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PAR AND YARDAGE Kinloch Golf Club will be set up at 7,291 yards and will play to a par of 35-36–71. Independence Golf Club, which will serve as the stroke-play co-host course for the two days of stroke play, will be set up at 7,190 yards and play to a par of 35-35–70.
(NOTE: Yardages subject to change.)
Kinloch Golf Club Hole By Hole Hole123456789Total Par44453443435 Yardage4505054555791543284712034503,595
Hole101112131415161718Total Par44543434536 Yardage4474076013301804512374575863,696
Independence Golf Club Hole By Hole Hole123456789Total Par44454434335 Yardage4604804156053884002204801983,646
Hole101112131415161718Total Par43443445435 Yardage3461524404501784354586504353,544
THE COURSES
Kinloch Golf Club was designed by Richmond-based architect Lester George and two-time USGA champion Marvin “Vinny” Giles III. The course, which opened for play in 2001, winds through a remote setting featuring a heavily wooded outward nine with an inward nine dominated by a 70-acre lake that factors heavily on the 18th hole.
Independence Golf Club, 10 miles south of Kinloch Golf Club, was designed by Tom Fazio and opened for play in 2001. The club has hosted 10 State Opens of Virginia, from 2007-2023, and a renovation by Lester George was completed in 2014.
COURSE RATING AND SLOPE
Based on the course setup for the championship, the Course Rating™ for Kinloch Golf Club is 76.0 and its Slope Rating® is 144. The Course Rating for Independence Golf Club is 74.6 and its Slope Rating is 139.
WHO CAN ENTER
The championship is open to any amateur golfer who is 25 years old by Sept. 21 with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4.
ENTRIES
The USGA accepted 6,054 entries for the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur, the second-highest total in championship history. The record was established last year when 6,060 entries were filed. The 5,000 mark has been surpassed five times, including 2022 when 5,708 entries were accepted.
QUALIFYING
Qualifying, conducted over 18 holes, was held between July 22-Aug. 28. There were 69 sites in 43 U.S. states and one in Mexico. California had the most, with seven qualifying sites, while Texas hosted four qualifiers. Virginia had two qualifying sites – Willow Oaks Country Club, in Richmond, on July 29 and Hermitage Country Club’s Sabot Course, in Manakin-Sabot, on Aug. 19.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Practice rounds will take place Sept. 19-20. The starting field of 264 players will play two rounds of stroke play (one round on each course), with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play. The schedule is as follows:
Sept. 21 (Saturday): First round, stroke play Sept. 22 (Sunday): Second round, stroke play Sept. 23 (Monday): Round of 64, match play Sept. 24 (Tuesday): Round of 32 and Round of 16, match play Sept. 25 (Wednesday): Quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, match play Sept. 26 (Thursday): Championship match (36 holes)
ADMISSION
Admission is free. Tickets are not needed for this USGA championship, and fans are welcome to attend.
2023 CHAMPION
Stewart Hagestad, of Newport Beach, Calif., moved into select company with his 3-and-2 victory over Evan Beck in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, in Scarborough, N.Y. The 32-year-old won his third Mid-Amateur crown and joined a who’s who list of players who have won the same USGA championship three or more times. Names such as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bob Jones, Mickey Wright, JoAnne Carner and Annika Sorenstam. His three titles tied him with Jay Sigel and leaves him one behind all-time Mid-Amateur record holder Nathan Smith. Due to weather earlier in the week, the 36-hole final was played over two days with a Friday finish. Hagestad pressed the gas pedal to start the second 18 holes. He made a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 19 and hit an 8-iron to within 4 feet to take the par-3 21st hole for a 7-up advantage. Even when Beck whittled the lead to 3 down and appeared to have the upper hand on the drivable par-4 31st hole Hagestad recovered from a greenside bunker to tie the hole with a par.
U.S. MID-AMATEUR NOTES ►The 43rd U.S. Mid-Amateur is the second USGA championship to be conducted at Kinloch Golf Club ►This is the 21st USGA championship and second U.S. Mid-Amateur to be held in Virginia ►17 U.S. Mid-Amateur champions have been members of the USA Walker Cup Team ►In 2025, Nathan Smith will become the sixth U.S. Mid-Amateur champion to serve as captain of the USA Walker Cup Team
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT KINLOCH GOLF CLUB – Kinloch has previously hosted just one USGA championship. Louis Lee, 55, of Heber Springs, Ark., defeated Philip Pleat, 55, of Nashua, N.H., 1 up, to win the 2011 U.S. Senior Amateur. With the victory, Lee joined his brother, Stanford, the 2007 champion, as a winner of the event. Lee started quickly in the final match with a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 4 before nearly acing his tee shot for a conceded birdie on the par-3 fifth. He later ran off victories on three consecutive holes for a 4-up lead. Pleat made a late run and had birdie putts on holes 17 and 18 to tie the match and send it to extra holes but he could not convert. Prior to the championship Lee had not played a single competitive event in more than 25 years.
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT KINLOCH
2011 U.S. Senior Amateur: Louis Lee def. Philip Pleat, 1 up
OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTED BY KINLOCH
2003 Virginia State Amateur (Jay Woodson)
OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTED BY INDEPENDENCE
Virginia State Open (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Virginia State Senior Open (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN VIRGINIA
This will be the 21st USGA championship played in Virginia and the second U.S. Mid-Amateur contested in the state. Greg Puga won the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur at The Homestead (Cascades Course), in Hot Springs.
Recent USGA Championships in Virginia (champion in parentheses)
2000 U.S. Mid-Amateur, The Homestead (Cascades Course), Hot Springs (Greg Puga)
2003 U.S. Senior Amateur, The Virginian G.C., Bristol (Kemp Richardson)
2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, Golden Horseshoe G.C., Williamsburg (Yani Tseng)
2009 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, The Homestead (Cascades Course), Hot Springs (Sherry Herman)
2011 U.S. Senior Amateur, Kinloch G.C., Manakin-Sabot (Louis Lee)
2011 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, Bayville G.C., Virginia Beach (Ellen Port)
2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links, Laurel Hill G.C., Lorton (Jordan Niebrugge)
RECENT U.S. MID-AMATEURS IN SOUTHEAST REGION
Years, Courses and Winners
2009: Kiawah Island Club (Cassique Course), Kiawah Island, S.C. (Nathan Smith)
2013: Country Club of Birmingham (West Course), Birmingham, Ala. (Michael McCoy)
2015: John’s Island Club (West Course), Vero Beach, Fla. (Sammy Schmitz)
2018: Charlotte C.C., Charlotte, N.C. (Kevin O’Connell)
EXEMPT PLAYERS: A total of 43 players are currently exempt into the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur based on performances in USGA championships and other elite amateur competitions, or by being in the top 15 (April 17) and top 40 (July 17) age-eligible points leaders of the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®.
Ryan Ang (WAGR top 40 age-eligible)
Carlos Ardila (WAGR top 15 age-eligible)
Andrew Bailey (WAGR top 40 age-eligible)
Matheus Balestrin (WAGR top 15 age-eligible)
Evan Beck (2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up, WAGR top 15 age-eligible)
Stephen Behr Jr. (2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Brian Blanchard (2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion)
Louis Brown (2024 U.S. Senior Amateur champion)
Cam Burke (2024 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion)
