The Steam Room by MidamgolfHQ

September 2025

What we are steaming on this month:

This is going to be a long one this month! August brought us some incredible action in mid-amateur golf. The U.S. Amateur delivered drama, grit, and standout performances from several of our own. We created a section to recap all things U.S Amateur below! We will also recap all the happenings at The Picard Cup as well as The Valentine Invitational.

Speaking of fall… September is fast approaching, and that means one thing: the U.S. Mid-Amateur is around the corner. It’s our biggest stage, and this year’s field on the men’s side is as deep and competitive as we’ve seen. We’ve got a full preview below, so start sharpening your picks. You will also note that we have added two events back to the major schedule in October: The Berkeley Cup and Devils Elbow. It's great to see both events in rotation.

And for a little fun? Don’t miss this month’s Ice Bath section as we went down the rabbit hole on the best water pressure in locker rooms across the country (yes, it’s a thing).

Let’s dive in!

2025 August Major Mid-Am Tournament Results

The Picard Cup

August 13-15, 2025

Canterbury Golf Club

Champions: Nicholas Fiore and Brian Joseph

MidamgolfHQ was on site for the 2025 Picard Cup at Canterbury Golf Club and let’s just say, it did not disappoint. From start to finish, it was a first-class week filled with elite mid-amateur golf, world-class hospitality, and the kind of camaraderie that makes this event a calendar favorite. On the course, Nicholas Fiore and Brian Joseph were locked in, navigating a tough Canterbury setup with poise and precision. They fired rounds of 64, 74, and 67 to finish at –11, holding off a stacked leaderboard to take the title.

The race for second was as close, with four teams finishing in a tie at –9 (207). Shoutout to Michael Cress & Tanner Murphy, Nick Budd & Michael Hines, Dan Bernard & Dan Arison, and Jon Weiss Jr. & Trey Smith for keeping the pressure on all week and putting up some impressive numbers of their own. Just two shots back, Domenic Maricocchi & Nick Paxson closed strong with a final-round 65 to finish solo sixth at –7.

As for the venue? Canterbury was the star all week. The course was in pristine condition and tested every part of players' games. But it wasn’t just the course that left a mark—the club’s legendary porch became the unofficial 19th hole, hosting cocktails, dinners, and plenty of storytelling late into the evening. If you haven’t made the trip to Canterbury yet, put it on your list. Great golf, even better vibes, and one of the best weeks of the summer. Kudos to all involved in running a first-class event.

Leaderboard
-11 | Fiore & Joseph | 64-74-67=205
-9 | 4 Teams tied | 207

Full results HERE

The Valentine Invitational

August 22-24, 2025

Hermitage Country Club

Champion: John Hunter

John Hunter of Spring, Texas, delivered a stellar performance to claim the 2025 Valentine Invitational title, finishing at 12-under-par (204 total) over three rounds. Hunter posted rounds of 66, 68, and 70, navigating both the Sabine and Manion courses with poise and consistency. His steady play was enough to edge out Kyle Downey of Fairport, NY, by a single stroke, as Downey carded a brilliant opening 64 but closed with a 73 in the final round. Jordan Utley (who helps run the event) of Midlothian, VA, rounded out the top three at -10 (206), just two shots off the lead.

Representing The Club at Carlton Woods (host of the Carlton Woods Invitational) just north of Houston, Hunter is a familiar name in Texas and mid-amateur circles. Hunter’s win at Valentine caps off what has already been a strong season. He recently finished runner-up at the Walter J. Travis Invitational, showcasing both his ball-striking and mental toughness in match play formats. That performance, paired with this win, underscores Hunter’s form and momentum heading into the fall calendar. He will clearly be one of the favorites in a few weeks at Troon Country Club.

We would be remiss if we didn’t point out the exceptional coverage all week on social media thanks to The Valentine committee and Active Season. The videos kept everyone who was not on site in the loop and elevated the event into one of the premier “majors” of mid-am golf. Cheers!

