Jack Whaley of England wins 2026 U.S. Amateur at Merion with father on his bag

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Jack Whaley blinked back tears as he clutched the U.S. Amateur championship trophy and could only think of the countless times his father kept encouraging him, kept playing golf with him, all to urge a promising teenager on the cusp of quitting the game to stick with it for better days ahead.

With his dad on the bag, Whaley fulfilled Andy Whaley’s unwavering belief and capped the tournament victory of his life at Merion with a father-son embrace that put an exclamation point on a career that at one point seemed destined to dry up on English soil.

“He can actually see me happy, and I can see him happy coming off the golf course,” Whaley said.

Whaley played with double gloves, needed an umbrella, was stung by a wasp at rainy Merion Golf Club and still pushed through the inconveniences to cap a tremendous tournament and hold off Jay Leng Jr. to win the U.S. Amateur on Sunday.

Whaley should keep the rain jacket.

The 22-year-old Englishman gets to soak up the spoils that come with winning amateur golf’s greatest prize.

With the sky finally clear on the rain-slogged course, Whaley sank his final putt for birdie to win the 36-hole final 4 and 3 and hugged it out with his caddie — his father. Whaley’s mother ran out to join them for a family embrace while Andy gripped the famed wicker basket flagstick.

“This week it just clicked,” Andy Whaley said. “I can’t explain it. I don’t know why.”

His son broke down in tears as he held the Havemeyer Trophy and dedicated the win to his father, who never gave up on Jack, even as he kept missing cuts as a teenager.

“As we were driving back, I was looking at my dad with some of the names that are on this thing,” Whaley said after his win. “I never thought my name would among such impressive people.”

Whaley made a rapid rise from NAIA star to Florida State to amateur champion. The college senior now has an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Open and the 2027 Open Championship at St. Andrews, along with the Masters, should he remain an amateur. He wore his Seminoles cap and team colors for the championship round.

Whaley won the seventh U.S. Amateur held at Merion and is the first Englishman winner since Matt Fitzpatrick at Brookline in 2013.

He shook off a wasp sting on the fourth fairway in the afternoon session before he rallied his way to the title. Leng, a Stanford junior, held a 2-up advantage through the first 18 holes after both players bogeyed the par-5 18th on an overcast and windy round.

Whaley pointed to a spot on his right ankle where the wasp got him and left him throbbing for the next two holes.

“I had to pull this stinger out,” Whaley said with a laugh.

Maybe the stinger will be immortalized down the line at Merion.

The U.S. Amateur does hold a special place in Merion history. The rock near the 11th tee box at Merion marks one of golf’s grandest holes.

It was on that hole where Bobby Jones closed out Eugene Homans 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final and clinched golf’s only season grand slam with a win at the U.S. Amateur.

Ben Hogan also has a plaque that honors his 1-iron on the 18th hole of the 1950 Open.

“It’s a huge honor to be part of the names of all the famous people,” Whaley said.

Aaron Rai used double gloves months earlier in his PGA Championship victory at nearby Aronimink Golf Club, just as Whaley did months later.

Whaley made the change after he sliced one out of bounds on six because the rain affected his grip.

“It seemed to work, so I kept going,” Whaley said.

Merion is set to host the U.S. Open in 2030, 2040 and 2050, alongside the U.S. Women’s Open in 2034 and 2046.

Whaley is No. 90 in the world amateur golf ranking, while Leng is at No. 23.

Leng gets pretty nice consolation prizes. He also earned a spot on the 2026 U.S. Walker Cup team, in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next year, provided he remains an amateur.

The other five players named to the Walker Cup team were Kihei Akina, Ryder Cowan, Josiah Gilbert, William Jennings and Stewart Hagestad.

“It shows I can compete with the best,” Leng said. “I can compete with anyone, honestly. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”