Nothing was keeping Jack Whaley from the U.S. Amateur Championship. Not weather, not a 2-hole deficit heading into the final session — not even a wasp sting that left his ankle throbbing.
The 22-year-old native of Doncaster, England and rising senior at Florida State stormed back through less-than-ideal conditions to beat Jay Leng Jr. 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., on Sunday, becoming the third Englishman to win the event and the first since Matt Fitzpatrick in 2013.
Playing with his dad and biggest supporter, Andy, on his bag, Whaley went from up 2 through the first eight holes to down 2 at the lunch break as Leng, a 20-year-old junior at Stanford, caught fire on the back nine. Both players bogeyed the par-5 18th hole to conclude a round played through rain and plenty of wind.
Whaley came out of the break, however, gaining four shots over the first five holes — despite the wasp sting on the fourth fairway that left him in pain the next two holes. The golfers each won, lost and halved a pair of holes over the next six before Whaley parred the 30th hole for a three-hole lead then sank a birdie putt to win it on the 33rd hole of the championship.
Along with the Havemeyer Trophy, Whaley won exemptions into the 2027 US Open at Pebble Beach, the 2027 Open Championship at St. Andrews, and the 2027 Masters. He will also compete for Great Britain in September at the Walker Cup — a Ryder Cup-style event involving amateurs from the United States against amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland.
Whaley joins the likes of some of golf’s greatest legends in winning the US Amateur, including Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
“As we were driving back, I was looking at my dad with some of the names that are on this thing,” Whaley said after his win. “I never thought my name would (be) among such impressive people.”
–Field Level Media
