History repeated itself for Andrew Price in last month’s Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship at Park Ridge Country Club.
On Aug. 27, 2014, the then-32-year-old closed out his first State Mid-Am triumph, winning by two strokes. On Aug. 27, 2024, Price hoisted the crystal hardware anew in the event’s 32nd iteration, two shots again the margin of victory. His 5-under 205 total for 54 holes bested Michael Mounce and Daniel Stringfellow, who finished in a tie for second.
Entering Tuesday’s 18-hole finale tied with Mounce atop the leaderboard and four others being within two strokes, Price quickly seized control. A wedge to tap-in distance at the first and accompanying circles on the par-5 third and par-4 sixth set the tone for Price’s ascension.
His eventual, and relatively comfortable, triumph was made all the more impressive by the position he put himself in during Monday’s first round. Sitting at 2-under through 12 holes after starting on the back, “one bad swing” on the par-5 fourth led to a quadruple bogey nine. However, Price was able to steady himself to get in with a 2-over 72 before a 5-under 65 in the afternoon and 2-under 68 Tuesday to secure the crown.
With the win, Price became the eighth player to win the Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship more than once. His 10-year stint between victories is the longest.