Latest news with #GavinTiernan
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.
RTÉ News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Gavin Tiernan pipped to Amateur Championship glory by American Ethan Fang
Gavin Tiernan narrowly missed out on glory in the Amateur Championship final at Royal St George's as US opponent Ethan Fang came out on top. Tiernan, from the County Louth club in Baltray, had confounded expectations by surging to the final. The 19-year old Tiernan is ranked outside the top 1000 male amateur golfers in the world at 1340th. But he beat Riccardo Fantinelli of Italy, who is ranked more than 1000 places above him, in the semi final by 4&3 on Friday to set up the final meeting with Fang. However, it was the American who would triumph one-up after their 36-hole battle was decided on the final hole, with Tiernan having lead for significant portions of the contest.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ethan Fang birdies final hole to become first American in 18 years to win British Amateur
SANDWICH, England (AP) — 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. Advertisement Tiernan, a sophomore at East Tennessee State, missed well to the left some 45 feet away and grazed the edge of the cup with his long birdie putt, setting the stage for Fang. Fang, who grew up near Dallas and played his freshman year at Cal, earned a trip to the British Open next month and gets into the Masters at Augusta National next year. 'Probably one of the longest days of golf I've ever played,' Fang said. 'I just hit a really good shot on the last hole.' The last American winner of the British Amateur was Drew Weaver in 2007 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Tiernan led 1 up after the morning 18 holes, and neither player was ahead by more than one hole until late in the match. Fang two-putted for birdie on the par-5 14th, after Tiernan hit a poor pitch that left him some 30 feet short. Fang went 2 up when Tiernan got in trouble off the tee at the 15th and made bogey. Advertisement But the Irishman answered in stunning fashion — a 30-foot birdie putt to win the hole on the par-3 16th, and a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th to square the match again. Fang held his nerve with two great shots to set up birdie and change his summer plans. Fang was already looking good for the Walker Cup in September at Cypress Point, and this victory might be enough to seal a spot on the team for the No. 7 player in the world amateur ranking. But first up is another test of links golf at Royal Portrush for The Open Championship. 'Playing the Masters and Open Championship is going to be sweet,' Fang said. 'I had signed up for a couple of amateur tournaments (this summer), but think I'll cancel that.' ___ AP golf:
