FSU's men's golfer Jack Whaley won the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship on Sunday at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. He is the first Seminole to win the tournament.
The rising senior beat Stanford's Jay Leng Jr. 4&3 over 36 holes to become the first Englishman to win the tournament since Matt Fitzpatrick in 2013 and third overall since 1911. The win earned him a spot in The 2027 Open Championship at St. Andrews and the Walker Cup in September for Great Britain.
He won the first hole with a chip-in to take an early lead and went up two holes by parring the third hole. Leng tied the game on the 10th hole with back-to-back wins. Whaley responded by retaking the lead on the 11th hole before Leng took his first lead of the day on the 13th after winning back-to-back holes.
Whaley ended the first 18 holes trailing by two before they took a short break before playing the final 18 holes. He won four straight holes to go up two after 23 holes. Leng won the 24th, but secured birdies on the 26th and 28th holes to go up three.
He clinched the championship with a birdie putt on the 33rd hole.

#tournament #since

ARDMORE, Pa. — Merion, the club and the course, is about as English as anything American thing could be, and Sunday here — for the finale of the 126th U.S. Amateur — was dank and wet and of-so-English. An Englishman was playing a kid from California. The Englishman won. Not a shocker.
There was something truly great about this Am, the whole seven days of it: six days of hot, dry golf leading to this rainy, cool Sunday; 312 players whittled down to two; and a final featuring two totally dissimilar golfers. Jack Whaley, deeply tanned and powerfully built, grew up in Doncaster, England, plays at Florida State and has a ready-for-the-Tour swing and a grind-it-out demeanor. Jay Leng Jr. grew up in San Diego, plays at Stanford, could not weigh 130 pounds, has a stance wider than Moe Norman's and a backswing shorter than Jon Rahm's, and follows no known playbook but his own. It was a delight watching these two go at it in this 36-hole final. Whaley won the match with a birdie on 15, the final nail in his 4-and-3 victory.
Arnold Palmer, who won this event in 1954, offered this as a swing tip for life: "Swing your swing." A cousin to you do you. Leng, winner of the Western Amateur earlier this summer who will represent the U.S. at next month's Walker Cup at Lahinch in Ireland, did not know Palmer's three-word phrase but understood its message. "I've always done things my own way and it seems to be working so I don't see any reason to change now," Leng said Sunday night, about to board a van for a ride back to the clubhouse as Whaley's new trophy was being brought to the 15th green.
By 14, Leng was playing without a hat, his black hair so wet he looked like he had just stepped out of a shower, his shirt close to soaked. Asked if he had learned anything over the course of the day about playing in the rain, he said, "Maybe carry more towels?" He was wet and worn out and tired. A U.S. Amateur can take a lot out of a guy, and so can golf in a steady rain.
Andy North won his two U.S. Opens playing in cold and wet conditions. He is now a member of the USGA executive committee — nice get, USGA! — and was at the award presentation. "Not a shock to see a player from England play so well in these conditions — you would think he has a lot of experience at it," North said Sunday night. "Playing in the rain really requires you to stay as dry as you possibly can while keeping your mind totally focused on the shots you have to make, never giving in to the rain for a second." Andy North was a master of keeping two towels in the spokes of his umbrella while playing in the rain, one for the grips, the other for his hands.

#playing #amateur

ARDMORE, Pa. — Andy Whaley couldn't believe his eyes. Standing at the back of Merion East's soaked 15th green, he smiled and laughed as his son, 22-year-old Jack Whaley, raised the Havemeyer Trophy after conquering the best amateur field in the world.
"Did I ever think he could win the U.S. Amateur? No. Did I ever think he'd win it this year? Absolutely not," Andy Whaley told GOLF with a laugh as his son did the post-win media car wash.
Andy and his wife, Kerry, were scheduled to fly home on Saturday night. "That tells you how confident we were," Andy Whaley said with a chuckle. Instead, Andy Whaley, carrying his son's bag for the first time in five or six years, changed his flight and set out to walk Merion for a final day with his son.
This week's U.S. Amateur at Merion was golf watching in its purest form. The famed golf course opened its doors to the world's best amateurs and local crowds flocked by the thousands to walk its fairways, raid the pro shop and watch the best amateur golf has to offer. It was a week for the true, die-in-the-wool golf fans who appreciate and understand what the game has always been about.
It was fitting that, during a week about Merion, the Hugh Wilson design outside Philadelphia remained the main star throughout the week. The world's best amateurs — Preston Stout, Miles Russell, Tyler Watts and others — all either failed to make it out of stroke play or made an early match play exit. This week was about getting to see Merion, one of the game's great cathedrals, without it being overrun by giant buildouts and throngs of fans. It was just the world's best ams and fans who wanted to soak in good golf at a place steeped in history. It was about the magic and mystique of a place we rarely see.