Leaderboard
-12 | John Hunter | 66-68-70=204
-11 | Kyle Downey | 64-68-73=205
-10 | Jordan Utley | 65-72-69=206

Full results HERE

The United States Amateur

August 11-17, 2025

The Olympic Club

Champion: Mason Howell

Big congratulations to Mason Howell on a well earned victory at the 2025 U.S. Amateur! The Olympic Club delivered its usual dose of drama, fog, and fairway heartbreak along with the usual serving of burger dog content including some controversial takes across the board! But we’re here to spotlight the mid-ams who flew the flag for the over-25 crowd so lets dive in.

Against a field stacked with college all-stars and phenoms half their age, four mid-ams muscled their way into match play. Fort Worth’s own Travis Woolf, steady as ever, played his way through stroke play with the poise of a guy who’s been there before. He ran into a buzzsaw in Miles Russell, but not before reminding everyone that experience still matters. Andrew Bailey, a multiple-time Ohio Am champ, kept the Midwest energy alive and advanced to the Round of 32, showing off the kind of calm that comes from a lot of big-time reps. It must be noted as well that Andrew found lodging all week at the Cal Club, making his performance even more impressive! Local boy Nate Smith looked as sharp as ever with his signature grit on full display as he battled his way into match play and proved he can still hang with anyone, anytime. He eventually lost to John Daly Jr. in a hard-fought match. Let’s not forget friend of the page Nate Graham, the stealth assassin of the group, who kept a low profile and a hot hand, making all the right moves when it counted most.

Finally, there was the Walker Cup subplot. On the U.S. side, the unofficial mid-am spot came down to Evan Beck and Stewart Hagestad who are both mid-am titans and familiar names to anyone reading this newsletter. In the end, Stew got the nod and will once again don the red, white, and blue this fall at Cypress Point. While there was certainly a case to take both players, missing match play made the decision a bit trickier for captain Nathan Smith. We’ll be pulling hard for Stew as he continues to carry the banner for mid-am golf on one of the biggest stages. As for the GB&I squad, it looks like they’ll be going all-young guns this time around with no mid-am representation expected on their end.

All in all, a memorable week for the mid-am game!

Up Next

U.S Men’s Mid-Amateur

September 13-18, 2025

Troon Country Club & Troon North GC

Defending Champion: Evan Beck

Scottsdale, Arizona is set to host the best mid-ams in the country as the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur heads to Troon Country Club, with Troon North lending a hand as the companion course. It will most certainly be an endurance test in the 100+ degree temperatures all week. Starting off the week, 264 players will battle through 36 holes of stroke play to earn a spot in the match-play bracket of 64. Oh, and it’s not just bragging rights up for grabs it’s a spot in the U.S. Open, a likely invite to the Masters, and a whole lot of street cred here in this newsletter (the big prize). Looking at the field taking shape, all eyes will be on Evan Beck, the smooth-swinging Virginian who took down the 2024 title with a clutch performance at Kinloch.

With a field this stacked, it's tough to narrow it down, but here are a few names outside of Evan you'll definitely want to keep your eye on at Troon. Of course, we have to start with Stewart Hagestad, the three-time champ and mid-amateur legend, who will be hunting for title No. 4. Andrew Bailey is one of the most consistent players in the last few years and has all the tools to make a deep run. Stephen Behr Jr., fresh off a semifinal run last year, brings grit and match-play savvy, while Will Davenport, a fellow 2024 quarterfinalist, is trending fresh off a win down south FL way. And don’t sleep on Colin Prater, a top-15 WAGR standout with serious firepower; if his putter heats up, he could be a real problem come match play. Who could forget about names like Vogt, Hoops (in his home state), and Bobby Massa. Finally, you have John Hunter, fresh off the Valentine win, who has been trending all season. Too many more to list, and certainly some new names will make headlines at Troon.

Finally…….can we get some TV coverage of all these great players?! Crazy to us here at midamgolfHQ that we can’t even watch the final matches anywhere. In any event, we are excited to see how it plays out.

Up Next

The Crump Cup

September 25-28, 2025

Pine Valley Golf Club

Defending Champion: Andrew Price

The most elite invitational on the mid-amateur circuit will return this September.

If the 2024 Crump Cup taught us anything, it's that Pine Valley doesn’t crown champions by accident. Andrew Price’s remarkable run through a gauntlet of elite mid-amateur talent, including Evan Beck, Matthew McClean, Bradford Tilley, and Jimmy Ellis, was a reminder that the Crump is as much about mental stamina as it is about ball-striking. And as the calendar flips to 2025, the field lining up for this year’s edition may be even stronger.

