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USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
First golfer from Estonia to make British Open did so after holing out for eagle in playoff
Qualifiers for majors always produce some great stories and the 2025 British Open final qualifiers were no different. Especially at the West Lancashire qualifier in Liverpool, England, where Richard Teder, an amateur, became the first golfer from Estonia to make it to a British Open. Teder, ranked 91st in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, did it in one of the more interesting, and heartstopping, ways. Coming down the stretch, he seemed pretty safely in at 7 under. Lucas Herbert won this qualifier at 8 under but disaster struck Teder on the 18th hole when he made double bogey. That dropped him to 5 over, but all was not lost. That sent him to a 4-for-2 playoff. So what did he Teder do on the first playoff hole? After hitting driver close to 340 yards, when his competitors chose to hit 3-wood, Teder holed out his second shot from 80 yards for eagle. What a cool Richard Teder looked set to book a spot at @TheOpen but double-bogeyed the last hole at final a 4-for-2 holed out for eagle on the first playoff now be the first Estonian golf ever to play in an Open. It was a remarkable rollercoaster of events that led the amateur do what no one from his country had done before. Playing out of Estonian Golf & Country Club, Teder is now in the history books. His club is one of seven golf courses in Estonia, according to The first one in the country was built in 1993. Estonia, a nation of 1.3 million people, is located south of Finland across the gulf in Northern Europe. It was formerly a part of the Soviet Union.
Irish Examiner
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Gavin Tiernan to face Ethan Fang in the 130th Amateur Championship final
Gavin Tiernan will take on Ethan Fang from the United States in the 36-hole final of the 130th Amateur Championship at Royal St George on Saturday. Tiernan and Fang are the final two left standing out of a field of 288 players in the prestigious championship winning their quarter-final and semi-final matches at a sunny Sandwich Bay today. Fang is ranked seventh in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and is looking to become the first American since Drew Weaver in 2007 to lift the coveted trophy. Tiernan sits 1333 places futher down the WAGR and is the first player that came through the pre-qualifying to reach the final. Tiernan had a longer week than his American counterpart having played 139-holes to reach the final. The 19 year old has been taken to the 18th hole in all three of his matches this week including his quarter-final this morning against Estonia's Richard Teder. Tiernan was behind throughout and managed to square the match with a well-timed birdie at the 16th before a bogey from Teder on the 18th allowed Tiernan to progress in the Championship. Tiernan only needed 15 holes to win his semi-final match against Italy's Riccardo Fantinelli this afternoon. It was all square at the turen before Tiernan pulled away with consistent play on the 10th, 12th, 14th, and 15th holes for a comfortable 4&3 win. Speaking after reaching the final Tiernan said 'If you'd told me at the start of the week I'd be in the final, I would have been over the moon. I'm just really enjoying it, taking it one shot at a time, and just having fun out there. That's all I'm trying to do. 'I hit it way better this afternoon. Off the tee I was way better. I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. I think this morning it was a little bit scrappier but this morning was tighter, as well. I wasn't up the whole match until 18 when I won. 'You don't need to go and take a ton of birdies. If you're hitting it to the middle of the green all the time, you're just going to bore them to death. That's what I've been trying to do this week, and it's worked so far. 'In my head, I'm the best player here. It might not be the truth, but that's what I believe. It doesn't really matter who I'm playing against. Really I'm just playing against the golf course. Playing against myself really.' Fang had a comfortable route to the final with a 5&4 win over Finland's Veikka Viskari in the semi-final following his morning win over France's Callixte Alzas twhere he overcame a two-down deficit to win by as many. FINAL BOOKED: Ethan Fang of USA tees off during the Quarter Finals on Day Five of The Amateur Championship at Royal St. George's Golf Club on June 20, 2025 in Sandwich, England. Pic: Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images Fang is looking forward to taking on Tiernan in the final. 'I think each day as I win a match, it gets that much closer to what the whole Championship is. It's just really hard not to (think about the champion's exemptions), especially because I'm 36 holes away from it. I'll just try to stay present and just do everything I've been doing. 