Buddy Alexander, 33, the golf coach at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, defeated Chris Kite of Hiddenite, North Carolina, 5 and 3, at Shoal Creek in Shoal Creek, Alabama. Len Mattiace, 18, earned medalist honors with a five-under-par total of 137. He was defeated by Kite in the second round, 1 up.

Kite was taken to the 17th hole in his next three matches. He defeated Brian Montgomery of Bristow, Oklahoma, the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, 3 and 1, in their semifinal match. Alexander defeated 1984 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Mike Podolak on the 19th hole in the first round. He was not severely tested again until the quarter-finals, when he downed Todd Hamilton, 2 and 1. He defeated Bob Lewis, Jr., 5 and 4, to gain his spot in the final.

Kite was 2 up after six holes of the 36-hole final, but his lead was cut to one hole when Alexander birdied the par-3 eighth. The margin went back to two when Alexander three-putted the ninth. Alexander squared the match with a par on the 10th and a birdie on the 11th and earned his first lead of the match with a par on the 16th. A scrambling birdie on the par-5 17th to a three-putt par by Kite gave Alexander a 2 up lead after the morning round.