OLEAN, N.Y. — Years ago, Scott Brady became something of a golfing mentor to an adolescent Michael Davis.

“When he was younger, before he learned how to play, we would have chipping competitions, and I’d show him how to chip basically,” Brady recalled of the relationship. “His mom would probably say that (I was a role model). But we used to play a lot when he was younger.”

Now, the teacher and student will meet for a chance to play for Men’s Am glory.

Brady and Davis emerged from a 36-hole gauntlet — against temperatures in the high 70s — to secure their place in the SWNY-NWPA Men’s Amateur semifinals on Friday at Bartlett Country Club. Brady edged Godfrey Nsubuga (1-up), who’d knocked off medalist Darien Swanson a day earlier, in the second round before dispatching Braddock Damore, 3&2, in the quarterfinals. Davis topped Nick Lyons, 3&2, in the morning before beating Evan Steffen by the same count in the afternoon.

They were joined in the Final Four by 2023 champion Corey Haas and rising St. Bonaventure senior Gabe Williams.

FOR THE former two, reaching the semifinals — and remaining in contention for the Championship Flight crown — has special meaning.

Brady, 33, who’s been playing in the Men’s Am for nearly 20 years, has now made eight quarterfinals appearances. But this was just the second time he’s broken through to the semis, alongside 2019, when he dropped a 19-hole heartbreaker to eventual champion Chris Blocher. Davis, meanwhile, a PGA Management major and Division I golfer at Maryland-Eastern Shore, is playing in his final amateur tournament before turning pro upon his scheduled December graduation.

And each earned his opportunity to be here.

“I thought I just stayed mentally tough,” Brady said. “Braddock (another St. Bonaventure golfer) can rattle off three birdies in a row at any time, so you have to be in right until the end. He hit one out on 16, so I made a par to win.”

Brady was consistent throughout; he parred 27 of his 34 holes and finished the day 1-over.

“These younger kids hit it, like, 60 yards past me,” he said laughingly “My irons have been solid. I made a lot of big 10-footers both rounds — all three rounds, really. I haven’t been down in a match, but I haven’t been up by more than two. (But) that’s what most people would say about my game: steady.”

DAVIS, THE former Allegany-Limestone standout, advanced a step further after falling in the 2024 quarterfinals. More confident after last year’s experience, he “lit it up” on the back nine against Steffen, sitting 3-under for the day before clinching the round with a birdie on hole 16.

“I’m in pretty good shape,” he assessed. “I walked the first 54 holes here, so I’m not really that tired, even now. I’m in pretty good shape, which has helped.”

Brady and Davis will now play head-to-head Saturday (10:44 a.m.) for a spot in Sunday’s final. And they’re looking forward to it.

“It’ll be exciting to play Michael,” Brady said.

“I’m not gonna hold back tomorrow,” Davis added with a smile.

Theirs, however, are just two of the interesting storylines, many of them locally driven, to stem from a beautiful day at Bartlett.

A YEAR after taking down Blocher for his first title, Haas fell in a rain-delayed quarterfinals last summer.

This year, he made it back to the Final Four, topping Caleb Decker (St. Bonaventure), 3&2, before besting Troy Loughry even more convincingly, 5&3. And for the former St. John Fisher star, a return trip to the semis “just feels right.”

Haas had a spectacular front nine against Loughry, carding a 32 and building an insurmountable five-hole lead. That run was fueled by an improvement to one part of his game: Putting.

“Really, going back to the qualifier on Wednesday, I was just not making a lot of putts,” the Cuba native said. “And honestly, I came in, had lunch (Friday), went outside … I keep a roll of lead tape in my bag; it has stickiness on the back. I cut about a three-inch piece of that, put it on the bottom of my putter and it made my putter feel completely different.

“And I just went out and made every single putt on the front nine. Golf’s funny like that, but it felt good all day, the putter, and that was the only thing holding me back the first three matches.”

WILLIAMS, meanwhile, returned to the Men’s Am after falling in the second round in his initial appearance in 2023.

The Deansboro, N.Y., native believes he could have advanced further that year had he not succumbed to his nerves. This summer, he was determined not to allow a repeat. And so far, there hasn’t been one.

Williams was 3-under through 12 holes before handling Greg Gibbons on Friday morning, 8&7, and then won a battle with Mitch Faulkner, 1-up, to reach the semis in what he deemed to be “probably my last Men’s Am.” After nearly falling into a three-hole deficit early, Williams evened it by hole 15 and then birdied 17 before winning it on the 18th.

“It was just a great finish, a great battle,” he said. “Mitch played well; he’s a great player.”

Of the pressure, Williams added: “Today, I was able to handle it coming down the stretch. … I care a lot, I want to win. Sometimes that gets the best of me because you care too much and sometimes that eats away at your golf game.

