Parkite Steele DeWald played for Park City High, Arizona State University and on several PGA tours over the last few decades. He won several thousand dollars while doing so but has since settled back into Park City, where he’s a real estate agent for The Agency. 

In DeWald’s free time, however, the 37 year old still gets out on the links and smacks balls around. He estimates he plays about three-to-four days a week now. 

In 2023, DeWald earned his golfing amateur status back. 

DeWald used his new status to enter Utah’s U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship qualifier Aug. 19, a one-day event held at Bonneville Golf Course. He eked out a win there, shooting a 67, moving himself into 43rd U.S Mid-Amateur Championship Sept. 21-26 at Kinloch Golf Club in Virginia. 

At Kinloch lies DeWald’s shot at two of the most prestigious events in the game — a USGA exemption into the 2025 Masters and U.S Open. 

The USGA put on 68 qualifying events between July 24 and Aug. 28, sending 264 to the championship. Utah’s other qualifiers are Daniel Griffiths and Mark Gardiner, each shooting a 68. 

Kinloch opened back in 2001, since hosting state and U.S. amateur events on its 7,229 yard course. 

“It’s considered one of the majors for amateur golf,” added DeWald. “They (USGA) pick phenomenal golf courses and get them in phenomenal shape, and they really provide the kind of best test of golf for a lot of guys.”

DeWald went out and played Kinloch Thursday, reporting back that it’s a beautiful course full of fun and short par fours. The course has 11 par fours, three par fives and four par threes. 

DeWald said much of his success there next month and potentially in next year’s majors will depend on his practice and work schedules. He knows his A-game is good enough to hang with anyone there and at the majors, he said. 

DeWald loves his life in Park City and has no plans on going pro again, even if he makes the majors and plays well. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t badly want to play the events though, he said. 

“I always told my wife, when I finally got my amateur status back, the quickest road to the Masters is as an amateur,” DeWald said. “It’s very challenging as a pro to make it into that tournament.” 

The Masters, golf’s most famous tournament, included a field of 106 this year, largely comprising the world’s top 50 players and past champions. 

DeWald knows it’s just a few weeks of good golf to earn his shot at a coveted Green Jacket. He can keep trying to qualify through the mid-am as long as his game allows. 

“​​It’s gonna be a fun little opportunity to see if we can get into the Masters,” said DeWald. “We’ll just see how it goes. … The odds of me going and winning a Masters are extremely low.”

Last year’s mid-am champion finished the Masters plus-eight, missing the cut. Since 2002, there has been stroke play followed by a cut and match play until a winner is determined. 

To track DeWald’s results at the championship, see the USGA’s website: championships.usga.org/usmidamateur.html.