Michael McCoy wins U.S. Mid-Am, becomes second-oldest winner at 50

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Michael McCoy won the U.S. Mid-Amateur on Thursday, routing Bill Williamson 8 and 6 in the 36-hole final at the Country Club of Birmingham.

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Associated Press 

Series: Other Tour

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Michael McCoy won the U.S. Mid-Amateur on Thursday for his first USGA title, routing Bill Williamson 8 and 6 in the 36-hole final at the Country Club of Birmingham. 

The 50-year-old McCoy, from West Des Moines, Iowa, is the second-oldest winner in the event limited to players 25 and older. Randal Lewis won the 2011 tournament at 54. 

"It's a great day for me," said McCoy, playing his 38th USGA event. "And I'm very thrilled to finally have won a championship. I've been trying for a long time. And I've had a lot of friends over the years that have won the championship along the way. They've all encouraged me to kind of keep battling, keep trying. And so that's kind of what I've done. I really chased the dream for a long time. And it kind of came true today." 

An insurance agent, McCoy was reinstated as an amateur after a brief pro career following his college days Wichita State. He earned a spot in the Masters with victory. 

"When I got dormie, I have to admit it crossed my mind a few times, but I was really trying to stay present," McCoy said. 

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McCoy was 5-up after the morning 18 holes and was in control throughout. He won the 23rd and 24th holes, the par-4 sixth and par-4 seventh, in the afternoon, to extend his lead to 8 up. McCoy made a pair of two-putt pars while Williamson's mistakes led to consecutive bogeys. 

"Mike did what he had to do," said the 36-year-old Williamson, from Cincinnati. "He's such a good player. I wish I would have played a little bit more of my game. I don't know if I would have won, but it probably would have been more competitive." 

McCoy used his short game to stay out of the trouble. He got up and down from behind the 27th hole, the 321-yard, par-4 ninth, by pitching from heavy grass to 4 feet to halve hole. 

McCoy saved par on the following hole, the par-5 10th, by nearly making a 45-footer with his putter from a closely-mown area. He continued at the next hole when he made a sand save for par from a greenside bunker. 

"Putting is one of those things, some weeks you have it and some weeks you don't," McCoy said. "When I stepped foot on the property, everything seemed to feel pretty good, the speed, my hands were soft, and I felt the ball rolling off – coming off the putter nicely." 

Williams had 10 bogeys and one double bogey in the final. 

"I didn't play as well as I wanted," Williamson said. "I didn't putt as well as I wanted. The greens were tough and the pins were in tough spots. The ball just didn't go in." 

How Ravens Fared In The Pro Bowl

Posted Jan 26, 2014

Garrett DowningBaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer@Ravens All Garrett Downing Articles



Justin Tucker, Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda were part of Team Sanders, which lost 22-21.



Just like he’s done so many times for the Ravens, Justin Tucker had a chance to win the Pro Bowl for his team Sunday.

But Tucker didn’t have quite enough leg to pull off the game winner.

His 67-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds came up a few yards short, sealing a 22-21 loss for him and his Ravens’ teammates. Tucker, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and right guard Marshal Yanda all suited up for Team Deion Sanders, which lost to Jerry Rice’s squad.

Tucker, who made his first Pro Bowl appearance, attempted two long field goals and both came up short. He had a 66-yard attempt at the end of the first half.

Other than Tucker’s long field-goal tries, it was mostly a quiet game for the Ravens.

The biggest play from a Raven came in the first half, when Suggs chased down quarterback Drew Brees to prevent a touchdown. Brees tried to scramble out of the pocket and run in for the score, but Suggs ran him down just short of the end zone. Brees then got picked off two plays later. Suggs, a six-time Pro Bowler, finished the game with four tackles.

With so much talent on the field, Suggs actually played out of position for much of the game. Team Sanders had top-flight pass rushers like Houston’s J.J. Watt, Buffalo’s Mario Williams, and Kansas City’s Tamba Hali, so Suggs played more inside linebacker and often dropped into coverage over the middle of the field.

The year’s Pro Bowl had a different feel than previous years.

The Pro Bowl is known as a high-affair without much defense, but this year’s game had a little more intensity after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talked about the possibility of eliminating the game if players didn’t show more effort. There were big hits and tighter defense, as this was a much closer and low-scoring contest.