Andrew Bailey wins all-former-pro final at the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur

The 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur final was a battle of two former professionals, a growing trend in the U.S. Golf Association's championship. On one side was Nate Smith, 43, of Santa Monica, California, who now builds homes in Idaho. He regained his amateur status in 2022, nine years after competing in his

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What is the story about?

The 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur final was a battle of two former professionals, a growing trend in the U.S. Golf Association's championship.

On one side was Nate Smith, 43, of Santa Monica, California, who now builds homes in Idaho. He regained his amateur status in 2022, nine years after competing in his last pro event.

On the other was Andrew Bailey, 34, of Cleveland. He turned pro in 2014 and played on the Korn Ferry Tour as well as the PGA Tour Americas. After regaining his amateur status, he won the Ohio Amateur in 2024 and 2025. He's now a national sales manager for the golf apparel firm Holderness & Bourne.

Nate Smith and Andrew Bailey were the finalists in the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sand Valley Resort (The Lido) in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.

The final was a 36-hole match on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Sand Valley Resort's The Lido in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.

It was all tied up through 18 holes,

after which there as a break in the action. Part of the morning session was played under some rainy skies. Smith took a 2-up lead through 14 but then Bailey won consecutive holes with back-to-back birdies on Nos 17 and 18.

Things swung heavily in Bailey's favor starting with the 23rd hole. He won that to go 1 up and then won the next two. He went 4 up on teh 28th hole and 5 up on the 30th hole. They tied on the 31st and the match ended on the 32nd hole when the two tied again, securing a 5-and-4 win for Bailey.

What does the winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship get?

The winner gets an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Open which will be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links. They also get a likel invite to the Masters, but they have to remain an amateur. They also get exempted into the next 10 U.S. Mid-Ams and the next two U.S. Amateurs.

What is the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship?

The Mid-Am is one of 15 national championships conducted by the USGA. Golfers must be at least 25 years old to play in the Mid-Am and have a handicap index no higher than 2.4. This year's event started with 264 golfers after the USGA received 6,124 entries.