#merion #week #year #ever

ARDMORE, Pa. – While the term cathedral is used to describe golf's greatest venues, the East Course at Merion Golf Club is arguably its most revered chapel, set on approximately 120 acres packed with history and some of the best golf holes in the world.
A step into the converted farmhouse that now serves as Merion's intricate clubhouse signifies a step back in time, with the club's famed archive room as the main vehicle.
The small, windowless room, established by George Scudder and now chaired by historian and 19-time Merion club champ John Capers III, is the main repository of Merion's history. It includes over 4,000 books and artifacts, including the standard from Justin Rose's 2013 U.S. Open victory, the unwashed striped, Merion-logoed polo Edoardo Molinari wore in winning the 2005 U.S. Amateur final, aerial images from Bobby Jones' slam-completing triumph at the 1930 U.S. Amateur, even some old horseshoes dug out of this historic dirt.
Jack Whaley will now have to part with his beloved Yorkshire County team rain jacket.
After a run of warm and sunny days in northwest Philadelphia, English skies set over Merion for the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship final. Perfect for Whaley, a 22-year-old from Doncaster, England, who embraced the relentless rain and washed away a 2-up deficit after 19 holes to defeat Stanford's Jay Leng Jr., 4 and 3.

#golf #step

ARDMORE, Pa. — Jack Whaley of England used double gloves, needed an umbrella, was stung by a wasp at rainy Merion Golf Club and still pushed through the inconveniences to cap a tremendous tournament and hold off Jay Leng Jr. to win the U.S. Amateur on Sunday.
Whaley should keep the rain jacket.
The 22-year-old English amateur golfer from Doncaster gets to soak up the spoils that come with winning amateur golf's greatest prize.
With skies finally clear on the rain-slogged course, Whaley sank his final putt to clinch the 36-hole final, 4 and 3, and hugged it out with his caddie — his father, Andy. Whaley's mother ran out to join them for a family embrace while Andy gripped the famed wicker basket flagstick.
Whaley broke down in tears as he held the Havemeyer Trophy and dedicated the win to his father, who never stopped encouraging his son to play, even as he kept missing cuts as a teenager.

#merion

ARDMORE, Pa. – Andy Whaley shares a mantra with his son, Jack: Drive forward, see where you go, and just have fun along the way.
But golf hasn't always been enjoyable for Jack Whaley. As a kid and into his teenage years, it seemed like every big tournament he'd compete in, he'd leave disappointed, wondering if the financial sacrifices his family was making for him to pursue the sport competitively – and with little success – were worth it.
After one particularly frustrating junior event in Leeds, England, Jack told his dad that he didn't want to play golf anymore.
"It felt like every time I failed to make a cut, I was failing him," Jack said. "But every single time, he's like, 'Keep going, you've got this.' He's been behind me my entire life."
So, what did Andy do upon hearing his heartbroken son wished to quit the game? Remembering his own clubs were in the trunk, Andy began the 45-minute drive home to Doncaster, but just a few miles into the trip, he turned into the car park of a nine-hole municipal course.

#golf #time

ARDMORE, Pa. — Jack Whaley of England twice lost 3-up leads Saturday in the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the championship match at Merion when he holed a nervy 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to defeat Georgia senior Carter Loflin.
Whaley, a senior at Florida State, next meets Stanford junior Jay Leng Jr., who never trailed in a match that felt like a struggle the entire day until he closed out Auburn sophomore Logan Reilly on the 17th hole.
It felt like a victory already for both finalists. They earned spots in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next year, provided they are still amateurs.
"I'm still speechless right now," Leng said. "It will take at least until tonight to sink in."
Leng has not trailed in his last 42 holes going into the championship match, starting with the sixth hole of his match against third-ranked Tyler Watts in the round of 16.

#next #trailed

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Jack Whaley of England twice lost 3-up leads Saturday in the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the championship match at Merion when he holed a nervy 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to defeat Georgia senior Carter Loflin.
Whaley, a senior at Florida State, next meets Stanford junior Jay Leng Jr., who never trailed in a match that felt like a struggle the entire day until he closed out Auburn sophomore Logan Reilly on the 17th hole.
It felt like a victory already for both finalists. They earned spots in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next year, provided they are still amateurs.
"I'm still speechless right now," Leng said. "It will take at least until tonight to sink in."
Leng has not trailed in his last 42 holes going into the championship match, starting with the sixth hole of his match against third-ranked Tyler Watts in the round of 16.

