Ganir’s Persistence Leads to U.S. Mid-Amateur Spot

SNGA member Kamden Ganir sighed with relief when asked recently about what it felt like to qualify for the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur, which will be played in Colorado Sept. 14-19. The prestigious United States Golf Association event features seeding rounds and match play at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colo. and CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, Colo. –By Brian Hurlburt, Las Vegas Golf Insider.

“It feels really good and I all I can think of is, ‘finally’,” said Ganir, who works at Angel Park Golf Club and shot 70 at Hidden Valley Country Club Aug. 19 to earn his U.S. Mid-Amateur spot. “It took awhile, but it is now worth it to have stuck with it.”

Ganir is shown above right prior to his Nevada State Match Play match at the Summit with Mitchell Abbott.

Ganir, 36, grew up in Hawaii and played junior golf there and over the years attempted to qualify without success for the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Amateur and other events. This year was his second time attempting to qualify for the U.S Mid Amateur.

“I felt calm in the qualifier and stayed focused on my own game,” Ganir said.

He also said he has played in nearly every SNGA event in 2019, highlighted by a runner up finish at the Southern Nevada Amateur in June at Las Vegas Paiute. Those events have helped him prepare for Colorado.

“I am hoping to win,” Ganir said. “It’s golf and anything can happen. We all play to win.”

Making the U.S. Mid-Amateur even more special for Ganir will be that his father, Bert, will serve as his caddie.