'I took a pretty long look on that board over there with the trophies and all those names. I saw Sergio won it. It's cool to see all those professional players come out here and win it, and now I'm doing the same thing, and hopefully have their accomplishments on Tour. 'The Championship is not over, but I think after tomorrow we'll celebrate either way because it's been a good week." Tiernan and Fang will go head-to-head in the 36-hole final at 8.32am playing for the Amateur Champion title and entry to the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, the US Open and by tradition an invitation to the Masters Tournament. The winner will also earn a place at the Betfred British Masters which Nick Faldo hosts on the DP World Tour.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mason Howell tracker: US Open Score, updates for high school junior Friday
Mason Howell tracker: US Open Score, updates for high school junior Friday Show Caption Hide Caption J.J. Spaun calls it his best putting day of the year J.J. Spaun navigated Oakmont's tough setup with sharp putting and gritty play in round one of the U.S. Open. USGA At just 17 years old, Mason Howell, a high school student, is making waves at the 125th U.S. Open. Howell is currently ranked No. 470 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and is preparing for the second round of the third major event of the year at Oakmont Country Club. The soon-to-be high school senior began the first round alongside Joakim Langergren and Chris Gotterup, starting from Oakmont's 10th hole. However, the round did not go as he had hoped. He faced difficulties on the course, recording four bogeys over his final five holes, which resulted in a score of +7 on the leaderboard and a tie for 133rd place. Howell faces a challenging second round to make the cut and continue into the weekend. He will tee off at 2:31 p.m. ET, so follow the live action. What time does Mason Howell tee off Friday: US Open start time Mason Howell will be in the 2:31 p.m. grouping off No. 1 alongside Joakim Langergren and Chris Gotterup. 2:31 p.m. (1): Joakim Langergren, Mason Howell (a), Chris Gotterupson Howell (a), Chris Gotterup Mason Howell US Open score, results Mason Howell sits at +7 after the first round of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
High schooler Mason Howell had a 'fun day' playing in his first U.S. Open
High schooler Mason Howell had a 'fun day' playing in his first U.S. Open The beauty of golf's U.S. Open Championship is that anyone can play their way into this major through qualifying, regardless of age. That's how Mason Howell wound up becoming the youngest member of the 2025 field at Oakmont Country Club. Howell won't turn 18 until later this month, but the rising high school senior and University of Georgia commit tested himself alongside the world's best at the 125th U.S. Open beginning with Thursday's first round. His presence on the course this week, which included practice rounds with Georgia alum Harris English, is a bit of a surprise. Howell, who lives in Thomasville, Georgia, is currently ranked No. 470 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, but it is perhaps due to go up after his success in U.S. Open qualifying. Howell shot a 7-under 64 last month to get through local U.S. Open qualifying at Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville, Georgia. He then shot 18 under over 36 holes in the final U.S. Open qualifying at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, outperforming several PGA Tour veterans trying to make the U.S. Open field. His reward was a coveted spot in what many consider the toughest major on the golf calendar. Howell had a Thursday morning tee time starting from Oakmont's 10th hole to begin the first round and played in a group with Joakim Langergren and Chris Gotterup. Howell was 2 over through nine holes and just one shot back of being the low amateur. He was hitting it well off the tee and his iron play has been mostly solid. He then parred three of his first four holes on the front. But it wasn't a pretty finish for Mason Howell as he finished his first round on Oakmont's fearsome front nine. Like many golfers (including Rory McIlroy) Howell struggled with this stretch of the course and had four bogeys over his final five holes. He finished Thursday at 7 over on the leaderboard and will have some work to do during Friday's second round to make the cut. He's slated to tee off at 2:31 p.m. ET. "It was a fun day. Fun playing in front of the crowd," he said after his round. "I wish I played a little bit better. But it's just an experience I need to soak up so I can look forward to playing some more in the future." The 17-year-old was asked about how it felt to make this field. "It's definitely special. There's not obviously many people that have done it before. To be in that small list of names that have been in that category, it's super special, and definitely a moment that I'll remember forever," he said, later stating the obvious. "High school golf and major championships are just a little bit different."
