Tiernan holds 1-up lead after first 18 in Amateur final at Sandwich
Gavin Tiernan of Ireland tees off during the Final on Day Six of The Amateur Championship at Royal St. George's Golf Club on June 21, 2025 in Sandwich, England. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Gavin Tiernan produced a brilliant short game display to take a one-up lead after the first 18 holes of the 36-hole Amateur Championship final at Royal St George’s.
The County Louth and East Tennessee State star (19) never trailed against world number seven Ethan Fang of the US as he bids to become the ninth Irish champion and book his ticket to The Open at Royal Portrush next month. His dream starts in the Masters and the US Open next year.
Tiernan took first blood when Fang three-putted from long range while negotiating a steep upslope at the fourth.
Fang (20) lipped out from ten feet for a win in birdie at the fifth, where Tiernan saved par with a tidy chip.
Tiernan was plugged under the lip of the front bunker on the sixth, but Fang failed to take advantage and three-putted from 15 feet to halve the hole in bogeys and remain one down.
The seventh was halved in birdie fours before Fang birdied the eighth from 11 feet to level the match.
The American had another chance at the ninth but missed there and lipped out at the 12th, where Tiernan retook the lead with a birdie from eight feet.
Fang responded with an eagle at the 14th after Tiernan found trouble off the tee and could only par.
But he regained the advantage with a two from five feet at the short 16th and went on to save par with another brilliant chip at the 18th to remain one up at lunch.
Both men were two under for the holes played, and while Fang trailed, he was more impressive from tee to green but unlucky on the greens.
Watched by his parents, Terry and Helen, who flew into Birmingham overnight and drove to the Kent venue, Tiernan is bidding to become the first pre-qualifier to win the title.
It would be Irish golf’s 11th win in the event following Jimmy Bruen (1946), Max McCready (1949), Joe Carr (1953, ‘58, ‘60), Garth McGimpsey (1985), Michael Hoey (2001), Brian McElhinney (2005), Alan Dunbar (2012) and James Sugrue (2019).
