Englishman Whaley claims historic US Amateur title
22-year-old Jack Whaley became only the second Englishman since 1911 to win the US Amateur Championship, beating American Jay Leng Jr 4&3 in the final.
Jack Whaley, a 22-year-old from Doncaster, secured a historic victory at the US Amateur Championship, defeating American Jay Leng Jr 4&3 in the final held at Merion.
Entering Sunday's 36-hole final, Whaley was considered a significant underdog. Leng Jr sits 23rd in the world amateur golf rankings, while Whaley, a Florida State University student, was ranked 67 places lower. The opening 18 holes seemed to reflect that gap, with Whaley falling two holes behind.
The tide turned dramatically in the second round, played in heavy rain across Pennsylvania. Whaley opened with back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes before reeling off four consecutive hole wins. The next six holes were shared evenly, but the decisive moment came at the 12th, when Leng Jr misread a putt, gifting Whaley a three-hole advantage. He sealed the win with a well-judged birdie putt at the 15th.
A rare feat for English golf
Whaley is only the second Englishman since 1911 to lift the US Amateur title, following Matt Fitzpatrick's win in 2013. Before Fitzpatrick, the last English champion was Harold Hilton in 1911, while Scotland's Richie Ramsay in 2006 remains the only other British winner since 1898.
The victory earns Whaley a place in the fields for the 2027 Masters, US Open and The Open at St Andrews. Past US Amateur champions include Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland.
