Jack Whaley became just the third Englishman, and second Yorkshireman, to win the US Amateur Championship after beating American Jay Leng Jr 4&3 at Merion Golf Club.
Rotherham-based Jack, who attends Florida State University and is a member of the England men’s squad, came through two rounds of strokeplay qualifying, including a 16-for-11 playoff, and six matchplay rounds to lift the trophy. His victory in the 126th US Amateur follows that of fellow Yorkshireman Matt Fitzpatrick in 2013, and Harold Hilton in 1911.
With the win, Jack – the 90th-ranked player in the men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking going into the event – earned exemptions into the 2027 US Open at Pebble Beach and The Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews, as well as a likely invitation to the Masters Tournament at Augusta National next April. He also automatically earned one of the 10 spots on the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team which will face the US team on September 5-6 at Lahinch in the Republic of Ireland.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” said Jack when asked what it was like to join the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Bobby Jones as a US Amateur champion.
“It’s definitely a huge honour to be able to be part of the names of all the famous people and unbelievable golfers that have come through this golf course and won.”
Jack followed the same script as the last player to win the championship at Merion, Edoardo Molinari, who survived a 19-for-17 playoff after holing a bunker shot on the par three ninth at Merion on his final hole of strokeplay, then used that momentum to win six matches, including the final over Dillon Dougherty by the same 4&3 margin.
Early on Wednesday morning, Jack was part of a 16-for-11 playoff for the final matchplay spots and nearly aced the par three 13th hole to secure his place in the draw. He survived his opening round match after 22 holes with 2026 US Open qualifier Jackson Ormond and rolled from there, ending the championship match on the 15th green with a 10ft birdie.
For the first time all week, wet weather played a part in the final. Temperatures also dropped, and the competitors encountered the stiffest wind of the week. Rain fell shortly after the start of the afternoon round, adding a further challenge for the players and their caddies.
Jack was more used to playing in such conditions than his Southern Californian opponent. After hitting his tee shot out of bounds on the 22nd hole, Jack pulled out his black rain gloves – drawing comparisons to Aaron Rai, who won this year’s PGA Championship down the road at Aronimink Golf Club. Ready to face the conditions, Jack, who trailed 2dn after the morning 18, began to slowly pull away from world number 23 Jay.
“I normally don’t do that [wearing two gloves]. As soon as it started raining on six [the 24th hole of the match] and I slipped and sliced one out of bounds, I was like, I can’t use these anymore, I can’t use a regular glove. I got the two gloves out and started swinging it a little bit smoother and tried to time it up a little bit better, and it seemed to work, so I kept going,” said Jack, who had also been stung by a wasp on the 22nd hole.
“I was just walking down the fourth after my second shot and I felt something on my leg, and then it just stuck in me. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I looked down and there was a wasp on my ankle, and I flicked it off. I then had to pull the stinger out. It was throbbing for a good two holes and then someone brought something out to me and it kind of calmed down.”
Jack claimed four consecutive holes from the par five 20th to take a 2up lead. Jay then got one back on the 24th following to Jack’s wayward tee shot. When Jack drained a 25ft birdie putt on the 26th hole, and a 15ft one at the 28th, his lead moved to 3up.
Hitting his approach shot on the 29th – the hole where Bobby Jones closed out his 1930 US Amateur win to complete the Grand Slam – into the penalty area wound up costing Jack a hole, but he immediately recovered with a winning two-putt par on the 30th hole to regain his 3up advantage. The match would end three holes later.
Jack drew first blood to start the match, holing a chip shot from left of the green for a birdie on the opening hole and registering a winning par at the third. He twice owned 2up leads on the front nine, only to see Jay rally to tie the encounter with pars on the ninth and 10th holes.
The turning point of the morning session came when Jay converted a 30ft birdie putt on 12 to tie the match, following that with a 15ft putt on the short par three 13th to take a 1up lead. He would go 2up at 16 when Jack three-putted from 45ft.
“I was kind of a little bit shocked that I managed to lose that many holes coming in. I got off to a good start, and I was up, and then I was just like, ‘What just happened?’” said Jack on the finish to the opening round.
“Jay just made a 20ft putt, a 30ft putt, and then another 20ft putt. I’m like, ‘Well, that was out of nowhere.’ I’m kind of scraping my pars and he’s just making birdies out of nowhere. He played unbelievable this morning coming down the stretch.
“During the break, it was kind of just reset, recoup and get ready for the afternoon. I knew 2dn wasn’t too much for me to handle. Going into it, it was just, be confident and let things happen.”
Jay was unable to keep his momentum going following the 90-minute lunch break.
Outside of a wayward tee shot on the 24th hole and his approach at the 30th, Jack played steady, solid golf over the last 15 holes.
The final 10ft putt at the 33rd hole sparked a wild celebration that included an emotional hug with his father and caddie Andy, his mum Kerry, girlfriend Sara Burger, and coaches at both Florida State and Dalton State College – where Jack won the 2025 NAIA Championship and was named the Jack Nicklaus Award recipient for that level.
“It’s just off the charts. I’m not very emotional as a rule, but this is very emotional,” said Andy. “Never in our wildest dreams did we think that this was possible. Jack has just achieved the impossible, frankly. That’s what this is about. I just can’t be proud enough of the guy.”
Jack, who spent the first two years at NAIA Dalton (Ga.) State College before transferring last spring, became the first Florida State golfer to hoist the Havemeyer Trophy. His coach, Trey Jones, flew in on Sunday morning to support him, cheering him on alongside his coach at Dalton State, Ben Rickett.
With the win, Jack joined Justin Rose as a winner of a USGA event at Merion, following Justin’s win in the 2013 US Open.
