Corby Segal, a Santa Clarita Valley resident, made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in Lake Forest, Ill. before falling to three-time champion Nathan Smith on Wednesday in match play.

Smith defeated Segal 1-up at the par-71 Conway Farms Golf Club.

The event is for players ages 25 and older and is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association.

The winner of the Mid-Amateur has received an invitation to play in the Masters every year since 1989.

Segal, 41, caddies on the PGA Tour for Briny Baird and competed in the Foothill League as a prep golfer for Burbank High, according to the USGA.

This was the second time he participated in the Mid-Amateur and first time he made match play.

He tied for 25th at 6-over after 36 rounds of stroke play this year.

Segal won his first and second rounds of match play 1-up, then won his round of 16 match 2-up.

In the quarterfinals, he had a birdie putt to extend the match on the 18th hole, but missed.

Smith birdied the final hole to take the match.

Segal was 1-up as late as the 12th hole, but parred the par-4, 462-yard 13th hole to Smith’s birdie.

Smith took the lead on No. 14 with a birdie to Segal’s par.

Despite the loss, Segal is exempt for next year’s Mid-Amateur at Country Club of Birmingham in Alabama.