The 36-hole final lived up to the occasion. On the last hole, Ethan Fang of the USA holed a birdie putt at the 18th to clinch a one-hole victory over Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan and win the 2025 Amateur Championship.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith the win, Fang not only etched his name into the history books but also secured a place at next month’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. He will also enter next year’s US Open and be invited to next year’s Masters at Augusta National.
It was no surprise the match went the full distance. Despite being separated by over 1,300 places in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), there was little to choose between the two across the day.
Heading into the closing stretch, it looked as though Fang had taken command. A short chip from Tiernan on the 14th left the door open for Fang to two-putt for birdie and edge ahead.
Tiernan then found a fairway bunker with his tee shot at 15 and was forced to pitch out, resulting in a bogey five. Fang’s steady par extended his lead to 2 up with three to play.
But the tide began to turn. With much of the crowd rooting for the Irishman, Tiernan found another gear. A superb birdie on the par-three 16th marked the first time all day that a hole felt truly won through brilliance, rather than lost to a mistake.
Fang was now just 1 up with two to play. While it still felt like the match was in the American’s hands, the momentum—and the crowd—had swung firmly behind Tiernan.
At the 17th, both players found the fairway with excellent drives. But then, perhaps for the first time, nerves crept in for Fang. He pulled his approach shot left, and it trickled down a small slope off the edge of the green. Tiernan, playing smart and steady, found the heart of the green and rolled in another superb putt to level the match heading to the final hole.
This time, however, it was Fang who produced a moment of brilliance. His approach into the 18th finished just a few feet from the hole, piling all the pressure back onto Tiernan, who could only manage a par. Fang calmly tapped in for birdie to seal victory and become the 2025 Amateur Champion.
Speaking to the R&A after the match, 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, kind of have him work for it, and it ended up working out.
“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.”
Fang becomes the first American to win the Amateur Championship since Drew Weaver in 2007 at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
For Tiernan, despite defeat, the Irishman remained upbeat about his performance;
“I’m here and I still feel like I am the best player here, even though I lost. I made a lot of silly mistakes that could have been avoided. I think if I played to my capabilities, I could beat anyone. Obviously, it’s fresh; I just lost on the last hole, so that doesn’t feel great. But I know in the next couple of days, in reviewing it, I’ll be pretty happy with it.”
It might not be long before these two players face each other again—with their performances this week likely to have implications for selection in this year’s Walker Cup teams. The 2025 Walker Cup will be held at Cypress Point, California, in early September.
The Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s certainly lived up to expectations. From start to finish, it delivered surprises, outstanding golf, and one of the most tightly contested finals in recent memory—all set against the stunning backdrop of one of the game’s most iconic venues.
Swing and Hope 
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