscoe, who claimed the separate Mid-Master title at 209. Lakewood Country Club brings a fresh test to the rotation where players will be challenged by the high altitude and Donald Ross layout.
The Crump Cup
September 17-20, 2026
Pine Valley Golf Club
Defending Champion: Bobby Wyatt
The Crump Cup returns to Pine Valley Golf Club this fall. Bobby Wyatt enters as the defending champion after claiming the milestone 100th Crump Cup in 2025, needing 20 holes to close out his match and secure his most significant amateur title since winning the 2012 Sunnehanna. The tournament remains an invite-only, match play event held at one of the most demanding and exclusive courses in the country, widely regarded as the premier mid-amateur championship in the United States.
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 - Brett Patterson
The Jupiter Invitational - May 2026 - Jon Weiss
The Walter J. Travis Invitational - May 2026 - Chris DeJohn
The Huddleston Cup - May 2026 - Bobby Massa
European Men’s Mid-Amateur - June 2026 - Pierre Tillement
Anderson Memorial Four-Ball - June 2026 - Costanza & Esteve
C.B Macdonald Invitational Tournament - June 2026 - Stewart Hagestad
George C Thomas Invitational - June 2026 - Andrew Price
The Picard Cup - August 2026 - Wyatt & Cave
Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur - August 2026 - Garrett Rank
The Valentine Invitational - August 2026 - Will Collins
USGA Women’s Mid-Am - September 2026
Trans-Miss Mid-Master Championship - September 2026
The Crump Cup - September 2026
USGA Men’s Mid-Am - October 2026
The Farrell - 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 August 24, 2026
Christian Cavaliere | East | 1179.50
Bobby Massa | West | 1144.68
Andrew Bailey | East | 649.00
Evan Beck | 602.00
Andrew Price | East | 570.00
Will Davenport | 538.15
Brett Patterson | 525.00
Chris Wheeler | 518.00
Johnny Spellerberg | 515.68
Bobby Wyatt | East | 495.00
Brandon Holtz | East | 475.00
Drew Kittleson | 457.00
Nate Smith | 454.00
Ryan Terry | 442.50
Michael Buttacavoli | East | 439.30
Christian Brand | 421.00
Ben Reeves | East | 414.60
Stephen Behr | East | 402.49
Parker Edens | West | 382.49
Dan Walters | 382.00
Jeg Coughlin | 350.00
Brad Nurski | 332.25
Joe Deraney | East | 331.25
Cody Massa | 327.50
Hayes Brown | East | 317.00
Stewart Hagestad | East | 317.00
Worth the Detour
One of the best parts of amateur golf is the way the calendar can introduce us to places we might otherwise never have a reason to visit. This fall, the U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur will do exactly that, bringing the championship to the sandy, rolling terrain of central Wisconsin and one of the most ambitious golf destinations built in America over the last decade: Sand Valley.
It wasn't all that long ago that the idea of traveling to rural Wisconsin specifically for golf would have sounded a little unconventional. Today, Sand Valley has completely changed that conversation. Built across thousands of acres of ancient sand dunes and pine barrens near the small town of Nekoosa, the property feels almost purpose-built for golf. Wide corridors, firm ground, dramatic contours, and seemingly endless horizons give the place a scale that feels more like the great inland courses of Britain than what most would expect to find in the middle of Wisconsin.
What makes Sand Valley particularly interesting is how quickly it has developed its own identity. The original Sand Valley course from Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw established the destination, while David McLay Kidd's Mammoth Dunes brought an even bigger and bolder interpretation of the landscape. The resort has continued to expand from there, with the Lido adding one of the game's most fascinating architectural stories a painstaking recreation of C.B. Macdonald's legendary Long Island course and Sedge Valley offering Tom Doak's smaller-scale, strategy-first counterpoint to the enormous landscapes surrounding it.
This September, some of the best mid-amateurs in the country will make that journey to Wisconsin with a USGA championship on the line. The firm conditions, width, wind, and architectural variety should make for a fascinating test—particularly once the championship transitions from stroke play to match play and players are forced to decide just how aggressive they want to be.
That understated excellence also feels like a natural fit for Holderness & Bourne. Their style has become synonymous with mid-am golfers who appreciate timeless design, impeccable quality, and the traditions that define the game.
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Until next month…..