U.S. Mid-Amateur week on Nantucket Island, just off the shore of mainland Massachusetts, has been an eventful one as the bracket slowly has been whittled down to just a handful of player. Fog has played a big role in the tournament, delaying tee times in Saturday’s opening round of stroke play. That late start pushed back the championship schedule to the point that the winner will now be crowned a day late, on Friday, with the match starting at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Hayes Brown, a 32-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, needed some magic to get into the match-play field of 64 players. On the second hole of a a 13-for-7 playoff, Brown dunked a 95-yard wedge shot at the par-4 15th for an eagle that secured his spot on the bracket.
Brown carried over the momentum yesterday as he was able to take down the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Yaroslav Merkulov, of Rochester, N.Y., 1 up. It was the first time since 2013 the No. 1 seed lost in the round of 64. Merkulov was 3 up through 12 holes, but Brown stormed back with back-to-back birdies and a hole-clinching par on No. 15 to even the match. Then on the par-5 17th, Brown made birdie to turn things in his favor before winning on No. 18.
Hayes Brown watches his drive on the hole 18 tee box during the round of 64 at the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Mass. on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. (Chris Keane/USGA)
In his next match, Brown beat the No. 33 seed, Sam Straka, 5 and 4, to lock up a spot in the round of 16.
“My dad just kept telling me to think you’re always down, regardless,” Brown said when explaining his strategy for his Round of 32 match. “It helped me think about taking conservative lines but make aggressive swings. I feel like I got some breaks, getting some pars early that won some holes, and then after that it was aim for fat parts of the green and just try to make pars and let him make a mistake.”
The Round of 16 teed off Wednesday morning at 7:30 am., and the quarterfinals will commence at 12:30 p.m.. All matches are being played at Sankaty Head Golf Club, a course featured among Golfweek’s Best Courses in Massachusetts.
Stephen Behr Jr. hits his second shot on hole nine during the round of 32 at the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Mass. on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. (Chris Keane/USGA)
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