Find It In The Dirt

ERIN, WISCONSIN | The U.S. Mid-Amateur field naturally lends itself to some interesting backgrounds and motivations. Certain players treat it as an extension of their professional golf or elite amateur golf experiences. Many others are searching for that one lottery ticket of phenomenal golf and fortune through match play, although the daily realities of their lives might prefer a missed cut.

As former PGA Tour player Roberto Castro jokingly tweeted last week after receiving some intel from his brother Franco, who played in this year’s event: “Half the guys on the range are acting like it’s the U.S. Open and the other half are taking work calls.”

But if you dig, there are always a few players who don’t fit neatly into those buckets. Harvin Groft, a 37-year-old stay-at-home father of four and expert vegetable farmer from Berwick, Maine, is one of those guys.

He’s not here to curse at himself after each shot. It’s also not a moment to stress about life outside of golf. Groft went with his father and caddie, Ben, having a concer...