A mid-amateur is an amateur golfer, usually a low handicap, who is over a certain age bracket but is not on the age that can qualify him or her for the senior ranks. Generally, the minimum age requirement for mid-amateur tournaments vary by organization and country. There are those with a minimum age limit of 25 and there are also those that come with an age limit of 35.
To put it simply, a mid-amateur is a classification of golf players that comes with a specific age and handicap index requirement.
United States Golf Association (USGA) Mid-Amateur Facts
In the United States, the mid-amateur category comes with its own annual tournament as well as a set of qualifications. This annual tournament is the U.S. Mid-Amateur Golf Championship.To be considered as a mid-am or mid-amateur golfer in the USGA, one must be at least 25 years old during the start of the competition. In addition, this golfer must come with a handicap index of not more than 3.4. This index requirement is considered as a point higher compared to the U.S. amateur which is 2.4.
The existence of the championship in the USGA as well as the mid-amateur classification was created in order to provide opportunities for older golfers to compete at higher levels. It also keeps college golfers and other young amateur golfers from the competition especially those who have their own set of strong competition in their respective programs sponsored by their schools.
Furthermore, the mid-amateur competition and classification in the United States started in 1981 for the men’s division and 1987 for the women’s division.
United States Mid-Amateur Golf Championship
The U.S. Mid-Amateur Golf Championship is the annual tournament for all golfers belonging to the mid-amateur category. This tournament, which is common called as the, “Mid-Am” is organized by the USGA and was first played at the Bellerive Country Club in Missouri in 1981.The said tournament does not come with a gender restriction, though the USGA also comes with a similar tournament for women, which is the US Women’s Mid-Amateur.
Furthermore, the tournament is composed of a stroke play that runs for two days and the top 64 golfers will then participate in a knockout match play. The one who wins this match play is declared the champion.