NEKOOSA, Wis. — The 2027 U.S. Mid-Amateur final is set, featuring an all-former-professional matchup between Nate Smith and Andrew Bailey. The 36-hole championship match is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday at The Lido, located within the Sand Valley Resort.
Nate Smith, a 43-year-old homebuilder from Tetonia, Idaho, returns to the amateur ranks after a professional career that included a victory on the Korn Ferry Tour and 25 starts on the PGA Tour. Smith, who regained his amateur status in 2022, noted his initial hesitation regarding the transition. "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,'" Smith said. "But, the reality is that so much time has passed, and I still loved the game."
His opponent, 34-year-old Andrew Bailey of Cleveland, Ohio, also brings professional experience to the final. Bailey, a national sales manager for Holderness & Bourne, previously competed on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas. Since regaining his amateur status, he has secured victories at the 2024 and 2025 Ohio Amateur championships.
The matchup highlights a growing trend in USGA events, where former professionals have increasingly dominated the late stages of amateur tournaments. Recent data indicates that 13 of the last 16 quarterfinalists in the U.S. Mid-Amateur over the past two years have been former professionals, sparking ongoing debate regarding the composition of the field in amateur competition.