Nate Smith advances to final match at U.S. Mid-Amateur
Nekoosa, Wis. – Nate Smith of Tetonia, Idaho, defeated Mikel Martinson 2 & 1 in the Semifinal match of the 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur to advance to the 36-hole championship match, where he will play against Andrew Bailey of Cleveland, Ohio. The championship is being held this week, Sept. 26 – Oct. 1, at The Lido and Sand Valley Course at Sand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa, Wis.
(Click here to follow along with live scoring of the match.)
Smith, who won the Idaho Men’s Amateur in 2024 and 2026, entered the match-play portion of the week as the No. 45 seed, having produced a 1-over par over 36 holes of stroke play. Prior to facing Martinson, Smith took down Parker Edens 6 & 5 in the morning’s Quarterfinals.
The 43-year-old and 2025 PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year is a homebuilder in his Eastern Idaho community and was reinstated as an amateur four years ago. On his way to the final match, he defeated some of the finer names in amateur golf, like Stewart Hagestad, the three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champ who Smith soundly bested 5 & 4 in the Round of 32.
Smith’s amateur golf efforts over the past few years have earned him a ranking of 264 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). It was that ranking that earned him an exemption into this national championship, as a top 40 age-eligible point leader in WAGR as of July 15. Smith’s counting wins toward that also include the PNGA Men’s Master-40 Amateur and The Snedeker Memorial, both in 2025.
This week, he has the opportunity to claim the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy with his father, Ken, serving as his caddie. A victory would also earn Smith an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, as well as exemptions from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Mid-Amateurs and next two U.S. Amateurs. He would also be invited to the 2027 Masters Tournament, assuming he maintains amateur status.
He faces tough competition in the final match from Bailey, who is the WAGR No. 180. Bailey has yet to see the 18th hole since finishing stroke play as the No. 3 seed, having won each of his five matches with at least one hole remaining. In the Semifinals, Bailey defeated Matt Vogt, a full-time dentist and current world No. 259 who gained notoriety in 2025 for qualifying for that year’s U.S. Open.
The final match between Smith and Bailey will be contested over 36 holes and will begin at 5:30 a.m. PDT.
