1986
Bill Loeffler, 30, of Littleton, Colorado, defeated Charles Pinkard
of Rockmart, Georgia, 4 and 3, at Annandale in Madison, Mississippi.
Loeffler is the youngest man ever to win the Mid-Amateur. At 30
years and two months of age, he was two months younger than Michael
Podolak was when he won the championship in 1984.
Larry Clark of Kennesaw, Georgia, won the qualifying medal with
a 36-hole total of four-under-par 140. Clark advanced to the third
round before being eliminated by James Savage of Fort Worth, Texas,
1 up.
Loeffler played the 18th hole only once in match play. That occurred
in his quarterfinal meeting with George Zahringer of New York. Zahringer
won three of the first four holes with birdies to take an early
lead, but Loeffler fought back with three birdies of his own to
square the match before the turn.
Loeffler finally won 2 up. He defeated Randy Sonnier 3 and 2 in
the semifinals. Pinkard twice had to play extra holes on his way
to the final. He edged James Stahl of Cincinnati on the 19th hole
in the quarterfinals and was extended to the second extra hole before
ousting Bob Young of Atlanta in the semifinal round.
Loeffler never trailed in the final. He won the third hole with
a par, but bogeyed the par-5 fifth, squaring the match. Loeffler
took the lead for good when Pinkard three-putted at the eighth.
He went 2 up when Pinkard found a greenside bunker on the 11th,
and 3 up when Pinkard declared his ball unplayable on the 12th.
Loeffler closed out the match with a par on the par-3 15th to
another Pinkard bogey. The USGA accepted 2,511 entries for the championship.