U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 30, 2026

Nate Smith

Sand Valley Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, Nate, another marathon day.

NATE SMITH: Yeah.

Q. Kind of how do you see that first match? Tough one this afternoon. Talk me through the day.

NATE SMITH: Yeah, I mean, I played really well this morning. When you play well, it's a treat, right? You don't get to choose when you do, and to have it come at a time like this was pretty special.

This afternoon was a dogfight. We both were a little shaky out of the gate and he really showed some tenacity out there.

But what a great guy. We had an amazing match. This is what the Mid-Am is all about.

Q. How cool has it been to have Pops on the bag?

NATE SMITH: Oh, my God, he is just absolutely loving it right now. He's just in the zone and it's so cool. He caddied for me at the U.S. Open in 2004 and we have a picture of ourselves. It's still in his office. There was a picture one of you guys took this week that looked very similar to that, so it's just been unbelievable experience.

Q. Eight years or so that you took off from playing the game.

NATE SMITH: Yeah.

Q. Can you talk me through that time? I know maybe it started with an injury, but your mindset, what you were doing, and then how you eventually got back to playing.

NATE SMITH: Yeah, to be honest, I was out of love with the game of golf and the lifestyle. Life on the road wasn't fun for me anymore.

But I went back to school, got my MBA, moved out to Idaho, met my wife in Charleston, and she's been just huge in this whole deal. She gave me a relationship and stability that I never had before in my life.

So I was able to find the things that I was missing and now I have reestablished my love for the game. And I still love to compete, so to be able to have all of that in my life is just -- I'm so blessed.

Q. I was going to ask about Idaho. You grew up in California, correct?

NATE SMITH: Yeah.

Q. How did you land in Idaho and can you talk me through your career now?

NATE SMITH: Sure. Yeah, well, I was living in Charleston. Got done with my MBA. To be perfectly honest, I was watching way too much survivalist television and wanted to go live a self-sufficient lifestyle.

We looked at some mountain towns, serendipitously found Teton Valley, moved out there. You know, I just wanted to be kind of away from people and close to the outdoors.

I found this amazing community out there. When I moved there I wasn't really sure what I was going to do. I was doing some business related stuff.

But the economy there is pretty small, so we built our home, and through that process I built a construction company with a business partner of mine, Josh Steketee, Creative Construction.

So we're custom home builders in Teton Valley, Idaho, and Jackson, and I love what I do.

Q. Amazing. So big outdoorsman?

NATE SMITH: I love hunting and fishing. My buddy here who just came up, we're about to go down to the farm in Illinois and do some pre-season work after the tournament is done for my tail (?) Season, so I can't wait to get there.

Q. Have you had a chance to think about tomorrow, what's on the line?

NATE SMITH: Yeah. I mean, you know, just taking off the players left in my way to Augusta. It's been my goal ever since I started competing in amateur golf. Maybe I can get to Augusta, maybe I can play in the Masters.

So I'll have that opportunity tomorrow. Either way, it's going to be a success and I'm going to enjoy the experience.

Q. Don't forget the U.S. Open at Pebble.

NATE SMITH: That's right. That's where I grew up, so that would be killer. (Laughter.)