Brandon Holtz said he was planning to take an ice bath on Wednesday evening.
After two rounds of a battle and five match game in the burning heat of the Arizona desert, Holtz’s 38-year-old legs felt it. And he still had a hill for climbing: the 36-hole final on the 44th US mid-amateur.
“I wish you would just give us some damn carts,” Holtz joked from the organizers of the tournament.
There would of course not be an ez-gos. On Thursday morning Holtz, who set up Moonlights as a broker in Indiana, one foot for the other at Throne Country Club and the piece set out the biggest game of his life. If he could overthrow the 28-year-old Jeg Coughlin III of Dublin, Ohio, Holtz would not only claim his first USGA title in his first attempt, but also Thursday and Friday T-shirt in the US Open in 2026 on Shinnecock Hills and, more than likely, the masters. (Augusta National has expanded an invitation for the winner of the mid-amateur since 1989.
Riding hunting gun with Brandon at Throne CC, in the form of his Caddie, was the father of Brandon, Jeff. “He is a golfer,” said Brandon. “He is a gamer. I get all my fire there.”
Jeff also gave his son something else: Masters Badges. That came back in 2010, the year that Phil Mickelson won his third green jacket. Jeff hit the ticket lottery that year and took his son for the ride. “We know how special it is,” said Brandon about pacing the fairways at Augusta National. Brandon knows all too well that the entrance to the US Open is also nothing to sniff. He said he went on to sectional qualification “probably seven times”, but never hit his ticket to the big dance. On Thursday morning, Phoenix Local Time was only one last game between him and a date in June on Shinnecock.
This year’s US mid-amateur raised a few eyebrows for the number of former pros who went deep into the game of the match game; Of the eight quarter -finalists, only two had never played professionally. Holtz’s run in the pro ranks included half a dozen years on the mini tours before he regained his amateur status in 2024. “I liked to play for cash,” said Holtz. ‘[But] It was about that I just didn’t play any more events, so decided to get my amateur status back. “
Smart move.
Holtz came to shoot out and made two admitted eagles on par-4s (helped by shaky Tee-shots of Coughlin) in the first six holes to take a 2-up lead. Up to and including 18 he had extended his benefit to 3 up. With a break between the 18s, Coughlin used the time not only to touch balls, but also to release his mind by meditating with his girlfriend in the clubhouse.
The second loop was a roller coaster. Holtz won the 19th and 20th holes to go up to 5, but Coughlin hit back and cut his backlog to just one 1 to 28. On the 34th Tee, with a 2-Uprand, Holtz landed a championship winning Haymaker, who sticked his t-shirt on the 308-yard par-4 to 7 feet.
After his 3-and-2 victory, Holtz was asked to look ahead to the great exemptions he will enjoy next year. Especially every player would he like to play a practice round?
“There is certainly a list,” he said. “The one who likes to have fun and talks a little waste. That is with whom I would like to play.”
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