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Eureka, MO - It was a sunny but cool day at the Legends Country Club for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying. Coming into the morning, 142 golfers were looking to qualify for the 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur at The Lido in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Play began at 7:30 a.m., with five qualifying spots and two alternate positions available in the championship field. The course played to a par 71.

Playing in the third group to tee off for the morning, Corey Choate of Eureka, MO set the tone for the day going off the front. Closing out the front nine with two birdies, he went into the back with confidence. Choate carded one more birdie on Hole 10, and maintained par through the remainder of his round. Choate finished two-under par (-2).  

This impressive score did not intimidate Jason Millard of Murfreesboro, TN as he started on hole 10 and proceeded to be bogey free through the back nine. With one birdie on the front and three more on the back, Millard ended at three-under par (-3), taking the top of the leaderboard. 

Ryan Sullivan of Imperial, MO also started off the back, maintaining consistency to keep up with his competitors. He had the confidence of a champion after winning the Old Warson Cup last month. Also staying bogey free throughout the back nine like Millard, Sullivan carded a birdie on the back and two more on the front. Sullivan wrapped up his round at two-under par (-2), tied with Choate. 

Austin Coggin of Birmingham, AL, teed off Hole 1 this morning. Staying in trend with the competition, he had a bogey free front nine, and even carded two birdies. Coggins kept up his stamina on the back, shooting two more birdies to push him up the leaderboard. He ended his round tied with Millard at the top at three-under par (-3). 

In the second group to tee off for the afternoon wave, Chris Kovach of Manchester, MO knew he had some strong scores to beat. However, he stayed unphased, shooting four birdies on the front nine alone along with being bogey free. Following with one birdie on the back, Kovach ended his fantastic round three-under par (-3) to join Millard and Coggin. 

Kevin Jeske of St. Louis, MO came in hot after Kovach, starting on the back nine with four birdies. Even with a couple bogeys, Jeske quickly recovered, carding two more birdies on the front. His recovery brought him up the leaderboard to finish at two-under par (-2), joining Choate and Sullivan. 

Chad Niezing of Manchester, MO was the third to last group to go off the back, and ended the day on a high note. Unlike any other competitor, Niezing had a bogey free round. His consistency brought him to the top of the leaderboard. Carding two birdies on the front nine and one off the back, Niezing finished at three-under par (-3) to tie with Kovach, Coggin, and Millard. 

When play ended, Niezing, Kovach, Coggin, and Millard sat tied at the top at three-under par (-3). All tied for second, Choate, Sullivan, and Jeske went into a playoff to determine who would get the last qualifying spot and two alternate positions. One hole was all it took to settle the score. Sullivan had a phenomenal shot, chipping into the hole from a greenside bunker for birdie and claiming the final qualifying spot. Jeske shot par for the first alternate place, followed by Choate who shot a bogey to end with the second alternate spot. 

Millard, Coggin, Kovach, Niezing, and Sullivan all earned their place in the 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur and will be heading to Sand Valley Resort The Lido this fall. If a competitor were to withdraw, in the wings waits Jeske as the first alternate and Choate as the second alternate.