JAY LENG MAKES US AMATEUR FINAL

“I’m tired. I’m at a loss for words still. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t really know.”, said Jay Leng after defeating Logan Reilly 2 & 1 to gain a spot in the final of the US Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club in Philadelphia.

The Stanford golfer is the hottest amateur player in America at the moment, having won the Western Amateur two weeks ago and will now face England’s Jack Whaley in a 36-hole final. Only ten men have ever won the Western Amateur and the US Amateur in the same year, among them Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Justin Leonard, Hal Sutton and Lanny Wadkins.

When asked what he thinks will be required to win the final he replied…”I think looking at the conditions today and predicting how it’s going to be tomorrow, I think a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. Maybe more pars than aggressive shots going into the greens, as I’ve seen before this week.”

“I think it was kind of a little bit more scorable before earlier in the week, and now it’s kind of pars are mostly pretty good. So I’m just going to try and hit the ball in the fairway and hit it on the green and try and give myself as many looks as possible, maybe not fire at every pin.”

No matter who wins the final both players have already earned a spot in next years US Open at Pebble Beach and likely to receive an invitation to the 2027 US Masters; the winner will also receive a spot in the Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Also a spot on either the US or GB&I Walker Cup teams at Lahinch next month will follow for the winner.

Photo: Jay Leng Jr. hits his tee shot to the 13th hole during the semifinals of the 2026 U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club. (Dustin Satloff/USGA)