Mid-Am Stuart Grehan wins The Amateur Championship

Stuart Grehan of Ireland captured The Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool, defeating University of Georgia standout Matt Moloney of the United States 1-up in a dramatic 36-hole final that came down to the final green. The victory earns Grehan exemptions into The 2026 Open Championship, the 2027 U.S. Open, and an invitation to the 2027 Masters Tournament. Moloney was attempting to keep American hands on the trophy for a second consecutive year after Oklahoma State's Ethan Fang won the championship in 2025, but Fang was unable to defend his title this week after earning a spot in the U.S. Open through his Amateur Championship victory.

The 33-year-old Grehan, a native of Tullamore, Ireland, completed a remarkable return to amateur golf. After spending several years competing professionally, he regained his amateur status in 2024 and has quickly re-established himself among the elite amateurs in Europe. His recent victories include the 2025 Irish Men's Amateur Open and the 2026 East of Ireland Men's Amateur Open, setting the stage for the biggest triumph of his amateur career at Royal Liverpool.

The championship match featured momentum swings throughout the day. Moloney played a nearly flawless opening nine holes of the morning round to build a 2-up advantage, but Grehan steadily worked his way back into the match. The Irishman squared the contest before Moloney birdied the 18th hole to take a narrow 1-up lead into the lunch break. The afternoon session was equally tight. Grehan surged ahead on the second 18 and appeared poised for a comfortable victory before Moloney rallied late, winning the 34th and 35th holes to level the pressure. With the match tied heading to the final hole, Grehan delivered when it mattered most, securing the deciding point on the 36th hole to claim the title. Although he's not English, Grehan had a gallery of friends and family cheering him on.

“The support was amazing," said the champion. "They (County Louth members) are the best supportive club in Ireland, to be honest. They go everywhere. My boss came over today, my coaches came over, my family came over."

As for the major exemptions - let's just say the tournament schedule just got a little busier for the 33-year-old. (Hey, we know a great website where he can tag and track all of his tournaments...)

“I'm going to be buzzing for The Open. I’ll love it. I'll absolutely love it. It hasn't really sunk in yet. I’m going to the Masters as well. I haven't even thought of that either. I'll just relish it and take it all in.”

While the trophy ultimately went to Ireland, the championship served as a breakout week for Moloney, one of the top players in the American collegiate game. The Georgia Bulldog advanced through a deep international field and put himself in position to become the second straight American champion. His runner-up finish adds another significant result to an already impressive amateur résumé and should further elevate his standing heading into the upcoming college and elite amateur schedule. Although he fell one hole short, Moloney demonstrated the consistency and resilience that have made him one of the leading American amateurs and a player to watch in the years ahead.

WITH HIS WIN

With his victory at the 131st Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool, Stuart Grehan earns exemptions into three of golf's major championships: The 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, The 2027 Masters, and the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED

The Final: Moloney vs. Grehan

Saturday's 36-hole final pits the United States' Matt Moloney against Ireland's Stuart Grehan, with the first tee shot scheduled for 08:32. Moloney carries American hopes after a remarkable run through the bracket, while Grehan — a Walker Cup player out of Co. Louth — has been one of the steadiest competitors at Hoylake all week. One of them will lift the trophy and earn exemptions into The Open, the U.S. Open, a DP World Tour event and, by tradition, an invitation to the Masters.

Semifinals — Friday, Royal Liverpool

Matt Moloney (USA) def. Emil Riegger (GER) · 1 hole

Stuart Grehan (IRL) def. Richard Teder (EST) · 2&1

Grehan ended the run of Estonia's Richard Teder, who had reached the quarterfinals here for a third time in 2023, 2025 and again this week before falling 2&1. Moloney edged Germany's Emil Riegger by a single hole to become the lone American to reach the final.

How the Quarterfinals Played Out

Thursday's quarterfinal round was a stern test, with four of the eight matches going to the 18th hole or beyond. Both finalists needed extra holes to survive: Moloney outlasted France's Arthur Carlier at the 24th, and Grehan defeated Spain's Sergio Jimenez Romero at the 20th.

Quarterfinal Results — Thursday

Stefan Jacobs (RSA) def. Sam Easterbrook (ENG) · 3&2

Emil Riegger (GER) def. Lewy Hayward (ENG) · 19th hole

Matt Moloney (USA) def. Arthur Carlier (FRA) · 24th hole

Kihei Akina (USA) def. Jakob Melin (SWE) · 1 hole

Stuart Grehan (IRL) def. Sergio Jimenez Romero (ESP) · 20th hole

Edward Featherstone (ENG) def. Malan Potgieter (RSA) · 3&1

Richard Teder (EST) def. Yuki Miya (NZL) · 2&1

Reed Arnaldo (USA) def. Oscar Holm Bredkjær (DEN) · 23rd hole

Three Americans reached the quarterfinals — Moloney, Akina and Arnaldo — but Akina and Arnaldo both bowed out in the semifinal round, leaving Moloney to carry the Stars and Stripes into Saturday.

