Stewart Hagestad (2016)

With spectacular performances in both the Met Area and on the national stage in the 2016 season, Stewart Hagestad earned a spot at the top in just his second season playing in the Met Area.

Hagestad’s win in the Met Amateur Championship and remarkable rally to claim the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship highlighted his year, but consistent high finishes in area events also led to his capturing the coveted title.

Hagestad, a California native, began the year with a convincing four-shot win at the Brae Burn Invitational in early June. His schedule began to pick up late in the month as he tied for seventh at the Hochster Memorial then competed in the Ike, finishing third.

In July, Hagestad finished second at the Arcola Cup and qualified for his seventh U.S. Amateur. At this point in the season, Hagestad was off to a good start but stood more than 300 points behind leader Trevor Randolph.

His incredible run began with the Met Amateur at Country Club of Fairfield. Hagestad scorched the course with record-setting rounds of 61-64 in on-site qualifying and earned medalist honors by 10 strokes. He eventually defeated Ethan Ng for the title, and sat just 3 points behind Randolph.

At his first Met Open, Hagestad’s finish as second low amateur netted him 110 points and moved him to the top of the points race for good. Following that performance up with a victorious run at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, Hagestad earned a whopping 400 points and suddenly owned a 300-plus point lead.

Hagestad finished with 1273 total points, the highest total since Mike Miller’s 1330 in 2012, and the prestigious title of MGA Player of the Year.