Brian Keogh: PGA preview – Masterful Rory McIlroy the man to beat at Quail Hollow
Masters winner is more dangerous than ever after realising his dream of a career Grand Slam
Who dares often wins at risk-reward Quail Hollow, but after receiving close to six inches of rainfall over the past 10 days, it's more likely that the Bomber Command will have too much firepower for the SAS (short-and-straight) brigade in the 107th PGA Championship.
A par-71 course measuring 7,626 yards would not usually frighten the best players in the world, but so soft are the fairways in this well-heeled corner of Charlotte that it's hard to see players who don't blast the ball 300 yards through the air having much chance of being a factor on Sunday evening.
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Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Gavin Tiernan pipped at the last hole as Ethan Fang claims Amateur Championship title
19-year-old Gavin Tiernan was narrowly defeated in the Amateur Championship final by US opponent Ethan Fang at Royal St George's. Tiernan was ranked outside the top 1000 male amateur golfers sitting at 1340th in the world. Fang came out on top in the final after their 36-hole battle which was decided on the final green - Tiernan had led for large portions of the contest. Fang hit a near perfect final approach on the last flag with Tiernan needing to putt a very long birdie to apply pressure to his American oppenent. It looked like it was going to drop but just crept past the final hole which allowed Fang to roll in a four footer to claim the prestigious title earning entry to next month's Open along with entry to the 2026 Masters.
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Gavin Tiernan's comeback cruelly thwarted as Ethan Fang birdies 36th to win Amateur Championship
One-up after the morning 18, the Dubliner (19) found himself two down with three to play to the 20-year-old world number seven from Texas. But after making a 30 footer for birdie at the 16th and a 12 footer for another at 17th to take the match to the 36th, the County Louth battler watched Fang rip his approach to four feet at the 18th and roll in the birdie putt to clinch a spot in The Open at Royal Portrush next month and the Masters and US Open next year. It was a cruel finish for the East Tennessee State University student, who was bidding to become the first pre-qualifier to win the title but couldn't chip in from just off the 18th to heap the pressure on his opponent. 'You know, that was probably one of the longest days of golf I've ever played,' a relieved Fang said at the finish. 'But it feels really good to come up on top. 'I didn't really know what to expect coming here and he played great. I've been in situations like that before and I just hit a really good shot on the last hole. 'It's a pretty big trophy. and playing the Masters in The Open Championship, that's gonna be pretty sweet.' Tiernan forged a one-up lead after the morning round, winning the fourth in par before Fang squared the match with a birdie at the eighth. The Co Louth man birdied the 12th to go one up again and while he lost the long 14th to Fang's eagle, he made two from five feet at the par-three 16th to regain the lead. A tidy chip and putt par the 18th allowed him to go to lunch with the lead but he had to work even harder in the afternoon. He three putted the 19th, missing a two and a half footer for par, to be pegged back to all square, then trailed for the first time when he drove into a deep fairway bunker at the 23rd (fifth). ADVERTISEMENT The Dubliner had to make 10 footer for par at the next to remain one down but won the 25th (7th) with a conceded birdie four after Fang tangled with the deep rough. Tiernan then made two good putts in a row at the eighth and ninth to remain all square but Fang won the 38th (10th) in par to edge one-up again. The 29th (11th) was halved in bogey fours but Tiernan's brilliant short game came to the rescue again at the 378-yard 30th (12th), where he almost drove the green and played a brilliant chip to three feet to win the hole with birdie and square the match again. After missing a chance to take the lead at the 31st (13th), where he missed from 12 feet for birdie, Tiernan lost the par-five 14th to Fang's two-putt birdie when he hit a poor pitch from short of the green. The American crucially doubled his lead at the par-four 32nd (15th) where Tiernan had to chip out sideways from a fairway bunker. Fang overshot the green in two and hit a weak putt but after Tiernan failed to save par, he rolled in a 10 footer for par to go two up with three to play. But he would not go down without a fight and after roling in a 30 footer for a birdie two at the 16th to get back to one down, he made a 12-footer for another birdie at the 17th where Fang left himself a 10 footer for par after tugging his second left of the green. Tiernan would likely have earned a Walker Cup spot had he won the title but Fang denied him with his brilliant closing birdie to become the first American to win the title since Drew Weaver in 2007.
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
Co Louth's Gavin Tiernan defeated in Amateur Championship final on last hole
American amateur Ethan Fang has beaten Co Louth's Gavin Tiernan 1 up in the Amateur Championship final at Royal St George's after a titanic 36-hole contest. The win earns the world number seven and University of Oklahoma student a place in next month's Open Championship at Portrush and an invite to the Masters next April. Tiernan had been the first player to reach the final after coming through the strokeplay pre-qualifying, and played 139 holes this week before his 36-hole final on Saturday, and was a surprise package to make it there at 1,340th in the amateur world rankings. There was no more than one hole between two players for much of this ding-dong battle, with Tiernan leading for much of the first 18, his highlight a superb tee shot to a few feet at the 16th that enabled him to lead 1 up after 18. READ MORE Fang won the first hole of the second 18 holes with a par and then took the lead for the first time after 23 holes after another Tiernan bogey. However, hitting the par 5 seventh green in two enabled the Co Louth player to get it back to all-square. After a few more back and forths, Fang took seemingly a decisive 2 up lead by taking the 14th and 15th holes, before Tiernan holed two big putts on 16 and 17 to bring the match all-square heading up the 36th hole of the day. But Fang closed out the match with a brilliant iron approach to five feet as he holed the putt to become the first American winner of the Amateur since Drew Weaver in 2007. Tiernan was looking to become the ninth winner of the competition, which has been running since 1885. Previous winners include Sergio Garcia and José María Olazábal.
