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USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Meet the 9 amateurs playing in the 2025 British Open at Royal Portrush
The final major of the season is here, which means it's the final time that we'll see a large contingent of amateurs on golf's biggest stage in 2025. There are nine amateurs in the field of 156 at the 2025 Open Championship in Northern Ireland. The group includes a 17-year-old, several golfers who play college golf in the U.S., and one player who will be the first to represent his nation in the Open. Here's a look at which amateurs will be teeing it up at Royal Portrush this week. Ethan Fang (United States) The rising Oklahoma State junior won the Amateur Championship in June at Royal St. George's, earning his spot in three major championships, including at Royal Portrush. Justin Hastings (Cayman Islands) Making his third major start of the year, Hastings was low am at the U.S. Open and earned his spot by winning the Latin America Amateur Championship. Richard Teder (Estonia) In a clip that went viral, Teder holed out for eagle in a playoff during a local qualifying event at West Lancashire to punch his ticket to Portrush, becoming the first Estonian to ever compete in the Open Championship. Filip Jakubcik (Czechia) In June, Jakubcik became the first Czech player to ever win the European Amateur Championship, clinching a bid to Portrush. The Arizona Wildcat was a member of the victorious international side in the 2025 Arnold Palmer Cup. Cameron Adam (Scotland) Adam won the Open Amateur Series — comprised of three events across Europe — which included a playoff victory at St. Andrews. He plays college golf at Northwestern University near Chicago. Connor Graham (Scotland) Just 18 years old, Graham lost in a heartbreaker to Ethan Fang at the British Amateur Championship but later nabbed the final spot in local qualifying at Dundonald Links. Sebastian Cave (England) Cave earned his way through local qualifying, finishing fourth at Royal Cinque Ports. He was the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year at UAB before transferring to Charlotte. Frazer Jones (England) Jones secured his spot via final local qualifying at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club in Somerset, England. He is teammates with Cave on the Charlotte men's golf team. Bryan Newman (South Africa) Newman punched his ticket to Royal Portrush after winning the 2025 Africa Amateur Championship in February at just 17 years old.
Khaleej Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Ethan Fang conquers Amateur Championship in thrilling finale at Royal St George's
In a final that will be remembered for its sheer drama, 20-year-old Ethan Fang of the United States captured one of the most coveted titles in amateur golf - The 130th Amateur Championship. Set against the iconic backdrop of Royal St George's in England, this historic championship, first played in 1885 and run by The R&A, brought together the finest amateur talents from around the world. Out of 288 competitors representing 45 nations, it all came down to two players, one unforgettable duel, and 36 holes of relentless pressure. Fang, currently ranked No. 7 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), started as a favourite. But his opponent, Ireland's Gavin Tiernan, ranked 1,340th, refused to play to the script. The 19-year-old produced a masterclass in tenacity and shot-making, forcing Fang to dig deep. 'It feels great. Still doesn't feel real yet. But I'm sure it'll kick in, and I'll celebrate with my team,' said Fang moments after sinking the winning putt. The win does more than just cement Fang's legacy in amateur golf. It catapults the Oklahoma State University student into the global spotlight with automatic entries into The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, the US Open, and - in a dream come true for any golfer - a traditional invitation to The Masters. He'll also tee it up in the British Masters, hosted by Nick Faldo, on the DP World Tour. Two Young Stars, One Champion From the first tee shot to the final putt, this match was a seesaw battle filled with momentum shifts and clutch performances. Tiernan was the early aggressor, taking a one-up lead in the morning session with steady, composed golf. Despite battling nerves, Fang clawed back into the match with a conceded eagle on the 14th. But Tiernan responded quickly, regaining the lead before the lunch break with a brilliant tee shot on the par-3 16th that set up a birdie. The Irish talent never trailed in the first 18 holes, but the afternoon belonged to Fang. Emerging from lunch with renewed focus, the American made his move on the 23rd hole. Just as he pulled ahead, Tiernan responded again - this time with his own conceded eagle on the 25th. They turned onto the final nine holes locked all square, neither willing to blink. Then, Fang edged in front. Two holes up with just three to play, it seemed the title was within his grasp. But Tiernan, already a hero among the gathered fans, produced a stunning response by sinking back-to-back long-range birdie putts on the 34th and 35th holes to draw level once more. And so, with everything on the line, they walked to the 36th tee. Fang delivered two pure strikes to set up a nerveless five-foot birdie. Tiernan's own attempt narrowly missed. With thousands watching at the famous course, and countless more online, Fang calmly drained the winner. 'I was hitting it well all day, and I knew if I just stayed in it, some putts would drop, kind of have him work for it, and it ended up working out,' said Fang. 'I heard going into the week that an American hasn't won this championship in ten-plus years. Representing your flag, that's what it's all about, and I'm glad we did it for USA.' 'The Masters, The Open… I'm just glad it's all done now, and I can just take a second to think about everything I did this week and just kind of enjoy it. It's probably the most consistent golf I've played in my life. It's a super long championship, and it just feels really good to finally get it done.' A Star Among Legends Fang now joins an elite group of past champions, including Sir Michael Bonallack, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia, and Aldrich Potgieter. Dubai-based Garrick Porteous, who captured the title in 2013 and now works with ProSports International, also adds a local Middle East link to this storied list. Ethan Fang's triumph is more than just a personal milestone, t's a signal to the professional game that a new talent has arrived, battle-tested and ready to take on the sport's biggest stages. What's next for the newly crowned champion? A ticket to golf's grandest theatres, and a chance to turn amateur glory into global success.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
