After five brutal days, the 2027 U.S. Mid-Amateur final is set, and golf fans, you gotta see this: two former pro golfers are battling it out for the title, continuing a trend that’s got everyone in the golf world talking.
The Former Pro Who Built His Way Back To Amateur Gold
Seriously, this isn’t your average mid-amateur story. One half of the final is Nate Smith, a 43-year-old homebuilder from Tetonia, Idaho. Dude’s got a legit pro past, with a Korn Ferry Tour win under his belt and about $171,000 earned in 25 starts on the PGA Tour. But he stepped away from the pro game in 2013, only to get that competitive itch back and regain his amateur status in 2022.
Smith himself admitted he was a little nervous about jumping back into high-level amateur events, knowing what some might say. “I was hesitant initially to compete on the amateur level again because I was worried, possibly, there would be some people that would say, ‘you’ve already been a professional; how can you play amateur golf again’,” he told idahoga.org. But he added, “the reality is that so much time has passed, and I still loved the game. I wanted to compete and the opportunity for me to do [so was] on the amateur level. The USGA granted me my amateur status back in a matter of three days.” Can you blame him for wanting to play when the USGA made it that easy?
The Sales Manager With Two State Titles, And Why Everyone’s Divided
Facing off against Smith is Andrew Bailey, 34, from Cleveland, Ohio. Bailey also has serious pro chops, turning pro in 2014 after Cleveland State and playing on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas. Now, he’s a national sales manager for a golf apparel company, but he’s been absolutely crushing it in the amateur scene since getting his status back, winning the Ohio Amateur in both 2024 and 2025. Two state titles? That’s not just luck, that’s serious game!
This whole situation, an all-former-pro final, it’s not new. It’s a growing theme in USGA events, and it’s become a hot-button issue for a lot of people in golf. Are former pros just too dominant? Does it make amateur events less accessible or fair for those who never turned pro? It’s a question without an easy answer, but you can bet it’ll be talked about as these two battle it out.
So, get ready for some serious golf drama. This 36-hole match-play final kicks off at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday at Sand Valley Resort’s The Lido in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Who takes home the title, the homebuilder or the sales manager? And more importantly, what does this all-pro showdown mean for the future of amateur golf? It’s gonna be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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