Lisle’s Strategic Approach Pays Dividends

Ardmore, Pennsylvania, United States: Competitors in this week’s 126th US Amateur Championship have talked about the importance of finding fairways. Whether it was Merion Golf Club or stroke play co-host venue Philadelphia Country Club, playing from the rough proved to be penal. 

While the USGA doesn’t have cost-of-rough statistics at its amateur competitions, balls that nestled into the heavy stuff meant a difficult challenge to make par. 

“The rough is gnarly,” said 2024 runner-up Noah Kent, who opened Monday’s first round with a three-under 67 at Merion. “Making sure you keep it simple and don't over complicate things is important. The short game is definitely important for keeping a round and your momentum going.”

Hong Kong, China's William Lisle, a 2027 verbal commit to the University of Texas, did a good job of keeping his ball in play, shooting a five-under 65 at Philadelphia CC to share the 18-hole lead with University of Washington rising senior Finn Koelle, 21, of Germany. Koelle, who got to six-under par, bogeyed the iconic 18th hole at Merion after finding the right rough off the tee. 

Lisle, aged 17, said: “It's all mental. You just have to keep it going. It was a good round today, but tomorrow is going to be a tough challenge. You have to keep it in the fairway, especially out there (at Merion), and the greens are going to be fast and probably firmer than they were today. It's all about strategising and keeping the ball in play. That's probably the most important part.”

Play was suspended for 54 minutes due to a late-afternoon thunderstorm. Thirty-nine players were unable to complete their opening rounds due to darkness, which halted play for the day at 8:02 pm. Play will resume at 7 am on Tuesday, along with the start of round two.

Among those who will return early to complete their first rounds are Japan’s Taishi Moto and Chinese Taipei’s Kent Hsiao (both at one-over) and Korean An Seong-hyeon (two-over).

Of the 18 Asia-Pacific players in the starting line-up, Thai Nithidpong Srichatphirun and New Zealand’s Joshua Bai are tied 28th after one-under 69s, while China’s Xiong Tianyi and Thai Parin Sarasmut are among those in a share of 50th place on even-par.

Also in contention to make it through to the match play segment are Australian Kayun Mudadana and reigning Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner Pongsapak ‘Fifa’ Laopakdee of Thailand (both 71); New Zealand’s Zack Swanwick, Singaporean Hiroshi Tai and Korean Lee Byung-ho (all 72), Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh (73) and Australian Harry Takis (74).

The USGA accepted 5,111 entries for this year’s championship which was open to amateur golfers with a Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4. In 2023, the USGA accepted a record 8,253 entries. The previous record was 7,920 in 1999.

Among the 36 countries represented in the 2026 US Amateur are 10 from the Asia-Pacific – China and Thailand (three players each); Australia, Chinese Taipei, Korea and New Zealand (two each) and Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam (one apiece).

Five of those players represented the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) team that defeated Europe in last year’s Bonallack Trophy – New Zealanders Bai and Swanwick, Japan’s Moto, Singaporean Tai and Vietnam’s Anh Minh.

This week’s starting field of 312 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on each of the two qualifying courses, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers. Six rounds of match play begin tomorrow with the championship concluding with a 36-hole championship match on Sunday.

University of Illinois rising senior Max Herendeen made a late run with four birdies over his last seven holes to post a 66 at Philadelphia Country Club, which is measuring 353 yards longer than Merion but playing to the same par of 70.

American Herendeen is no stranger to this championship, having eliminated former world number one Jackson Koivun in the Round of 32 of last year’s US Amateur at The Olympic Club. He’s also hoping to make a late push to make the 2026 US Walker Cup Team. 

Brigham Young incoming freshman Drake Harvey was four-under with two holes left to play at Merion. 

Nine others posted 67s, including the aforementioned Kent and 2026 US Junior Amateur runner-up Miles Russell. The number four player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and one of four players already chosen to represent the USA in next month’s Walker Cup Match at Lahinch, played Merion on Monday.  

Also shooting 67s at Merion were 2026 US Open qualifier/University of Florida incoming freshman Jackson Ormond, 2026 Oregon graduate Aiden Krafft and 2026 BYU graduate Tyson Shelley.

Recent Liberty University graduate Joshua Ryan joined Herendeen, world number seven and Auburn University rising senior Josiah Gilbert, University of North Carolina rising junior Sihan Sandhu and UCLA rising sophomore Joshua Kim with 67s at Philadelphia CC.