American Wins Amateur in England
American Wins Amateur in England originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Winning a 72-hole stroke-play event is hard, but winning a major amateur championship seems even more daunting with two rounds of qualifying and then six rounds of match play. Advertisement Ethan Fang of Oklahoma State University accomplished the overwhelming by defeating Ireland's Gavin Tiernan 1-up in The Amateur Championship in a 36-hole final on Saturday at Royal St. George's The 130th edition of the oldest amateur championship didn't disappoint, with a match on paper that seemed to be one-sided; Fang is seventh in the World Amateur Rankings, while Tiernan is 1,340th in the world. Through the 32nd hole, neither Fang nor Tiernan had a lead larger than 1-up, but when the Irishman from County Louth bogeyed the 33rd hole, the par-4 15th at Royal St. George's, the OSU Cowboy had a 2-up lead with only three holes remaining. That is when the East Tennessee State University golfer turned it on, making long birdie putts on the 34th and 35th holes to erase the 2-down deficit, making the 36th the pivotal hole of the match. After losing the lead, Fang didn't disappoint, winning the match with a birdie at the last to be the first American to take the oldest amateur title since Drew Weaver in 2007. Ethan Fang hits his opening drive in The 130th Amateur Championship Final, where he played for his place in The 153rd Open of the R&A 'I was hitting it well all day and I knew if I just stayed in it, some putts would drop, kind of have him work for it, and it ended up working out,' Fang said of his strategy. 'It's probably the most consistent golf I've played in my life. It's a super-long championship, it and just feels really good to finally get it done.' Advertisement Fang worked hard to get into the finals, winning his first match 1-up over Englishman Jamie Van Wyk, and then taking 20 holes to close out Scotland's Connor Graham in the round of 16. After an easy 5-and-4 victory in the round of 8, Fang had to go to the 18th hole again, winning 2-up over Callixte Alzas of France. Fang made the semifinals an easy springboard to the finals with a 5-and-4 win over Finland's Veikka Viskari. The win will propel Fang in the world rankings and open the door to the Masters, U.S. Open and the Open Championship at Royal Portrush next month. 'The Masters, The Open, I'm just glad it's all done now and I can just take a second to think about everything I did this week and just kind of enjoy it,' Fang said. Advertisement Related: Heartbreak for Tommy Fleetwood After Travelers Championship Disaster on 72nd Hole Related: Phil Mickelson Sends Message to Keegan Bradley After Dramatic Travelers Championship Win This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Washington Post
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Ethan Fang birdies final hole to become first American in 18 years to win British Amateur
SANDWICH, England — Oklahoma State junior Ethan Fang held off a late charge Saturday with a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 1-up victory over Gavin Tiernan of Ireland, becoming the first American in 18 years to win the British Amateur. The match at Royal St. George's was all square through 31 holes when Fang built a 2-up lead, Tiernan won the next two holes with big putts, and Fang won it on the 36th hole with an approach shot just 5 feet left of the hole.
Scotsman
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Connor Graham's conqueror wins 130th Amateur Championship in Kent
Ethan Fang beats Gavin Tiernan on final green in closely-contested title decider Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ethan Fang became the first American since 2007 to win The R&A Amateur Championship after beating Irishman Gavin Tiernan in the final of the 130th edition at Royal St George's. Fang, the world No 7 and conqueror of leading qualifier Connor Graham in the last 32, triumphed by one hole in a closely-contested title decider at the Kent venue. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It feels great,' said Fang, who is the 23rd winner from the US. 'Still doesn't feel real yet. But I'm sure it'll kick in and I'll celebrate with my team.' American Ethan Fang shows off the trophy after winning the 130th Amateur Championship at Royal St George's | R&A via Getty Images The 19-year-old, who is at Oklahoma State University, birdied the last two holes to stay alive in his contest with Graham before beating the Blairgowrie player with a birdie at the 20th. 'It's probably the most consistent golf I've played in my life,' he added. 'It's a super-long championship and just feels really good to finally get it done.' The win secured spots for Fang in next month's 153rd Open at Royal Portrush and also next year's US Open and The Masters. He is also exempt into the Betfred British Masters hosted by Nick Faldo on the DP World Tour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'm just glad it's all done now and I can just take a second to think about everything I did this week and just kind of enjoy it,' he said, smiling.
