Sandwich, Kent, England: Ethan Fang of the United States of America has won The 130th Amateur Championship after a tense 36-hole final against Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan at Royal St George’s.
In a closely contested match, the seventh-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) defeated the 1,340th-ranked Tiernan by one-hole to become the 23rd champion from the United States and first since Drew Weaver in 2007.
As well as adding his name to an esteemed list of champions, the 20-year-old Oklahoma State University student secured his place in The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush next month, the 2006 US Open and, by tradition, an invitation to compete at the Masters Tournament. In addition to the three Major championships, he has earned an exemption into the Betfred British Masters hosted by Nick Faldo on the DP World Tour.
Fang said: “It feels great. Still doesn’t feel real yet. But I’m sure it’ll kick in, and I’ll celebrate with my team. I was hitting it well all day, and I knew if I just stayed in it, some putts would drop. It ended up working out.
“I heard going into the week that an American hasn’t won this championship in 10-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 enjoy it.”
Fang and Tiernan, the last two players standing from the 288-player field representing 45 countries, went shot-for-shot over the first 18 holes. The Irishman took an early one-up advantage, while his opponent battled nerves.
Fang, who had his childhood friend, Will Livermore, on his bag, recovered to level the match after 14 holes with a conceded eagle. However, Tiernan regained the lead before the break with a precise tee shot on the par-three 16th, setting up a short birdie putt. He halved the 16th and 17th to complete a strong morning session, in which he was never behind.
After lunch, Fang returned as the more consistent of the pair, biting back to hit the front for the first time on the 23rd hole. Typical of their contest, Tiernan answered with a conceded eagle on the 25th and the pair went into the closing nine holes all square.
With the duo never separated by more than one hole, Fang finally put some space between himself and his opponent, who looked fatigued after playing 139-holes before the final. Fang moved two holes clear after the 33rd following a birdie and a par, but Tiernan’s resilience was on full display for the large crowd that had gathered to witness an epic finish.
To their delight, Tiernan conjured some more magic, rolling in lengthy birdie putts on the 34th and 35th holes to draw level with one to play.
However, Fang proved why he’s one of the world’s top amateur talents, delivering two exceptional golf swings worthy of the champion to set-up a five-foot birdie putt for the title. After Tiernan’s birdie attempt shaved the edge, Fang calmly rolled in the winning putt, securing an amateur career-defining achievement.
Fang’s name now sits alongside Sir Michael Bonallack, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and, more recently, Aldrich Potgieter as amateur champions.