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Eastern Michigan continues its climb by contending at National Golf Invitational
Eastern Michigan continues its climb by contending at National Golf Invitational For a coach trying to grow a women's golf program, having a full dance card in May is an excellent sign of progress. Last week, Eastern Michigan sophomore Savannah de Bock became the first player in program history to compete in an NCAA postseason event (though she fell short of advancing out of her NCAA Regional). Two days later, the rest of her team teed it up at the National Golf Invitational. And despite being without de Bock – who has been a top-50 player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings but who is ineligible for the NGI this week after playing an NCAA postseason event – Eastern Michigan is contending. The Eagles' round of 3-over 291 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona, left them at the top of the leaderboard. As conditions got tougher in Saturday's second round, Eastern Michigan lost ground to Santa Clara and, at 22 over, now trails that team by 10 shots entering the second round. Oral Roberts is third at 25 over and North Texas is another two shots behind that in fourth. Scores: National Golf Invitational 'I think for us, we haven't led at any point this year after a day, so I think maybe being in a lead, it's a learning experience, it's something our program has to learn, not just (the players) but the entire program,' Brewer said. Brewer, who did previous coaching stints at Georgia and USC, can't see any downside to getting these extra days of competition at the end of the season, or the weeks of preparation that led up to them. 'Why we did it, it's almost two or three weeks of practice with your team, with your players and just a chance to continue to grow them, build them and train them for when you get to NCAA regionals, they've already experienced being on campus without schoolwork or traveling during finals – things like that,' Brewer said. For his team in particular, the National Golf Invitational offered a chance for Brewer to look down the lineup, past de Bock. Junior Angelica Holman leads the team and the tournament after rounds of 69-74 at Southern Dunes. Holman, however, has entered the transfer portal. 'You'll see her name in the portal and it's a mutual thing just because there's some number issues on our side that it works better,' Brewer said. 'I don't want to lose her but at the same time, she is showing why she is one of the better players in the country and probably will have a lot of interest from multiple schools. I'm happy for her because she is a very good person.' Brewer also pointed to Julianna Go, a sophomore who Brewer has watched position herself into a leadership role over the past month. As he continues on his mission to grow the program at Eastern Michigan, Brewer will bring in three freshmen in the fall plus a transfer student from the NAIA. In his first year at Eastern Michigan, Brewer lined up a competitive, coast-to-coast schedule. He is an innovative coach looking to build a cold-weather mid-major program into a powerhouse, and a fantastic opportunity lies before him. Last May, GameAbove, whose chairman is Eastern Michigan alum Keith Stone, announced a $6.5 million commitment to the university's golf programs. The gift brought GameAbove's total commitment to the Eagles golf teams to more than $14.5 million. Postseason appearances show Brewer is moving the program in the right direction, despite being only a year in. But even by his assessment, there's more work to be done. Asked to reflect on his first year with the team, Brewer noted that he will make some different scheduling decisions in future seasons after the learning curve that the brutal weather of December, January and February brought. He's also a big believer in coaching those around him in the athletic department about what it takes to build an elite golf program that's in the same breath as, say, Michigan State or Purdue, two well-known and highly successful cold-weather golf schools. 'This event does help that along the way,' Brewer said of the NGI. Brewer knows his team is by no means out of it heading into Sunday's final round. Eastern Michigan is leading the field in birdies through 36 holes, and a 10-shot deficit is not insurmountable for a team that knows how to score. 'We have the firepower. Everyone on our team has broken par this year,' Brewer said. 'It's a golf course you can break par and it's really – it's going to tell me a lot about them as individuals.'
