Jack Whaley edges closer to US Amateur glory with dramatic semi-final win
Jack Whaley of England twice lost 3-up leads in the U.S. Amateur, but he advanced to the championship match at Merion when he holed a nervy 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to defeat Georgia senior Carter Loflin.
Whaley, a senior at Florida State, next meets Stanford junior Jay Leng Jr., who never trailed in a match that felt like a struggle the entire day until he closed out Auburn sophomore Logan Reilly on the 17th hole.
Leng has not trailed in his last 42 holes going into the championship match, starting with the sixth hole of his match against third-ranked Tyler Watts in the round of 16.
The path to the championship has been anything but straightforward for Whaley. He twice rallied from 3-hole deficits in his match against Loflin.
Whaley will now face a strong opponent in Leng, who is ranked No. 23 in the world amateur golf ranking.
This was more of the scrappy variety as Leng didn't make a birdie until the par-3 10th hole and made only two for the round. He also took advantage of an awful break for Reilly, who looked to have a chance to square the match on the 12th.
Both Whaley and Leng have already secured spots in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next year, provided they are still amateurs.
Whaley's experience playing in the U.S. Amateur is crucial in his bid to become the first English amateur to win since Matt Fitzpatrick at Brookline in 2013.
Leng, who is also vying for a major title, has not trailed in his last 42 holes going into the championship match.
Leng said, "I'm still speechless right now. It will take at least until tonight to sink in."
Leng's opponent, Reilly, had a chance to square the match on the 12th, but a bad break cost him the opportunity.
Leng's birdies came on the par-3 10th hole and the 15th, which gave him a 2-up lead.
The championship match between Whaley and Leng will be a closely contested affair.
Leng's experience in the U.S. Amateur will be put to the test as he faces Whaley in the championship match.
Source: Yahoo Sports
