Bobby Massa (USGA Photo)
Evan Beck, 34, of Virginia Beach, Va.- Playing in his 11th USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur
- Shared medalist honors in stroke play with Segundo Oliva Pinto
- Runner-up to Stewart Hagestad in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow Country Club
- Played in four U.S. Amateurs and was runner-up in the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur
- Reached semifinals with partner Dan Walters in 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
- Chosen Virginia State Golf Association Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022
- Won this year’s George L. Coleman Invitational at Seminole Golf Club and George C. Thomas Invitational at The Los Angeles C.C.
- Two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection while playing at Wake Forest University
- In 2021, he won the Virginia State Open and Virginia State Mid-Amateur
- Analyst for an investment group
Road to the Quarterfinals -Shot 68-65–133 in stroke play to earn the No. 2 seed
-R64: Def. Cody Paladino, 5 and 3
-R32: Def. Jackson Spires, 1 up
-R16: Def. Michael Buttacavoli, 21 holes
Stephen Behr Jr., 31, of Atlanta, Ga.
Stephen Behr Jr. - Competing in his eighth USGA championship and fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur
- Advanced to the Mid-Amateur quarterfinals last year at Sleepy Hollow Country Club
- Mid-Amateur stroke-play medalist in 2018 at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club
- Reached the U.S. Mid-Amateur’s Round of 16 in 2018 and 2021
- When he played in the Round of 16 in 2021, he lost to eventual champion Stewart Hagestad in 23 holes
- Advanced to match play in 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links
- Won the 2022 Crump Cup at Pine Valley and was runner-up the following year
- Second-team All-American and first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference for Clemson University in 2016
- Earned a degree in finance from Clemson and works in global sales for a multinational software company
- His father, Steve, is the head golf professional at Florence (S.C.) Country Club, site of the 1955 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 1963 U.S. Junior Amateur
Road to the Quarterfinals
-Shot 70-69–139 in stroke play to earn the No. 27 seed
-R64: Def. Sam Jackson, 4 and 2
-R32: Def. Christian Cavaliere, 3 and 2
-R16: Def. Trent Leon, 19 holes
Will Davenport, 31, of Palm City, Fla.
- Competing in his fifth USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur
- Survived a 5-for-3 playoff in the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., qualifier on July 26 to reach Kinloch G.C.
- Defeated Parker Edens, a Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist last year, in the Round of 16
- Advanced to match play in 2019 at Colorado G.C. and then caddied for eventual champion Lukas Michel
- A semifinalist with partner Mike Smith in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
- Runner-up in George C. Thomas Invitational at The Los Angeles C.C., and semifinalist in Walter J. Travis Invitational at Garden City Golf Club
- Ivy League Rookie of the Year and team captain while playing at Yale University
- Completed the MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School
- Works for a strategic management consultant group
Road to the Quarterfinals
-Shot 71-70–141 in stroke play to earn the No. 46 seed
-R64: Def. Domenic Maricocchi, 4 and 2
-R32: Def. Stewart Hagestad, 3 and 2
-R16: Def. Parker Edens, 2 up
Connor Doyal, 25, of Charleston, S.C.
- Competing in his first USGA Championship
- Playing in the U.S. Mid-Amateur after surviving a 6-for-1 playoff in the Prosperity, S.C., qualifier on Aug. 19
- Advanced to match play and earned No. 55 seed through a 14-for-12 playoff
- Won one of four extra-hole matches that were contested in the Mid-Amateur’s Round of 16
- Tied for seventh in this year’s Southeastern Amateur after carding a final-round 66
- In 2023, he won the South Carolina Match-Play Championship and Charleston City Amateur
- Also finished fifth in the 2023 South Carolina State Amateur and was fourth in the State Public Links Championship
- Reached the quarterfinals of Georgia Match Play (2022) and Alabama Match Play (2021) events
- Earned a degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University
- Works as a caddie at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course
Road to the Quarterfinals
-Shot 71-71–142 in stroke play to earn the No. 55 seed
-R64: Def. Rafael Abad, 2 and 1
-R32: Def. Zach Lassetter, 3 and 2
-R16: Def. Steele DeWald, 21 holes
Scott Harvey, 46, of Greensboro, N.C.
