U.S. Mid-Amateur Tournament On Nantucket This Weekend

The 40th U.S. Mid-Amateur Golf Tournament will take place on Nantucket this weekend at the Sankaty Head and Miacomet Golf Courses. It is the first time Nantucket has hosted the event. The winner of the tournament will receive an invite to the 2022 Masters and 2022 U.S. Open.

The general chairman of this year’s tournament is Richard Durkes. Durkes said he has been a member at Sankaty Head Golf Club for many years and that he also served on the United States Golf Association’s Mid-Amateur Committee for ten years from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s.

“The community of Nantucket has been very supportive,” he said. “We have 400 volunteers, we have raised some money, and we have housing for these golfers, which obviously isn’t always easy because there aren’t a lot of Holiday Inns on the island. We are in anticipation of a great event and a tremendous field is on its way.”

Durkes said the tournament had a record of 5,331 golfers enter the Mid-Ams this year and that of that number, 264 qualifiers from 65 different locations across the country would begin making their way to Nantucket beginning on Wednesday and throughout the day yesterday.

“Practice rounds (were scheduled) for Thursday and Friday. Over the weekend there will be a 36-hole qualifier that lowers the number of golfers from 264 to 64 at Miacomet and Sankaty with 132 golfers at each course,” Durkes said. “If necessary there will be a Monday morning playoff to settle any ties and secure one of those final 64 spots.”

The number of golfers will be trimmed from 64 to 2 from Monday afternoon through Wednesday, setting up for a 36-hole final between the final two golfers on Thursday.

Durkes said these matches are all available for the public to attend free of charge. Durkes said parking arrangements have been set up and there will be shuttle buses to take people to and from the courses.

“It will be fun to watch these players play,” Durkes said. “People will be split between Miacomet and Sankaty over the weekend but starting with the Monday morning playoff (if necessary) at Sankaty everyone will begin to gather at one place.”

The tournament is open to golfers 25 and over. Durkes said the event was formed in 1981 to separate the amateur golfers in their late teens and early 20s set to become professionals from older amateur golfers who weren’t in that same elite class.

“The USGA decided to have a tournament for amateurs that were 25 and older as opposed to just the United States amateur because that amateur tournament turns out to be a college golf tournament,” Durkes said. “At the U.S Amateur Semifinals three weeks ago the oldest semifinalist was 22 years old. All the other guys were in college and are going to be pros. This was set up for ages 25 and over to knock out that emerging professional class.”

Members of the USGA executive committee are expected to be in attendance. Durkes said Nantucket was named to be the host of the 2021 tournament three years ago and that preparations have been in the works ever since.

“We have signs up all over the place promoting the tournament and of the last ten champions, flags hung up I mean, it is quite amazing,” Durkes said. “We haven’t had anything like this on the island before. This is a National Championship and a big deal. The weather is looking promising and there is a big buzz among the golfers about coming to Nantucket because it is an unusual site for this event. But the players are excited.”

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