Split Decision: Cody Massa, Dewey Co-Medalists (137) in Arizona

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 honors 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 at Troon Country Club.

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.”

Cody and Bobby both missed the cut in this year’s U.S. Amateur, the first time the brothers competed in the same USGA championship. On Sept. 8, they qualified for next year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball that will be conducted at nearby Desert Mountain Club.

But their focus now is on match play, where the cut came at 4-over 146. A 10-for-3 playoff will take place on Monday morning at Troon C.C. to determine the final spots in the draw.

The 17 players who finished in red figures won’t be sweating out that challenging and nerve-wracking exercise.

For Dewey, a 33-year-old competing in his first USGA championship, the feeling this weekend has been exhilarating, especially after making a hole-in-one at Troon North in Saturday’s opening round. Since turning 25, he had made eight attempts to qualify for the U.S. Mid-Amateur before medaling at his Palm Coast, Fla., qualifier on July 28.

Unlike most of the competitors, he didn’t play collegiate golf, spending two years at Palm Beach (Fla.) State College, where he earned an Associate of Arts degree. He works in outside services at Abacoa Golf Club, the Jupiter, Fla., daily-fee course he always plays.

While he didn’t quite back up his opening-round 66, he held it together to earn a top seed.

“It means everything,” said Dewey. “Golf is everything to me. I started late, started at like 14. I grew up playing soccer and was late to the game. I fell in love with it, it’s my passion. And to have my girlfriend (Samantha Forsyth) on the bag, it’s just awesome.”  

Hagestad, 34, of Newport Beach, Calif., who a week ago was celebrating the USA’s fifth consecutive Walker Cup victory over Great Britain & Ireland at iconic Cypress Point Club (17-9), continued that momentum this weekend. After winning both singles matches to improve to 7-1 in the format at the biennial competition, Hagestad has now positioned himself for what could be a third Mid-Amateur title in a Walker Cup year (2021 and 2023). Two years ago at Sleepy Hollow, he defeated Beck in the final more than a week after helping the USA win on the Old Course at St Andrews.

“I’ve got one guy tomorrow morning,” said Hagestad, who knows the hard work that lies ahead. “Let’s worry about that.

“I played solid for 33 holes. I would love a couple of swings back, but I had a feeling that after last week [at Cypress Point], I was going to do something stupid at some point.”

Persons, 41, of Fargo, N.D., a former University of Minnesota standout, backed up his opening 68 at Troon North with a 70 at Troon C.C. A veteran competing in his 11th USGA championship, the reinstated amateur – he played briefly on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Canada – knows the transition to match play will take a different mindset.

“There are some situations that might dictate what you do or don’t do,” said Persons, “but … as long as you’re playing consistent, keeping it between the goal posts, especially off the tee out here in the desert, you’ll have a good chance by the end of the week.”

What’s Next

The playoff for the final three spots in the match-play draw will take place Monday morning at Troon Country Club at 6:50 a.m. MST starting at Hole No. 10. The Round of 64 is set to commence at 8 a.m. Match play continues through Thursday’s 36-hole final. Admission is free, and spectators are encouraged to attend. 

Notable

• Among the players in Monday’s playoff are 2011 runner-up Kenny Cook, Arizonan Cory Bacon and former Stanford University tennis player Jack Barber.
  
  
• Besides Drew Kittleson and Cody Massa, two other Arizonans advanced: Chris Kamin (Phoenix) and Kale Wasso (Scottsdale), who rallied from an opening 78 at Troon North to post a 4-under 67 on Sunday at Troon C.C.
  
  
• Patrick Dewey, who aced the 13th hole at Troon North in Saturday’s first round, received a couple of nice gifts courtesy of the USGA: the flag from that hole and a bottle of Trinity Oaks cabernet sauvignon with his name, club used and listed hole on the back of the bottle.
  
  
• Speaking of holes-in-one, 2017 champion Matt Parziale aced the 188-yard, 13th hole at Troon Country Club with a 9-iron. It was part of a stretch where the Brockton, Mass., native went birdie-birdie-eagle from No. 11. He posted even-par 71 but missed the cut with a 5-over total of 147.
  
