The Western Amateur is already one of the longest events in amateur golf. For Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner, Saturday seemed never to end.
The final match between Florida teammates went 29 holes, with the two talented golfers trading blows throughout. Both golfers had multiple short putts to win the Western, but neither was able to convert. Since both semifinal matches went to 19 holes, the two golfers played 48 holes of golf on the day.
Ultimately, on the 29th hole of the match, Gilligan put his approach shot from the rough to eight feet and converted the birdie putt while Turner was in for par. This was the longest 18-hole match in the 122-year history of the Western Amateur.
"Definitely the craziest match I've ever been a part of or heard of," Gilligan told the Western Golf Association after the match. "I think I owe an apology to everyone for making it so long."
Gilligan defeated his Florida teammate Parker Bell in 19 holes in the first semifinal, while Turner defeated Henry Guan in 19 holes to set up the all-Florida final.
According to the Western Golf Association, The longest Western Amateur final was previously a 22-hole affair featuring Norman Xiong and Doc Redman in 2017. It was beaten more than an hour before Gilligan was crowned champion.
"Jack and I were talking about it on our ninth playoff hole and decided we were ready for it to be over," Gilligan said with a laugh. "But I just kept telling myself you're playing for a tournament of the biggest magnitude and need to keep going."
Gilligan is currently ranked No. 18 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.
The semifinal matches started at 8:00 a.m. ET in Dayton and finished at 7:40 p.m. ET.
Florida has already had a successful year in the WGA championships, with incoming freshman Parker Sands claiming the Western Junior at Ruth Lake Country Club in Illinois in June. Gilligan becomes the first Gator to win the Western Amateur since Bubba Dickerson's win at Point O' Woods Golf and Country Club in 2001.
First played at Glen View Club in 1899, the Western Amateur is the world’s third-oldest amateur championship, behind only the British Amateur (1885) and the U.S. Amateur (1895). It regularly attracts the top players from across the country and around the world.
The Western Amateur is one of the most demanding golf events due to its grueling combination of stroke play and match play. The field of 156 players competes in 72 holes of stroke play over three days to determine the Sweet 16 for match play.
Round of 16 Results
Parker Bell, Tallahassee, Fla., def. Jackson Koivun, Chapel Hill, N.C., 3 and 2
Mikkel Mathiesen, Denmark, def. Gregory Solhaug, Norway, 3 and 2
Ian Gilligan, Reno, Nev., def. Blades Brown, Nashville, Tenn., 2 and 1
Benjamin James, Milford, Conn., def. Zachery Pollo, Rocklin, Calif., 5 and 4
Tyson Shelley, Holladay, Utah, def. Max Herendeen, Bellevue, Wash., 5 and 4
Jack Turner, Orlando, Fla., def. Jake Peacock, Milton, Ga., 2 and 1
Henry Guan, Irving, Tex., def. Mahanth Chirravuri, Chandler, Ariz., 2 and 1
William Sides, Tulsa, Okla., def. Jackson Herrington, Dickson, Tenn. 1 up
Quarterfinal Results
Bell def. Mathiesen, 3 and 2
Gilligan def. James, 2 and 1
Turner def. Shelley, 5 and 4
Guan def. Sides, 3 and 2
The Western Golf Association contributed to this report