Dublin, Ohio resident and reigning Ohio Mid-Amateur champion Jeg Coughlin III topped the defending champion of the U.S. Mid-Amateur today in the Semifinals, and will play in the Finals tomorrow at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ.
In a clutch performance in a tight match, Coughlin beat the Evan Beck of Virginia Beach in the Semifinals 1-up.
Coughlin went down one after one when Beck made birdie at the first hole. But Coughlin bounced back to square when Beck made bogey at the second.
Coughlin then made birdie at holes three and four to go 2-up.
The pair traded birdies at 6 and 7, but then Beck ran off birdies at the difficult par-four eighth and ninth to square the match.
After halving the first two holes on the back nine with par then birdie, Coughlin made yet another birdie at the par-4 12th, followed by another winner with a three at the long par-3 13th, to go back up two.
But Beck made birdie-2 at the short par-3 15th to close the gap to one hole with three to play.
Then, in a display of championship golf, both players made birdie at 16 and 17, then closed with par at the long par-4 18th. Holding off the defending champ gave Coughlin a 1-up victory and a spot in the Finals.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m. Eastern, Coughlin will face Brandon Holtz of Bloomington, IL, who won his Semifinal match 3&2.
(See how Coughlin fared in his matches in the run-up to the Semis…)
FINALS MATCH UPDATE
Dublin’s Jeg Coughlin III faced a buzzsaw in Brandon Holtz of Bloomington, IL in the Finals match for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Troon Golf Club in Scottsdale.
Holtz was conceded two front-nine eagles on par-4s after Coughlin found trouble off the tee, and finished up three after the morning 18.
After the lunch break, Holtz won the first two holes to go 5-up, and things looked bleak for Coughlin.
But then Coughlin made four birdies in six holes — including three in a row at holes 26-28 — to climb back to just one down with eight holes to play.
Undaunted, Holtz responded with a run of his own in his final six holes, making two birdies and an eagle on the drivable par-4 34th hole to close out Coughlin for the title, 3&2.