  
• Andrew Bailey, of Cleveland, Ohio, holed out a pitching-wedge approach from 135 yards on the par-4 18th hole at Troon North for an eagle, which earned him a spot in the match-play draw. Bailey carded a second-round 72 (he also shot 72 at Troon C.C. on Saturday) for a 36-hole total of 2-over 144.
  
  
• Besides Parziale, other past U.S. Mid-Amateur champions who failed to qualify for match play were first-round co-leader Matthew McClean (2022), Scott Harvey (2014), Michael McCoy (2013), Lukas Michel (2019). McCoy’s son, Nate, who oversees handicapping and course rating for the Iowa Golf Association, also failed to advance. The two have competed in five USGA championships together. Mike, competing in his 64th USGA championship, also won last month’s U.S. Senior Amateur. McClean’s championship hopes were dashed with a costly 11 on the par-5 14th at Troon North.
  
  
• Other notables who did not qualify included last year’s co-medalist Segundo Oliva Pinto, 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion Davis Womble, Pebble Beach director of golf John Sawin, 2025 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up Greg Sanders, Cypress Point/2025 Walker Cup caddie A.J. Fitzgerald, Cole Ogden, the brother of 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Clay Ogden, and Adam Barkow, the son of award-winning golf author/writer Al Barkow.
  
  
• Louis Brown, 62, of Marietta, Ga., the third-oldest player in the field and the 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, qualified for match play with a 3-over total of 145.
  
  
• The stroke averages for the two venues were nearly identical: 75.65 for Troon C.C. and 76.02 for co-host Troon North. Both are designs of the late Tom Weiskopf.
  
  
• Erik Olson withdrew prior to the second round due to a family emergency, while Daniel Wittlinger withdrew due to a hip injury. John Hunter and Ryan Burke also withdrew for undisclosed reasons.

Quotable

“I came into [the championship] and said, ‘I didn’t come this far just to come this far,’ so the goal is to win it and take it one shot at a time. That’s what we’ve been doing.” – co-medalist Patrick Dewey  

“I do the stuff he teaches and pretty much play as much golf as I can.” – Cody Massa when asked if he’s a physical trainer like his younger brother Bobby, the runner-up a year ago at Kinloch G.C.  

“Endurance. Consistency. Just keeping yourself in it. Sometimes you get beat by someone that plays great, but if you keep yourself in it the whole day, give yourself opportunities, you’ll have a good chance by the end of the week.” – 2022 semifinalist Josh Persons (4-under 138) on what it takes to make deep runs    

“Yeah, this is awesome. We’re having a great time. Troon Country Club is a fantastic golf course, so I’m excited to get to play it again tomorrow [in match play].” – Ryan O’Rear, who played his last 30 holes of stroke play in 8 under par

“I don’t think it is going on a limb to say that while this golf course (Troon C.C.) is visually intimidating, the greens are really crispy and you have to take a step back and say, ‘Hey, on this hole let’s hit the fairway.’ After that, move on to the next shot, try to hit the green and get a good look. When we walked to No. 10 after playing 9, [my caddie said], ‘You’re still under par, let’s just get nine good looks and if you do that then you’ve done your job.’” – Stewart Hagestad   

“Just happy to be in match play. Whether you’re first or 64th, it doesn’t matter.” – 2024 semifinalist Drew Kittleson

“I grew up here. My dad lives on No. 12 [of Troon C.C.], but we never played here. But it’s been great. My whole life, [I’ve] never had a USGA event in town. Then get this and the Four-Ball in May [of 2026 at Desert Mountain]. So, I’m just forever grateful and lucky to be here, some of my pals (including Four-Ball partner Drew Stoltz) and family have come out [or are coming out], so it’s been fun. I hope everyone has to take a bunch of time off of work [this coming week].” -- Kittleson

David Shefter is a senior staff writer at the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.