#match #leng #championship #senior

ARDMORE, Pa. – It was a record-breaking day as Merion Golf Club, welcomed the most ticketed fans for a U.S. Amateur in the championship's history. With attendance numbers pushing 3,000, the line to get into the pro shop remained wrapped around the clubhouse most the day, while the scene for the first tee as the four quarterfinal matches started was electric.
"I was totally shell-shocked by the amount of people that were out there, to be brutally honest," Georgia grad Carter Loflin said. "I've played in front of people before, but not like that. Honestly, it took me a minute to get used the gallery and everything. I looked at Brandon [Knight, his opponent] on the first tee, and I was like, 'Dude, I've never seen people four-deep like this before.'"
Added Jack Whaley: "It's one of the best experiences I've had playing golf."
And Logan Reilly: "Unbelievable atmosphere."
Unfortunately, the air was let out of the balloon early, and the thousands of fans clamoring to see some epic battles went home disappointed in that regard. None of the matches reached the 17th hole while three of them ended before the 15th hole.

#golf #four #ardmore

ARDMORE, PA — The first tee shot at Merion Golf Club is one of golf's most intimidating. Forget the narrow fairway with wispy rough and bunkers staring at players on the box, but it's also claustrophobic.
On the left side is the famous Merion clubhouse, with its green awning shading tables underneath for members and spectators who gather to watch golfers begin their rounds. Behind and on the right side is fans, lined up and squeezing their way in for a look at the competitors. It makes players feel cornered, surrounded and uncomfortable.
In Carter Loflin's case, he said he was shell shocked.
More: For U.S. Amateur final four, Saturday could change everything. Here's why
"I've played in front of people before but not like that," said Loflin, the University of Georgia gradate who's set to begin his pro career after this week's 126th U.S. Amateur. "Honestly, it took me a minute to get used the gallery and everything. I looked at Brandon (Knight) on the first tee and I was like, 'dude, I've never seen people four deep like this before.' So that was really cool, but it was a little bit nerve-racking trying to get into a rhythm."

#first

Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach will take on Oklahoma senior Ryder Cowan in the first round of the U.S. Amateur match play on Aug. 12 at the Merion Country Club in Ardmore, Pa.
The two will tee off at 1:50 p.m.
Russell tied for fifth in the 36-hole stroke player qualifier on Aug. 11 and is the sixth seed in match play. Cowan birdied the first playoff hole, the par-3 13th, to join 10 other players who had to battle in a 16-for-11 playoff for the final spots in the 64-player field for match play.
Russell, 17 and a verbal commit to Florida State in 2027, has already reached the championship match of the U.S. Junior Amateur and the semifinals of the Western Amateur this summer.
Russell was the co-medalist at the U.S. Junior Amateur and the medalist at the Western Amateur. He breezed through five matches in the U.S. Junior at Saucon Valley before losing to Noah Maclauchlan and fell to Jay Leng in the Western Amateur semifinals.

#russell #junior #hole #player

ARDMORE, Pa. – Having just finished 36 holes of stroke play at this 126th U.S. Amateur in 2 over par, Luke Poulter walked out of the scoring tent behind Merion's 18th hole on Tuesday afternoon and exclaimed, "I'm going to need a miracle."
His caddie has seen miracles around this place before.
Florida head coach J.C. Deacon, who is on the bag for his star rising senior, reached the semifinals of the 2005 U.S. Amateur at Merion before his opponent, Dillon Dougherty, won each of the last two holes with improbable shots that still get Deacon emotional thinking about them.
"I went from winning and playing in the Masters to it being over just like that," Deacon said.
Trailing Deacon 1 down with two holes to play, Dougherty missed the green left at the par-3 17th, prompting Deacon to say to himself on the long walk down to the green, I'm going to the Masters. But Dougherty then chipped in for birdie to win the hole and tie the match. On the next hole, the par-4 18th, Dougherty hit the broadcast booth with his approach and faced a 50-yard shot from a nasty lie. But again, Dougherty produced some magic, hitting a full flop that clanked off the flagstick to stone dead.

#holes #masters

ARDMORE, Pa. – The world's top-ranked amateur won't make it to Wednesday at the 126th U.S. Amateur.
Oklahoma State senior Preston Stout, who was also the reigning U.S. Amateur medalist, backed up a 5-over 75 Monday at Merion Golf Club with a 1-over 71 Tuesday at nearby Philadelphia Country Club. He didn't card a birdie until his 28th hole, making three coming in, though it was too late to mount any sort of comeback.
At 6 over and well off the projected cut line of 1 over, Stout will become the first player to start the championship at No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and go on to miss match play since Keita Nakajima at Oakmont in 2021.
Since WAGR was introduced in 2007, world Nos. 1 are now 11 for 18 in making the cut. Just six of those 11 have advanced past the Round of 32 while Peter Uihlein remains the only one to win, when he did so at Chambers Bay in 2010.
The other two players in Stout's featured group this week, Tyler Watts and Miles Russell, ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, combined to shoot 9 under in 36 holes of stroke play. Watts fired a second-round 65 and was the clubhouse leader at 6 under when he finished his round.

#club #World