A Championship Older Than Most of Golf

Founded in 1885, The Amateur Championship is the premier amateur title outside the United States and one of the oldest events in the sport. Royal Liverpool hosted the inaugural Championship, when 44 players from 12 clubs contested a series of match-play rounds. This year marks the 19th time Hoylake has staged the event — more than any other venue. Neighboring West Lancashire, founded in 1873, was one of the original clubs that helped fund the purchase of the Championship trophy in 1886, and this week it shares stroke-play qualifying duties with Royal Liverpool.

The format is a test of endurance and nerve. Two rounds of stroke play across both courses cut the 288-player field to the low 64 and ties. From there it becomes single-elimination match play — 18 holes per round until a 36-hole final on Saturday. Survive that gauntlet and the rewards are extraordinary.

What the Champion Earns

Exemptions into The Open Championship, the U.S. Open, and a DP World Tour event — plus, by tradition, an invitation to the Masters Tournament, provided the winner remains an amateur. The runner-up earns spots in Final Qualifying and the Last Chance Qualifier for The Open. Every quarterfinalist receives an exemption into Final Qualifying.

No Title Defense at Hoylake

One name is conspicuously absent. Defending champion Ethan Fang of Oklahoma State won the 2025 Amateur Championship in dramatic fashion, earning exemptions into both the 2026 Masters and U.S. Open. That very success is why he is not here to defend: Fang is teeing it up at Shinnecock Hills in the U.S. Open this week, unable to return to the championship he won just twelve months ago — a fitting illustration of exactly what this title can unlock.

The Field: 41 Countries, Ten of the World's Top 50

This year's field reflects the global pull of the Championship: one player ranked inside the top 10 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), four inside the top 25, and ten inside the top 50. Players from 41 nations are competing, with Hungary and the United Arab Emirates represented for the first time — Bence Bertenyi and Rayan Ahmed becoming the first players from their respective countries to appear in the event.

England's Luke Poulter, son of Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, entered as the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 9 in the WAGR, fresh off a breakthrough collegiate season at the University of Florida and a Walker Cup appearance for Great Britain & Ireland. Great Britain & Ireland are further represented by Walker Cuppers Stuart Grehan (No. 56) of Ireland, Scotland's Connor Graham (No. 36) and Niall Shiels Donegan (No. 31). South Africa's Daniel Bennett (No. 16), Germany's Tim Wiedemeyer (No. 28) and BYU's Kihei Akina round out the top of the bracket.

Several arrivals carried hardware from earlier in the season. Japan's Taisei Nagasaki finished runner-up at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship; South Africa's Jack Buchanan won the Africa Amateur Championship; and France's Lev Grinberg — born in Ukraine — recently captured the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy wire-to-wire. Ireland's Gavin Tiernan, runner-up in 2025, returned alongside a cluster of players who advanced deep into last year's match-play bracket.

Stroke-Play Medalist

Wilhelm Ryding — Sweden — 9-under 135 (68–67)

The 21-year-old University of San Francisco standout and 2026 AAC Player of the Year topped qualifying by a single stroke over compatriot Edwin Askerfors, opening with a 68 at Royal Liverpool before a near-flawless 67 at West Lancashire — eight birdies against just two bogeys after stumbling on his opening hole. He entered match play as the No. 1 seed but is no longer among the final eight, a reminder that medalist honors offer no shelter once the bracket begins.

The American Contingent

Forty-six Americans entered the Championship, and one stands in Saturday's final: Matt Moloney, who survived three extra-hole battles across the week and edged Germany's Emil Riegger in the semifinals. He reached the final eight alongside Kihei Akina and Reed Arnaldo, both of whom exited in the semifinal round.

Kihei Akina arrived as the highest-ranked American in the field at No. 22 WAGR, fresh off a standout sophomore season at BYU that included medalist honors at the NCAA Bremerton Regional and first-team All-Big 12 recognition — and he carried that form deep into the knockout rounds before his run ended at Hoylake.

Earlier in the week, Deitrek Gill was the low American across both qualifying rounds, pairing a 69 at Royal Liverpool with a 68 at West Lancashire to finish T-6th and earn the No. 7 seed. The 22-year-old from Wellington, Kansas — the self-styled "Wheat Capital of the World" — recently transferred from the University of the Pacific to USC for his senior season and cracked the top 1,000 of the WAGR for the first time in his career. Among the other Americans who made the field was Noah Kent, the runner-up at the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine, who briefly held the lead during the first round of the 2025 Masters.

The Final Day

From 288 players down to two, the Championship arrives at its longest and most demanding stage — Saturday's 36-hole final, the marquee day in amateur golf and a stage that has launched generations of major champions before they ever turned professional. Moloney and Grehan begin at 08:32, with the morning 18 followed by an afternoon round to decide the 131st Champion.

Follow every hole of the final in the live updates above — refreshed as results come in from Royal Liverpool.

The 131st Amateur Championship is being contested at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire Golf Club, June 15–20, 2026. Some Championship detail courtesy of an R&A press release.