B
randon Holtz, a former Division I basketball player turned Bloomington, Illinois real‑estate agent, captured his first USGA title at the 2024 Mid‑Amateur Championship held at Troon Country Club and Troon North in Scottsdale. The 44th edition drew 264 amateurs aged 25 and older from 19 countries. After two days of stroke play, the top 64 advanced to a single‑elimination match‑play bracket that whittled the field down to Holtz and Jeg Coughlin III, a 28‑year‑old from Dublin, Ohio, who had previously competed in three USGA events.
Both finalists were unaccustomed to Arizona’s heat, yet they endured the conditions and the competition, including nine local players. The final took place Thursday morning at 7 a.m., with Holtz and Coughlin playing two 18‑hole match‑play rounds. Early in the match, temperatures hovered in the high‑70s to low‑80s, but a sudden downpour disrupted play. “I didn’t expect this kind of weather in Arizona,” Coughlin told a spectator, while Holtz admitted the rain threw off some of his shots. “The humidity was higher than I thought, and then the rain this morning totally threw me off,” he said.
Despite the weather, about 80 spectators—many friends and family—watched from the sidelines. Holtz’s father, Jeff, flew in to serve as caddie and calm his son. “Slow down, breathe,” Jeff advised after a missed short putt on hole 14. Holtz’s confidence grew as the match progressed, and after 34 tightly contested holes he prevailed 3‑2 over Coughlin.
When asked what the championship meant, Holtz simply replied, “wild.” The victory not only earned him a place in the 2026 U.S. Open but also likely secured an invitation to the Masters in April. Holtz, who once played Division I basketball at Illinois State, has always loved golf, even though he never saw it as a career. “I always played,” he said. “After college I decided, ‘what the heck,’ and gave it a shot. When you don’t play at the collegiate level, you learn a lot… that the older you get, the wiser you get, and hopefully I can keep getting a little wiser with golf.”
Holtz’s triumph at Troon Country Club, where he sank the championship‑winning putt on the 16th hole, marks a remarkable turn from his real‑estate career to a moment on the national stage. The Mid‑Amateur title underscores his dedication and skill, and it opens doors to the biggest stages in golf.