“So it was kind of just like, I don’t really care what happens. I’m happy either way. That helps me stay calm and play well under pressure.”

Haas and Williams will go head-to-head on Saturday at 10:36 a.m.

“He’s definitely got a good game,” Haas said of Williams. “He can hit it a mile, but so do I. I’m not intimidated by any means, so just play my game, hit a bunch of fairways, hit a bunch of greens, the putter’s feeling good, so I’ll just make a bunch of birds.”

Said Williams, “I’ve been telling myself just milk it, enjoy it. It’ll probably be the last time I play, so I just want to make the most of it.”

SWNY-NWPA MEN’S AMATEUR

Friday’s Results

CHAMPIONSHIP CONSOLATION

(Morning matches)

O. Wright 4&3 over Unverdorben

Peterson 3&2 over Schott

K. Henzel 2&1 over C. Swanson

S. Crist 4&2 over Jennings

Cornelius 5&3 over Hall

Kade Logue 3&2 over Carls

D. Swanson 2&1 over Petryszak

Kal Logue 3&2 over McHone

(Afternoon matches)

S. Crist 5&4 over K. Henzel

Peterson 5&4 over O. Wright

Kal Logue 3&2 over D. Swanson

Cornelius 4&3 over Kade Logue

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

(Morning matches)

Faulkner 2&1 over Aiello

G. Williams 8&7 over Gibbons

Loughry 2&1 over Cecchini

C. Haas 3&2 over Decker

Davis 3&2 over Lyons

Steffen 1-up over Bucko

S. Brady 1-up over Nsubuga

Damore 4&3 over B. Haas

(Afternoon matches)

C. Haas 5&3 over Loughry

G. Williams 1-up over Faulkner

S. Brady 3&2 over Damore

Davis 3&2 over Steffen

FIRST FLIGHT

C. Riekofsky 2&1 over Livak

Liguori 3&2 over Glatz

N. Swanson 2&1 over Schauger

Hartnett 2-up over Russell

SECOND FLIGHT

Frank 2-up over D. Henzel

Bzdak 2-up over C. Crist

McArdle 1-up over Nenno

Fitzpatrick 4&3 over C. Reiley

SENIOR FLIGHT

M. Brady 1-up over J. Henzel

Kubiak 2-up over Chicola

D. Reiley 2&1 over Mark Baire

J. Brady 3&2 over Benedict

THIRD FLIGHT

Dwaileebe 3&2 over Higgins

Worth 5&4 over Morrison

Malik 2-up over Dick

Colligan Jr. 4&3 over Brainard

FOURTH FLIGHT

K. Riekofsky 3&2 over Phillips

Barner 8&6 over Arvin

Lewis 2-up over Kurt Logue

Morton 1-up over Pauly

FIFTH FLIGHT

Withers 2&1 over R. Williams

Folts over Wiltsey (concession)

Slade 2&1 over D. McHone

C. Butler 1-up over Frame, 20 holes

SIXTH FLIGHT

Stevens 8&7 over T. Butler

J. Williams 5&4 over V. Baire

Boudin 8&7 over Preston

Travis 1-up over Ramadhan

45-49 CONSOLATION

Johnsen 8&6 over M. Baire Jr.

Orcutt 2&1 over Giardini

Hnat over George

Hamed 5&4 over Chaffee

60 & OVER CONSOLATION

Padlo over McPeek (concession)

Stein 7&6 over Hunt

Marra 3&2 over Burrows

Jones over Kane

SATURDAY’S PAIRINGS

FOURTH FLIGHT

9:00 a.m.: Lewis vs. Morton

9:08: K. Riekofsky vs. Barner

THIRD FLIGHT

9:16: Colligan Jr. vs. Malik

9:24: Dwaileebe vs. Worth

SECOND FLIGHT

9:32: Frank vs. Bzdak

9:40: McArdle vs. Fitzpatrick

FIRST FLIGHT

9:48: C. Riekofsky vs. Liguori

9:56: N. Swanson vs. Hartnett

CHAMPIONSHIP CONSOLATION

10:20: S. Crist vs. Peterson

10:28: Kal Logue vs. Cornelius

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

10:36: C. Haas vs. G. Williams

10:44: S. Brady vs. Davis

SENIOR FLIGHT

11:00: M. Brady vs. Kubiak

11:08: D. Reiley vs. J. Brady

FIFTH FLIGHT

11:16: Withers vs. Folts

11:24: Slade vs. C. Butler

SIXTH FLIGHT

11:32: Stevens vs. J. Williams

11:40: Boudin vs. M. Travis

45-49 CONSOLATION

12:00 p.m.: Johnsen vs. Orcutt

12:08: Hnat vs. Hamed

60 & OVER CONSOLATION

12:16: Padlo vs. Stein

12:24: Marra vs. Jones