Scott Harvey - A two-time USGA champion who won the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur and 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (with partner Todd Mitchell)
- Competed in 35 USGA championships and represented North Carolina in five USGA Men’s State Teams
- Played in 15 U.S. Mid-Amateurs and was runner-up in 2016 at Stonewall, in Elverson, Pa.
- Defeated 2022 Mid-Amateur runner-up Hugh Foley, 2 up, in the Round of 16
- Tied for eighth in career Mid-Amateur match-play victories with a 27-12 record
- Member of 2015 USA Walker Cup Team and won a first-day singles match
- Has won 10 Carolinas Golf Association championships
- Advanced to his first U.S. Open in 2017 at Erin Hills when he shot a 63 in the first round of final qualifying
- Self-employed property manager
Road to the Quarterfinals
-Shot 64-70–134 in stroke play to earn the No. 5 seed
-R64: Def. Daniel Stringfellow, 2 and 1
-R32: Def. Torey Edwards, 3 and 2
-R16: Def. Hugh Foley, 2 up
Drew Kittleson, 35, of Scottsdale, Ariz.
- Competing in his 14th USGA championship and third U.S. Mid-Amateur
- Earned co-medalist honors in the Mid-Amateur qualifying in Las Vegas, Nev. on Aug. 5
- Previously advanced to U.S. Mid-Amateur’s Round of 16 (2021) and Round of 64 (2019)
- Runner-up to Danny Lee in 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club
- Advanced to consecutive U.S. Amateur Four-Ball finals with partner Drew Stoltz, a Sirius/XM radio host, in 2022 and 2023
- Played in both the Masters Tournament and U.S. Open Championship in 2009
- Third in this year’s George C. Thomas Invitational at The Los Angeles C.C. behind Evan Beck and Will Davenport
- All-America selection at Florida State University
- Owner of a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company
Road to the Quarterfinals
-Shot 71-70–141 in stroke play to earn the No. 52 seed
-R64: Def. Connor Lyon, 3 and 2
-R32: Def. Charles Fitzsimmons, 19 holes
-R16: Def. Derek Busby, 5 and 4
Bobby Massa, 36, of Dallas, Texas
- Competing in his third U.S. Mid-Amateur and advanced to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive last year
- Won in 20 holes against 2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion Brian Blanchard in the Round of 16
- Advanced to quarterfinals in this year’s U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club
- Dropped a 3-and-1 decision to eventual U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester in the quarterfinals
- Tied for second in the 2022 Texas State Amateur and was involved in a three-way playoff
- Played professionally for eight years, including the Adams Tour, before being reinstated as an amateur in 2019
- Twice played in the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson as a Monday qualifier (2013, 2023)
- First-team All-Southland Conference and all-region selection at the University of Texas-Arlington
- Personal trainer who works with golf speed and stability, from weekend players to professional athletes
Road to the Quarterfinals
-Shot 67-68–135 in stroke play to earn the No. 8 seed
-R64: Def. Doug Albers, 7 and 5
-R32: Def. Nick Barrett, 19 holes
-R16: Def. Brian Blanchard, 20 holes
Josh Persons, 40, of Fargo, N.D.
- Playing in his ninth USGA championship, including the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, which was his last event as a professional
- Competing in his third U.S. Mid-Amateur and reached the semifinals in 2022 at Erin Hills
- Defeated Mid-Amateur champions Stewart Hagestad and Scott Harvey on his way to the semifinals
- Participated in four U.S. Amateurs and advanced to the Round of 32 in 2003 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club
- Reinstated as an amateur in 2018 after playing on both the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Canada
- Rallied to win this year’s North Dakota Stroke Play title with three consecutive rounds of 69
- Won a state high school golf title and was a member of an undefeated state championship basketball team
- Received a degree in marketing from the University of Minnesota where he was a member of the golf team
- Works as an insurance advisor
Road to the Quarterfinals
-Shot 70-68–138 in stroke play to earn the No. 16 seed
-R64: Def. Chad Wilfong, 2 and 1
-R32: Def. Adam Barkow, 1 up
-R16: Def. Will Minton, 5 and 3