Aaron Youngman Wins Playoff at Mendon Golf Club to Claim First RDGA Mid Amateur Championship Title
Aaron Youngman, left, accepts the RDGA Mid Amateur trophy from RDGA Vice President Dennis Olbrich.
By DAVE EATON
MENDON, NY – Since the inception of the RDGA Mid Amateur Championship in 2007 – and indeed, since the USGA created the format in 1982 – the goal has been to provide post-collegiate-level golfers with a platform in which to compete in an amateur golf environment that is typically dominated by college-age competitors.
Over the course of the first 17 years of the RDGA Mid Amateur Championship, this concept has resulted in many champions who were well into their professional lives, including 8-time winner Jim Scorse, 3-time winner Ken Starkweather and 2-time winner Tim Saur.
The past two years of the Mid Am Championship have flipped the script on this trend, producing winners that were well above the 25-and-older requirement – but not far removed from their collegiate playing days. Last year’s champion, 34-year-old Kevin Lewis, a member of the St. Bonaventure men’s golf team in the mid-2000s, was a good example of this.
Hosted by Mendon Golf Club, the 2024 RDGA Mid Amateur Championship featured another champion in his 30s who was a past collegiate player – Irondequoit Country Club’s Aaron Youngman. And, much like last year’s championship came down to the final hole, the 2024 Mid Am was also a nail-biter, as Youngman and Midvale’s Joseph Feeney went to a playoff before the champion was crowned.
To get to the title, though, the field would first have to navigate some less-than-ideal playing conditions, thanks to the weather.
CLICK HERE for complete results from the 2024 RDGA Mid Amateur Championship!
A Field of Top Local Amateurs Ages 25-And-Up
The 2024 RDGA Mid Amateur Championship got under way on Monday under cloudy skies and wet conditions, with a light drizzle throughout the day. Still – despite those conditions – Youngman managed to piece together a round that included three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under-par 70, which turned out to be the low round of the Championship.
Close behind Youngman at the halfway point of the Championship were four players at even-par 71: Feeney, Jayson Clarke and Josh Desain of Wayne Hills – and last year’s third place finisher, Taylor Rising of Monroe. The tight leaderboard set the stage for Tuesday’s second and final round of play.
As the final round began, the weather became more moderate – however, that fact did not improve scoring. Throughout the round, Youngman and his fellow competitors would trade positions at the top of the leaderboard. Three players – Brian Albertazzi, Patrick Ward and Feeney – posted the day’s low score of 71 and at one point, there were as many as nine players within two shots of the lead.
Coming down to the the last few holes, however, the competition boiled down to Youngman and Feeney. Both players eagled the short par-5 16th hole – and although Feeney bogeyed the 17th hole, Youngman double-bogeyed the 200-yard par-3 and the two competitors came to the 18th hole tied for the lead. With each player parring the last hole, Youngman and Feeney prepared to go to extra holes to decide the title.
In the playoff, a clearly exhilarated Youngman came out on top, clinching his first RDGA Championship title of any kind at age 35.
As a golfer in the St. John Fisher program as an undergrad, Youngman becomes the second player in as many years to have won the RDGA Mid Amateur Championship less than 15 years after having played collegiately for a Rochester-area school. Youngman will now see his name etched on the same trophy as many other local greats to have won the RDGA Mid Amateur title.
CLICK HERE to see the past winners of the RDGA Mid Amateur Championship!
The Rochester District Golf Association wishes to thank Mendon Golf Club, PGA Head Professional Jeremy Kern, Superintendent Matt Carlascio – and the entire club staff – for their hospitality and hard work to help make this a successful event. CLICK HERE to learn more about this outstanding private facility.
The Rochester District Golf Association is led by Executive Director Tim Vangellow and is a proud Allied Golf Association of the USGA, serving Rochester area golfers since 1929.