2014 champ Scott Harvey reaches US Mid-Amateur final

ELVERSON, Pa. – Past champion Scott Harvey outlasted Dan Sullivan in 19 holes Wednesday to advance to the U.S. Mid-Amateur final at Stonewall Links.

The 38-year-old Harvey, the 2014 winner from Greensboro, North Carolina, will face 25-year-old Stewart Hagestad of Newport Beach, California, in the 36-hole final with a Masters spot at stake.

"It's pretty exciting," Harvey said. "It's what you come here for, and the prize is worth it."

Hagestad beat Scott Strickland of Birmingham, Michigan, 4 and 2 in the event for players 25 and older.

In June, Harvey beat Hagestad in a playoff in the George C. Thomas Invitational at Los Angeles Country Club.

"I wouldn't say that anybody's got an advantage," Harvey said. "I definitely have the experience, but he's got the young cockiness and is in shape."

For the first time in USGA championship history, the stroke-play, co-host course will be used in a 36-hole championship match. The first 18 holes will be played on the par-70 North Course and the afternoon round will be played on the par-70 Old Course, the site off all of the other matches.

Harvey finished off the 49-year-old Sullivan with a two-putt par from 30 feet on the 19th — the 246-yard, par-3 ninth.

"It's a difficult hole, demanding hole," said Harvey, a member of the 2015 U.S. Walker Cup team. "You better hit a good shot, and I've been able to do that so far."

Sullivan, from Pasadena, California, overcame a two-hole deficit to force the extra hole, winning the 13th and 16th with birdies. They halved the par-3 17th with pars and the par-4 18th with bogeys.

Sixty-seventh in the world amateur ranking, Harvey was the stroke-play medalist for the record fourth time. The property manager is competing in his 21st USGA championship.

Hagestad won the 14th with a birdie after hitting to 6 inches to take a 2-up lead and closed out the 34-year-old Strickland with conceded par wins on 15 and 16.

"I just played a little bit better golf," Hagestad said. "I knew that if I could kind of get it to the back nine and trust myself and commit to hitting good shots that hopefully I'd be OK."

Hagestad graduated from the University of Southern California in 2013, and won the 2016 Met Amateur Championship. He works as a financial analyst.

In the morning quarterfinals, Harvey beat David May of Auburn, New York 4 and 3, and Hagestad topped Michael McDermott of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, 2 up.