ATLANTA, GA (October 13, 2017) - Matt Parziale (Brockton, MA) won the 37th U.S. Mid-Amateur at the Capital City Club Friday, playing exceptional golf in the morning round, and then playing steadily in the afternoon and never letting Josh Nichols (Kernersville, NC) back in the match.

With the win, Parziale captures the Robert T. Jones Memorial Trophy and a spot in next year's Masters and U.S. Open.

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It was a final match that pitted a firefighter (Parziale) against a wedding caterer (Nichols). It was more reminiscent of the old U.S. Public Links, which was always billed as "the working man's tournament" before being discontinued in 2014 after being overrun by college players.

Nichols was trying to become the second U.S. Mid-Amateur champion in the last four years from Kernersville, NC, following Scott Harvey in 2014. But Parziale jumped ahead early and controlled the match throughout.

The state of the match changed constantly throughout the morning round, with only one halved hole out of the first ten. Parziale won the first two holes, only to see Nichols go birdie-birdie to square it up at the 4th.

Parziale holding the U.S. Mid-Am trophy with the U.S. Open trophy in the background (USGA photo)

Parziale started to take control of the match over the next three holes, making three straight birdies to go three up through seven. Nichols got one back with a birdie on the 9th, but Parziale would win four of the next seven holes, going four under over that stretch. Nichols could not keep pace, and after the morning round Parziale was 6 up.

How good was Parziale in the morning round? He took the equivalent of 63 shots (with concessions), making eight birdies against a single bogey.

Any hopes that Nichols had for getting back into the match were dashed quickly as the afternoon round began, with Parziale making birdie on the first hole, then winning the par-three 3rd with a par to go 8 up. From there, it was a matter of playing steady golf for Parziale, letting the holes run out and forcing Nichols to come up with something special to catch him. In the end, he was able to do just that. His birdie on the par-five 12th closed out the match, 8&6.

Interview with U.S. Mid-amateur champion Matt Parziale

From David Shefter of the USGA:

Parziale’s margin of victory matched the third-largest in championship history. Kevin Marsh’s 10-and-9 win in 2005 at The Honors Course is the largest, followed by the 9-and-7 victory by Trip Kuehne at Bandon Dunes in 2007. Mike McCoy won by the same 8-and-6 score in 2013 at the Country Club of Birmingham.

His 7-under 63 in the morning 18 – with the usual match-play concessions – was the best score in a U.S. Mid-Amateur final since the USGA switched the format to 36 holes in 2001.

“I didn’t play that bad,” said Nichols, a wedding caterer who failed to qualify for match play in his Mid-Amateur debut last year. “He played amazing. Even great golf couldn’t keep up.”

Josh Nichols (L) congratulates Matt Parziale (USGA photo)

Even a seasoned professional might have had difficulty matching Parziale’s effort. He birdied four of the first seven holes in building a 3-up lead. On the inward nine, the 2017 Massachusetts Amateur champion birdied three straight holes from No. 12, and added another at the 458-yard par-4 16th to take a 6-up lead into the lunch break. That stretch included a 55-footer for birdie on the par-3 13th hole.

“I didn’t even know I shot 63 until someone texted me after,” said Parziale, who was 8 under par for the match. “I was really just trying to take it one hole at a time. I know that’s what everyone says, but that’s what I did today.”

Nichols, the fourth North Carolinian to reach a USGA amateur final in 2017 (joining U.S. Amateur champion Doc Redman, U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up Paul Simson and U.S. Women’s Amateur runner-up Jennifer Chang), holed a bunker shot for birdie on the par-4 ninth to momentarily halt Parziale’s surge, but then immediately gave a hole back on No. 10 with a bogey. Nichols’ only other win the rest of the match came when Parziale three-putted the par-3 24th hole for just his second bogey of the match.

If there’s any consolation, Nichols was happy to hear that making the Mid-Amateur final earned him a spot in next year’s U.S. Amateur. “And it’s at Pebble Beach,” he said before receiving his silver medal as the runner-up. He also receives a three-year Mid-Amateur exemption and an exemption from local qualifying for the 118th U.S. Open. “I just learned that today. That’s awesome.”

Parziale and Nichols halved holes 25 through 29 before Parziale sealed the win on the par-5 30th hole with a 2-iron approach that he was quite familiar with. He closed out his Massachusetts Amateur win at Charles River Country Club, hitting a 2-iron into a par 5. His 239-yard laser on Capital City’s 12th hole found the back fringe, and he managed to lag the eagle putt to within 4 feet. When Nichols failed to make his 25-footer for birdie, he conceded Parziale’s short putt.

Parziale embraces caddie/father Vic (USGA photo)

Parziale first embraced his father/caddie, Vic, who also works in the same Brockton firehouse. Then he celebrated with fiancé Ali Hubbard, and several close friends who flew down to Atlanta from Boston on Friday morning. That group included Herbie Aikens and Brian Higgins, another elite mid-amateur from the Bay State. Parziale and Aikens have captured the last two Massachusetts Four-Ball titles and qualified for this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.

“I knew my best friend Greg [Chalas] was driving from [Indianapolis] and he was meeting up with my fiancée. I didn’t know about the other guys,” Parziale said. “They just kept showing up at different times. Crazy friends. That means a lot to keep seeing new faces show up. There was a lot of support, and it was great to have them here.”

Parziale, who had never won a match in three previous U.S. Mid-Amateur appearances, enjoyed quite a week at Capital City Club. Not only did he finally advance in the bracket, but in the quarterfinals on Thursday, he rallied from 5 down with eight to play to beat medalist Bradford Tilley in 20 holes. He followed with a 5-and-4 win over 2016 semifinalist Dan Sullivan.

Five years ago, Parziale was at a crossroads in his golf career. He played collegiately at Southeastern University, an NAIA school in Lakeland, Fla., before embarking on a brief three-year professional career. On June 5, 2012, he was in Memphis, Tenn., for U.S. Open sectional qualifying and was grouped with 1992 U.S. Amateur and 1997 British Open champion Justin Leonard. He finished last (78-76) among the competitors who completed 36 holes.

It was at that point that Parziale decided it was time to abandon his dream of making it as a professional golfer and began the process of joining his father as a firefighter. It’s a decision he has not regretted.

“It’s great. I love my career,” said Parziale. “We’re a very busy station. It allows me to do this (play competitive golf) time-off wise. It’s a great group of guys, too.”

Now he’s about to embark on a dream-like season. His 2018 schedule will not only include the U.S. Open, but a likely invitation to next April’s Masters Tournament. He also is exempt into the next two U.S. Amateurs. The 118th U.S. Amateur is set for Aug. 13-19 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links and Spyglass Hill.

The champion also received a gold medal, custody of the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy for the ensuing year and a 10-year Mid-Amateur exemption.

And he’s scheduled to get married next August.

“It’ll be tough [to get time off],” said Parziale. “But we’ll make next year work.”



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