The Steam Room by MidamgolfHQ

January 2025

What we are steaming on this month:

Happy New Year and a warm welcome to 2025! As we usher in another thrilling year of mid-amateur golf, excitement fills the air for what promises to be a remarkable season ahead.

Before we set our sights on the 2025 season awaiting us, we’d like to pause and reflect on the year that was. In this edition, we celebrate and bestow some well-deserved “awards.” It’s time to anoint our first and very unofficial Men’s and Women’s Mid-Am Players of the Year—a small tribute to the exceptional talent and dedication that defined the past season.

The year 2024 gifted us with extraordinary golf moments, but we anticipate even greater triumphs in 2025. With the calendar turned, our gaze shifts toward marquee events, including the much-anticipated Gasparilla Invitational, which we’ll delve into in next month’s newsletter.

As our brand looks ahead to 2025 we plan to lean more heavily into both Instagram and X (Twitter). If you are not already following us on both you can @midamgolfHQ. We are always looking for innovative ideas to make our community even better so feel free to drop us a DM.

For now, join us as we revel in the memories of 2024 and toast to the promise of the year ahead!

2024 Men’s Player of the Year

Evan Beck

After years of Stew reigning supreme atop the rankings, Evan Beck shattered the status quo in spectacular fashion, delivering a season for the ages and vaulting himself to the pinnacle of the mid-amateur world (WAGR). Beck’s approach was the epitome of "less is more," as he competed in just four events but dazzled with a jaw-dropping 75% win rate, claiming victory in three of them. His stellar campaign included triumphs at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, the Coleman Invitational, and the George C. Thomas Invitational, cementing his status as one of the sport’s true elites.

As if his remarkable season weren’t enough, Beck’s achievements earned him a coveted invitation to The Masters. We can’t wait to see him tee it up at Augusta this April, representing the spirit and skill of the mid-amateur game on one of golf’s grandest stages.

A huge congratulations to Evan Beck, our Men’s Player of the Year—a title well-earned after a season that will be remembered for years to come!

2024 Women’s Player of the Year

Hana Ryskova

The race for Women’s Player of the Year was a much tougher call, but after thoughtful deliberation, the committee is proud to crown Hana Ryskova as this year’s honoree. Her electrifying victory at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, paired with a string of impressive collegiate finishes before her graduation, propelled her to the top of our list.

Currently, the highest-ranked women’s mid-amateur in the WAGR is Maria Salinas Valle, whose remarkable 2024 season included three stunning victories. However, as they say, majors speak volumes—and Hana delivered when it mattered most, clinching the win on the grandest stage of them all.

We eagerly await her appearance at next year’s U.S. Open and can’t wait to see her bask in the well-deserved rewards of this historic achievement. Congratulations, Hana, on an unforgettable season!

2025 “Major” Mid-Am Event Schedule

Gasparilla Invitational - February 2025

The Snedeker Memorial - March 2025

George Coleman Invitational - April 2025

The Walter J. Travis Invitational - May 2025

John T. Lupton Memorial - May 2025

USGA 4-Ball - May 2025

The Huddleston Cup - June 2025

Anderson Memorial 4-ball - June 2025

Carlton Woods Invitational - June 2025

George C Thomas Invitational - June 2025

Mid-Am Team Championship - August 2025

The Picard Cup - August 2025

The Valentine Invitational - August 2025

USGA Men’s Mid-Am - September 2025

USGA Women’s Mid-Am - September 2025

Trans-Miss Mid-Master Championship - September 2025

The Crump Cup - September 2025

John R. Williams 4-ball - October 2025

Devils Elbow - November 2025

National Invitational Tournament - November 2025

The Ice Bath

Well, it’s 2025 and the future is here, an indoor professional golf league is starting this month. The push to a more technology-forward world is reshaping the game we all love.

The rise of indoor simulators and trackman for example is hardly surprising. They’re the perfect marriage of modern convenience and the obsession with precision that most golfers seem to revel in. Instead of battling rain, wind, or frostbite on a bad-weather day, you’re playing away under perfect conditions, with every swing analyzed by lasers and algorithms. The simulators’ allure isn’t just about staying warm and dry—it’s about optimization. Why let the nuances of an uneven fairway or a random gust of wind sabotage your game when you can master your swing in an environment calibrated for perfection? Honestly, it’s a golfer’s dream wrapped in an LED package.

The deeper question here is whether the soul of the game—its connection to nature and the elements—can survive in this new era. Sure, simulators strip away some of the sport’s grit and romance, but they also help golfers in the north optimize their game in the off season. Perhaps the sport’s evolution into the digital age isn’t so much a loss as it is a shift.

Whether or not we see more full-fledged competitive simulator circuits, the trend is impossible to ignore. As technology advances and simulators and other tech become ever more immersive, it’s not hard to envision a future where “golf season” is a year-round affair, no matter the weather outside. Love it or loathe it, this is where the game is heading.

We love to feature our passionate mid-am golf community. If you have a story, achievement, or event you'd like to share, send us a DM on our Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) @midamgolfHQ

Until next month…..