The night before the Championship Match of the 44th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, Bloomington native Brandon Holtz made a phone call to friend Todd Mitchell. Holtz and Mitchell, both Illinois State Redbirds and golfing buddies, discussed lessons Mitchell had learned in playing in USGA Championships, as Holtz’s maiden voyage saw him on the precipice of hoisting the hardware. One thing stuck out from Mitchell’s words of wisdom following his U.S. Mid-Am runner-up finish in 2008 — “Stay in Arizona…. he had gotten to the Championship Match and all he could think about was the Masters and the U.S. Open and all of the opportunities.”
The next day, Sept. 18, the 39-year-old Holtz utilized that guidance to the tune of a 3-and-2 victory over Jeg Coughlin III, a 28-year-old from Dublin, Ohio. For Holtz, his journey to capturing the Robert T. Jones Trophy began with a driver at the nine-hole Lakeside Country Club in Bloomington, saw him compete as a reserve for the Illinois State men’s basketball team, travel the country on various professional mini tours and culminated with regaining his amateur status in 2024.
“Wild,” said Holtz after the victory. “I didn’t see this day. I’m glad it’s here, though.”
The Central Illinois golf community was there to join in the celebration, as a crew of around a dozen friends flew to Arizona on the morning of the Championship Match to support the Crestwicke Country Club member, whose dad, Jeff, caddied for him during the week. With his focused mindset, Holtz now looks forward to bearing the fruits of his title run - a likely invitation to the 2026 Masters, as well as an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
To hear more from Holtz on the victory, scan the QR code above for a CDGATV video interview. —Tim Merrick
Illinois is launching a state junior golf team that will expand the pipeline for elite local golfers into the recently established U.S. National Development Program (USNDP). A USGA initiative launched in 2023, the USNDP aims to create critical development, competitive and talent identification opportunities for golfers ages 13-18. For more information, visit CDGA.org/TeamIllinois.
Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park will host the 2033 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. It will be the third USGA championship (1933 Women’s Amateur, 1965 Senior Women’s Amateur) hosted at the facility that will turn 130 in 2026. The U.S. Women’s Open will also be contested in the Chicago District that year at Chicago Golf Club.
In September, Karl Bollnow retired from his role as head golf professional at Riverside Golf Club following a 54-year stint at the west suburban facility. He began with the club as a caddie in 1971 before being named head pro in 1996. He was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame in 2021.
