Bill Loeffler

Bill Loeffler, 30, of Littleton, Colo., defeated Charles Pinkard of Rockmart, Ga., 4 and 3, at Annandale in Madison, Miss. 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, Ga., won the qualifying medal with a 36-hole total of 4-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.