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Stewart Hagestad celebrates after rolling in the winning putt on the 37th hole of the championship match at the U.S. Mid-Amateur in Pennsylvania.
Stewart Hagestad celebrates after rolling in the winning putt on the 37th hole of the championship match at the U.S. Mid-Amateur in Pennsylvania.
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Orange County native Stewart Hagestad rallied to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur title Sept. 15 by overcoming a late four-hole deficit to defeat Scott Harvey with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole.

Hagestad, 25, who grew up in Newport Beach and played collegiately at USC, won four of the final five holes of regulation — all with birdies — and finished off Harvey on the par-3 37th at Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa.

“It’s an absolute dream come true,” Hagestad said of the victory that includes a spot in next year’s Masters. “This is something I’ve dreamed about ever since I can remember, and it’s an honor and a privilege to represent Mid-amateurs around the country and to have won the championship.”

Hagestad was 5-down after 25 holes and 4-down after 31 in the event for players 25 and older.

“I had him right where I wanted him,” joked Hagestad, who won the par-4 32nd and par-3 33rd, halved the par-4 34th with a bogey and won the par-3 35th and par-4 36th to tie it.

“Just keep chipping away at it,” Hagestad said of his strategy. “I didn’t want to go to sleep knowing I left anything out there. … I felt like I could get the ball rolling.”

The 38-year-old Harvey, from Greensboro, N.C., won the 2014 title. He missed a 15-foot birdie try on the 37th hole before Hagestad holed the winner from a foot closer.

Hagestad is planning a practice round at Augusta National with friends Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

“That’s probably one of the first phone calls I’m going to make,” Hagestad said at the winner’s press conference.

For the first time in USGA championship history, the stroke-play co-host course was used in a 36-hole championship match. The first 18 holes were played on the par-70 North Course and the afternoon round was on the par-70 Old Course, the site off all of the other matches.