We will have a full breakdown of the event, and excited to see who will win one of the finest golf tournaments anywhere in the world! More about Pine Valley later in the newsletter.

Up Next

The Trans-Miss Mid Master

September 7-10, 2025

Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club

Defending Champion: Paul Mitzel

Paul Mitzel put together a commanding performance at the 2024 Trans-Mississippi Mid-Amateur, going wire-to-wire with rounds of 65-71-69 to win by four strokes at 11-under-par. It marked a career-best win for Mitzel, who used the event as key prep ahead of his second consecutive appearance at the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

This year, the championship moves to Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in California, a classic layout known for its firm conditions and demanding greens. With a strong field expected and the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Troon looming soon after, Rancho Santa Fe will offer a perfect proving ground for top mid-ams looking to test their game under pressure.

2025 “Major” Mid-Am Event Schedule

Gasparilla Invitational - February 2025 - Scott Turner

The Snedeker Memorial - March 2025 - Nate Smith

Champions Cup Four-Ball - April 2025 - Will Davenport and Nick Maccario

The Giles Invitational - May 2025 - Andrew Bailey

The Walter J. Travis Invitational - May 2025 - Chris DeJohn

John T. Lupton Memorial - May 2025 - Ben Reeves

The Huddleston Cup - May 2025 - Bobby Massa

The Sanger Invitational - June 2025 - Will Davenport

C.B Macdonald Invitational Tournament - June 2025 - Stew Hagestad

Anderson Memorial 4-ball - June 2025 - Jim Chestnut and Scott Strickland

Carlton Woods Invitational - June 2025 - Robert Gwin

George C Thomas Invitational - June 2025 - Drew Kittleson

The Picard Cup - August 2025 - Nicholas Fiore and Brian Joseph

The Valentine Invitational - August 2025 - John Hunter

USGA Men’s Mid-Am - September 2025

Trans-Miss Mid-Master Championship - September 2025

The Crump Cup - September 2025

USGA Women’s Mid-Am - October 2025

The Stocker Cup - October 2025

John R. Williams 4-ball - October 2025

The Berkeley Cup - October 2025

Devils Elbow - October 2025

National Invitational Tournament - November 2025

Ewing Cup Four-Ball - November 2025

The Ice Bath

Let’s talk about the unsung hero of post-round experiences: locker room shower water pressure. We figured it was time to start talking about the courses and clubs with elite water pressure. At the very top of this refreshingly niche leaderboard is none other than Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey. Now, Pine Valley is already the unicorn of private golf and perennially ranked No. 1, but step into its locker rooms and you’ll discover another aspect of why its the best club in the world. The showers aren’t just showers; they’re fire hoses disguised as bathroom fixtures. Imagine copper shower heads the size of a sewer lid unleashing a torrential downpour!

A few powerhouses chase Pine Valley’s crown in the water pressure game. Winged Foot Golf Club in New York delivers a similarly robust post-round rinse, its locker room showers surrounded by historic marble and whispers of past U.S. Open champions. Then there’s Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, which may not advertise water pressure stats but boasts a regal two-tiered locker room that practically demands excellent plumbing. And let’s not forget the rugged luxury of The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel, where locker rooms overlook wild California vistas. You may not find specific PSI numbers on their website, but it’s clearly in elite company.

Of course, we would be remiss not to mention the likes of Deepdale, Garden City, and Merion. All of them have the old school feel to the locker rooms and it would be hard to beat the water pressure on many lists.

What’s fascinating is how this very specific feature of water pressure has become a quietly revered element in elite golf culture. Sure, there are clubs with spa like zen vibes but the real connoisseurs focus on the pressure. It’s part utility, part rite of passage. It might even elevate a club into legendary status. So next time you’re lucky enough to tee it up at one of these storied clubs, don't just ask about the course history and records but ask about the showers as well.

Who did we miss? Drop us a note about some under the radar names with elite water pressure. Also……should we do a list of the worst water pressure as well? Now that could get spicy!

We love to feature our passionate mid-am golf community. If you have a story, achievement, or event you'd like to share, send us a DM on our Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) @midamgolfHQ

Until next month…..