Hoover golfers to compete in Mid-Am

Three Hoover Country Club members have qualified for the 2013 United States Mid-Amateur Championship, or Mid-Am as it’s commonly known.

Woodie Eubanks was medalist for qualifier the event with a round of 69.  Will Swift and Clint Provost shot 73 and then advanced by competing in a playoff. 

The minimum age to compete is 25, and golfers must have an official handicap of 3.4 or less. Qualifying tournaments took place around the nation in this month, including a qualifier at Shoal Creek for the state of Alabama. Around 100 golfers competed for just a few spots in the tournament.

Scheduled for an Oct. 5 start, the three Hoover golfers will be among 264 who descend on the The Country Club of Birmingham for a shot at prime time play, as the winner receives an automatic invitation to play in the Masters.

The tournament was founded in 1981 because young golfers were starting to dominate amateur tournaments. Golfers in college were able to practice more and were probably headed to the professional level, giving them a significant advantage over the older contestants. The USGA decided it needed something for golfers who were not practicing every single day but were still serious about the sport. The Mid-Amateur Championship was born.