Stewart Hagestad could see his chances in the 36th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship slipping away.
The 25-year-old Hagestad was trailing by four holes with six to play, but rallied to tie Scott Harvey of Greensboro, N.C., on the 36th hole and claimed the title with a 20-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole at Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa.
“I was hitting it really solid all day,” said Hagestad, a USC graduate from Newport Beach who made birdies on 10 of the last 20 holes. “And I knew if I got one to drop, I would start seeing the lines and get something going.
“Just keep chipping away at it. I didn’t want to go to sleep tonight knowing I left anything out there, or I wanted to leave everything I had out there. Just one hole at a time, one shot at a time.”
It was the biggest comeback in a U.S. Mid-Amateur final since the championship match went from 18 holes to 36 in 2001. The only other time the title match went to extra holes was in 1987, when Jay Sigel defeated David Lind on the 20th hole.
Hagestad received an invitation to the 2017 Masters and he hopes to land a spot on the United States team for the 2017 Walker Cup because the biennial event will be played on his home course at Los Angles Country Club.
Winning birdies on the 32nd, 33rd and 35th holes got Hagestad close and it was all even after he hit his approach shot in close again on the final hole of regulation and Harvey, the 2014 champion, eventually conceded the birdie.
Hagestad’s late rally capped a comeback from 4 down after 17 holes in the morning round, as he gained some momentum by winning the 18th with a birdie.
“I played far from my best, but at the same time, I am still in it,” Hagestad said at the time. “All I’ve got to do is scare him a little bit. Match play is very momentum-driven and if I can keep chipping away and win a couple of holes.
“Hopefully I can make a couple of good (putts) and get myself back into this thing.”
Not only did he do that, but he wound up holding the trophy.
