Florida State golfer Jack Whaley wins the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship, joining and elite fraternity of the sports greatest players. Whaley won four straight holes in the final round, and made a birdie putt to hoist the Havemeyer Trophy.
For only the third time since 1911, an Englishman has won the 126th U.S. Amateur Golf Championship at Merion Golf Club.
Florida State golfer Jack Whaley battled Mother Nature and held off a late charge from Stanford’s Jay Leng by sinking a birdie putt on the 33rd holes to win 4&3 and hoist the Havemeyer Trophy.
Not too shabby for a player ranked No. 90 as an amateur. It was an emotional moment for Whaley, with his father carrying the bag as his caddy.
Whaley was down by two strokes after 18 holes. However, he came roaring back, winning four consecutive holes in the final round to win the title. He is the first Florida State golfer to win the title, and the first to appear in the final in 18 years.
With the victory, Whaley now qualifies for the 2027 Masters Tournament, the British Open Championship, and the U.S. Open.
A senior from Doncaster, England, Whaley finished 14th in the NCAA Championships this season. Last season, as a member of NAIA Dalton State, Whaley became the NAIA Men’s Golf Champion, shooting 8-under after beginning the tournament with a blistering round of 61. Not surprisingly, Whaley collected all the national awards:
- Gary Player Award winner
- Jack Nicklaus Award winner
- Arnold Palmer Award winner
Going into the semifinal round against the No. 8 ranked amateur Carter Loflin, Whaley stated he was nervous.
“After the second hole, I settled down a bit, said Whaley. “I really started to play golf again, and started thinking about what to do with the golf ball instead of standing up there and hitting the ball.”
Whaley carries on the legacy of success that past Florida State golfers have enjoyed at the U.S. Amateur Championship, notably Drew Kittleson in 2008 appearing in the final round and Harry Ellis in 2018 qualifying for the Masters.
There was no stopping Whaley, as he blew through the competition to win the championship. Below are his scores in the tournament:
- In the round of 64, defeated No. 5 Jackson Ormond 1 up in 22 holes.
- Whaley with a 2&1 victory over No. 37 Bowen Mauss of Arizona State in round of 32.
- Whaley defeated No. 53 Christian Cavliere 4&3 in the round of 16.
- Quarterfinals: defeated No. 29 Adam Bresnu of Texas Tech 5&4.
- Semifinals: defeated Carter Loflin 1 up.
The U.S. Amateur Championship is the oldest USGA championship, founded in 1895. The list of past winners is a Who’s Who of golfing royalty, including Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods.
Woods won three consecutive Amateur championships. It was the fifth time since 1916 that Merion Golf Club had hosted this storied event.
