At long last, Evan Beck will have his name emblazoned on the wall in the USGA’s Hall of Champions. Thanks to his superb performance at Kinloch Golf Club this week, Beck is the latest U.S. Mid-Amateur champion.
Beck, a 34-year-old from Virginia, played magnificently from start to finish this week as he became the first stroke-play medalist to win the championship since 2008. He finished off his title with a 9-and-8 beatdown of Bobby Massa in the championship match Thursday to claim his first USGA title.
“It’s pretty sweet,” he said of finally winning a USGA title. “I’ve always dreamt of winning one of these.”
Beck had been close before, but he’d never quite ascended the mountaintop. He made the championship match of the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur, beating Jordan Spieth along the way before losing to Cameron Peck, and also lost in the championship match of last year’s U.S. Mid-Am as he fell to Stewart Hagestad. In his home state, though, Beck was unstoppable.
After sharing medalist honors with Segundo Oliva Pinto after shooting rounds of 68 and 65, Beck battled his way to the semis, winning three of his first four matches on the 18th hole or later. Once he reached the final four, Beck left little doubt. He won his semifinal match over Stephen Behr Jr. 5 and 3 before easily dispatching of Massa in the 36-hole final.
“To get all the way there and come up short [twice] is gut-wrenching,” Beck said. “To be able to push through and prove that you can do it to yourself, more than anything, it’s pretty awesome.”
With the win, Beck becomes the first native Virginian to win a USGA title since Lauren Greenlief at the 2015 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. The win moves Beck to No. 32 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and earns him a spot in the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. In addition, he will all but certainly receive an invitation to next spring’s Masters.
“You’ve seen me cry like three times,” Beck said. “I’m probably going to do some more of that later.”
