Irish trio miss US Mid-Am cut

Matthew McClean’s US Mid-Amateur Champinoship came to a crashing halt after he fell to a second round of 81 to miss the cut by one.

McClean, a 2022 champion, shared the first round lead and seemed to already have his place in the matchplay stages all but secured. However, five bogeys and an eleven on the par-5 14th saw him tumble down the leaderboard and a late birdie on the par-3 16th wasn’t enough to save him.

Ben Phipps and John Conroy also missed the top-64 to bring a premature end to Irish interest in Troon Country Club.

From more than 2,600 miles to the west, a proud – and somewhat jealous – Cody Massa watched his younger brother, Bobby, advance all the way to the 36-hole final of the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Kinloch Golf Club, in Manakin-Sabot, Va.

The elder Massa was not only inspired by the run – it ended with a 9-and-8 defeat to Evan Beck – but it triggered a competitive fire inside the Cave Creek, Ariz., resident. At Mesa Country Club, where the 39-year-old plays most of his golf (he’s also a member at Arizona C.C., in Phoenix), Cody grinded at the range and played upwards of five rounds per week to prepare himself for a possible run like Bobby produced a year ago.

Cody, one of eight Arizonans in the field, has put himself in position for such a feat. The native Texan – the brothers grew up in Irving – carded a 4-under-par 67 at stroke-play co-host Troon North Golf Club on Sunday to share medalist honours with first-round co-leader Patrick Dewey, of Jupiter, Fla., in the 44th edition of this championship at 5-under 137. Massa carded a 1-under 70 in Saturday’s opening round of stroke play.

Dewey followed his opening 66 with an even-par 71 at Troon C.C.

Bobby Massa, 37, of Dallas, Texas, a physical trainer who has worked with some pro athletes as well as USGA president Fred Perpall, posted a 70 at Troon North on Sunday, qualifying for match play at 1-under 141.

Four players finished a shot back, including three-time champion Stewart Hagestad, 2024 semifinalist Drew Kittleson, 2022 semifinalist Josh Persons and Ryan O’Rear, who was 4 over through six holes on Saturday and played his final 30 in 8 under par, including a Sunday 68 at Troon C.C.

The group at 3-under 139 included 2024 U.S. Open qualifier Colin Prater, Nahum Mendoza, Yaroslav Merkulov and Nicholas Dentino. Defending champion Beck fired a 70 at Troon North and advanced with a two-round total of 141.

As an Arizona resident, Cody is all too familiar with the playing characteristics of desert golf: green turf surrounded by Saguaros and desert vegetation, places that are nice to look at, but areas of the course competitors don’t want to visit.

“Very helpful to know how far the ball goes,” said Cody Massa of the altitude (2,400 feet) and searing heat (temperatures in the low- to mid-90s) associated with Greater Phoenix in mid-September. “That’s going to be really hard for a lot of players. Having yardages dialed in and knowing how far it goes is a huge help.

“You definitely can’t bomb driver everywhere. Like at [The] Olympic [Club for last month’s U.S. Amateur], you had to hit driver off every tee. Here, you’re hitting 3-irons on most of the holes.”