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One week.
That's what stands between me and an 18-hole round I have thought about since December 12, 2023. That was the day when the USGA announced it would be bringing the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship to the Lido course adjacent to Sand Valley Golf Resort in Wisconsin. The meticulous reproduction of C.B. Macdonald's lost Long Island masterpiece has fascinated me since long before it was revived. Getting to play it in 2024 confirmed my suspicions that it would become one of my favorite golf courses of all time.
The opportunity to compete at Lido would be the thrill of a golf life. That's why as soon as I registered to try to qualify for this year's event, I vowed to prepare more intentionally than I have for any other tournament I have played in.
2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying: a final progress report
"Shoot for the stars, settle for the moon" is a well-worn aphorism that resonates with the goal-oriented.
As soon as I clicked "Submit" on my application, I furrowed my brow and tried to summon a feeling of solemn ceremony, promising myself that this time, I wouldn't half-ass my preparation for this particular bit of competition: an 18-hole qualifier on August 26 at Boulder Creek Golf Club southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. As of this writing, I feel confident in saying I have managed not to half-ass my preparation. But I haven't whole-assed it, either. It's more of a three-quarter-ass situation, if I'm assessing it honestly.
What's gone well and what needs a final tweak
With two young daughters and a busy home and work life, I believe I have managed to increase the intensity of my limited practice time, and I have seen good results. Over the course of 14 tracked rounds since my first check-in two months ago, I have pulled my scoring average for the year downward, from 74.96 to 73.97, also reducing my average score relative to par from +3.42 to +2.53. Across those 14 rounds alone, my scoring average is a much tidier 72.29, with a +1.00 to-par differential. Unsurprisingly, that sample of recent rounds has seen me beat my overall averages in Fairways Hit, Greens in Regulation and birdies per round. Even so, playing an "average" round on the 26th will send me home empty-handed. I need to shoot something in the range of 68 or 69 to have the best chance to secure a spot in my first-ever USGA championship.
A major ball-striking breakthrough came a few weeks ago, when I realized my grip had gotten weak. I have always had an extremely strong grip - as a lefty, I typically can see all of the knuckles on my ungloved right hand at address. When my hands rotate into a more neutral position, I start to battle a two-way miss. Concentrating on my grip before every shot in practice or in regular rounds the last month-plus has had a clear positive effect for me, tee to green.
I tend to hold onto my golf clubs longer than most, so any new entry into my golf bag feels momentous. I took delivery of a brand-new 58-degree PING S259 wedge to replace my nearly two-year-old S159. Other than the model change, the club is the exact same as the one it replaced. The transition has been seamless, and the fresh grooves are already helping out greenside.
The work-in-progress, as always, is my putting. One of golf's great mysteries is how difficult it is to take confidence from the full swing down into one's putting technique. On this front, I have tried to hyper-focus on my routine and the cadence of my practice stroke plus any last looks at my line or the cup before my eyes return to the ball and I fire. Putting has always been based around instinct and comfort for me. If I can continue to wear in my routine for the next week, that is going to give me the best chance for success.
Overall, my biggest confidence boost came in my most recent round, when I managed to grab an extra 18 holes' worth of competitive reps at a qualifier for the National Links Trust Championship this past Saturday.
Having not played a count-'em-all competitive round since my very first round of '26 in January, I was properly nervous on the first tee at The Park West Palm. I was lucky to end up in the fairway after a shaky opening swing, and was able to settle into the round quickly when I holed a 15-footer for birdie on the opening hole. With a field of just 10 golfers and the top four qualifying for the national tournament to be held in October, I stayed patient all afternoon and turned in a solid one-under-par 70, with just one bogey against two birdies. I ended up the medalist at the qualifier by five shots, giving me some valuable confidence heading into what I know will be a much more intense day with a much larger and stronger field. In other words: a perfect appetizer.
Today’s competitive golf mission: accomplished!
— Tim Gavrich (@TimGavrich) August 16, 2026
An uncharacteristically steady round - two par-5 birdies, one par-3 bogey - helped me qualify for the (@links_national) National Links Trust Championship, to be played this October north of D.C. Really excited to play!
Was great… https://t.co/sGQjjGEwQ7 pic.twitter.com/lLP18fKQQ7
What's next
Las Vegas, with bright lights, dry heat and every possible distraction Man has concocted, looms on the horizon. I cannot nervously compartmentalize it as a long way off any longer. It's here.
In typical fashion for me, my pre-trip anxiety caused me to fully pack my suitcase for what will be a four-night, five-day trip a full week in advance. My rolling carry-on sits, swollen with extra golf shirts, outside my bedroom door. My golf clubs are freshly regripped, awaiting whatever spare practice time I can devote to them this week before flying west on Sunday morning to get acclimated to the desert before The Big Day on Wednesday.
Crucially, I will not have to face my desert odyssey alone. As soon as he heard of my plans to fly out there, my friend John, a golf-obsessed fellow father of two, insisted on coming out to caddie for me and act as my Sin City sherpa, since my only Vegas experience is a family trip when I was a toddler.
John taking several days away from his own busy life to tee it up with me and drive a golf cart while I trudge across Boulder Creek next Wednesday is an act of generosity I will try like mad to repay. He and his wife are in the midst of building a restaurant empire across the quiet corner of Florida where we live. They make terrific barbecue and are now branching out into other cuisines in exciting ways. I was wearing a golf hat the first time I walked into his then-brand-new establishment in 2021 and we have been friends and two-man team partners ever since.
I will do my best to do right by John by making some birdies and avoiding bogeys when it matters most, and by not being too nervous a golf-buddy-trip companion in the days leading up to the qualifier. I do know we will play some golf, eat incredibly well and fly home having had fun regardless of the qualifier's outcome. I consider that, in itself, a victory.
See you on the other side.
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