Plainfield Country Club • Edison, N.J.
Echo Lake C.C. • Westfield, N.J.
May 17-21, 2025
U.S. AMATEUR FOUR-BALL
Capps, Whitehead Battle Gusty N.J. Winds to Earn Medalist Honors
Two days removed from receiving more than four inches of precipitation in a 72-hour period, Plainfield Country Club and stroke-play co-host Echo Lake Country Club, in nearby Westfield, N.J., saw a return of USGA-like playing conditions for the 10th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
Sunshine and brisk winds that saw occasional gusts of 30-plus mph, quickly changed these two Donald Ross layouts into challenging beasts for Sunday’s final round of stroke play.
Looking for red? The whipping flags displayed the hue, but the scoring did not reciprocate. For those hanging precipitously on the match-play cut, the difficult conditions only added to the mental pressure – and possibly misery – of trying to advance.
On Saturday 48 sides posted sub-70 scores. Just 26were recorded on Sunday.
“We got here early this morning and it’s blowing 30 [miles per hour] and the rough is U.S. Open rough on both courses,” said Nathan Smith, a four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion who won the inaugural Four-Ball with partner Todd White a decade ago. He will captain the 2025 USA Walker Cup Team in September. “I thought it was the toughest setup that I could remember.”
Smith, 46, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and White, 57, of Spartanburg, one of two sides to have competed in all 10 iterations of the Four-Ball, managed a 2-under 68 at Echo Lake on Sunday, good enough to make match play at 5-under 135.
Both venues play to a par of 70.
But it was a pair of Wofford College alums who managed their games in the testy conditions to best the field and garner medalist honors. Zach Capps and Brent Whitehead, both 35-year-old Atlanta, Ga., residents, carded a 3-under 67 at Echo Lake on Sunday for a 36-hole total of 8-under 132. That was one stroke better than 2019 champions and fellow 46-year-olds Todd Mitchell, of Bloomington, Ill., and Scott Harvey, of Greensboro, N.C., who posted a 1-under 69 at Plainfield on Sunday after a championship-low 64 in Saturday’s first round at Echo Lake.
Two strokes back were 2024 medalists and University of Oregon alums Zach Foushee, 30, of Lake Oswego, Ore., and Robbie Ziegler, 34, of Tualatin, Ore., and 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up joseph Deraney, 42, of Tupelo, Miss., and Jonathan Bale, 37, of Wales.
Deraney and Bale had the day’s low round, a 65 at Plainfield.
The 132 total was the highest score for a medalist in championship history, surpassing the 130 shot by current PGA Tour winner Maverick McNealy and his ex-Stanford teammate Viraat Badhwar in the inaugural championship at The Olympic Club.
The cut for match play came at even-par 140 with 12 sides playing off Monday morning for the last two spots in the draw. That score matched the highest cut in event history (2017 at Pinehurst).
Whitehead, who 13 days ago was the medalist in a U.S. Open qualifier at Pensacola (Fla.) Country Club, used his 190-mph ball speed and low trajectory to his advantage, registering all four birdies for the side (against one bogey). He rolled in birdies on Nos. 3, 5, 11 and 12; his longest was a 30-footer on five.
“A lot of spectating out there today,” said Capps, who works for a consulting firm. “I said the same thing yesterday you hook your horse to the right wagon and it’s an easy game.”
Added Whitehead: “He made five birdies [on Saturday], so he was a phenomenal partner. Even today, he covered me when I needed him.”
Harvey, a property manager who has medaled a record four times in the U.S. Amateur, was looking to add a fifth with his partner of 10 years. Harvey and Mitchell, a former minor-league infielder who now works in the insurance industry, have also competed in all 10 U.S. Amateur Four-Balls, winning at Bandon Dunes (Old Macdonald Course) six years ago in blustery conditions quite similar to what the competitors experienced on Sunday.
“It's closer to survival than golf out there,” said Harvey, whose side was bogey free until its 35th hole, the par-4 17th at Plainfield. “I didn't know it was possible to be that hard.”
Deraney, a stay-at-home dad, and Bale, a managing director for a capital management company, had designs on medalist honors until they bogeyed the difficult par-4 17th at Plainfield, a converted par 5 that has measured 488 yards.
Foushee, a realtor who is about to become a father in four weeks, and Ziegler, who works in marketing for golf apparel company, weren’t in the field until a few weeks ago when Reid Hatley and Jake Koppenberg had to withdraw due to the latter recently accepting a full-time job as a firefighter. They nearly were medalists for a second consecutive year after registering birdies over their last three holes at Echo Lake to post 69. Last year at Philadelphia Cricket Club, the good friends matched the 36-hole scoring record of 126 before losing in the Round of 16.
“We blew it up for them in the pro shop,” said Ziegler of the thank you gifts they are sending Hatley and Koppenberg.
The 12-for-2 playoff for the final spots in the match-play draw will take place at 7 a.m. EDT starting on the 10th hole of Plainfield Country Club and moving forward in order, if necessary. The first Round-fo-32 match is slated for 9 a.m. Match play continues at Plainfield C.C. on Tuesday with the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and 18-hole championship match on Wednesday. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
“We know each other very well, and I think we understand our personalities and we don't get in each other's way. It’s all about helping and doing things to help the team. [We] need to give ourselves a better chance. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.” – Todd Mitchell on why he and partner Scott Harvey have been so successful in this format
“I think the Father/Son Junior Club Championship.” – Zach Capps when asked about being medalist in any previous competition
“Nothing really besides seeding doesn’t matter. Don’t take it for granted and everyone [who qualifies for match play] is really, really good. Nothing has really changed.” – Robbie Ziegler when asked what his side learned from an early match-play exit, despite being medalist
“I watch [PGA Tour players] every single week. I'm as glued into PGA Tour golf as anybody, and here [at this championship] we are a bunch of working guys, more or less, right? We have jobs. There's accountants and insurance salesman, and like we’ve got 6-inch rough. We’ve got greens that are crazy [fast]. These green complexes are unbelievable…I haven't seen tour guys play out of this type of stuff in a long time.” – Drew Stoltz, a two-time runner-up with partner Drew Kittleson, comparing this USGA setup to what he sees on a regular basis as a co-host of a popular show on PGA Tour Radio on Sirius/XM with two-time USGA champion Colt Knost whom he also does a weekly podcast
“The course played incredibly difficult. The rough is brutal, but the pins were fair…You just got to hit the right shot, and then if you don't, then you're screwed.” – Kittleson
“There are so many great players in this tournament. It’s always an honor to make match play in any USGA event. It’s so difficult.” – 5-time USGA champion Nathan Smith
“The wind picked up a lot during the round. The first four holes, it was a little windy, but after that it got 20 mph-plus. Making pars was really good out there…We only made one birdie (No. 13). It was hard to get good looks with the pin locations and the green complexes and the wind.” – Connor McNeely
“I think we were a little disappointed [on Saturday] with how we finished [at stroke-play co-host Echo Lake], so we wanted to come out of the gate swinging today, and I feel like we did that. Tyler hit one stone-dead on the first and made a great birdie on three. I made a birdie on four, and we just kind of ham-and-egged it through the front line, and then tried to hang on the back. We went out and did what we needed to do.” – Will Hartman on the stroke-play portion of the competition with fellow U.S. National Junior Team member Tyler Mawhinney
David Shefter is a senior staff writer at the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.
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