Stuart Grehan claimed the biggest victory of his career as the Irishman triumphed in The 131st Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool.
In a tight 36-hole showdown, the 33-year-old from County Louth thwarted a late rally by American Matt Moloney and won by one hole to be the first Irish winner since James Sugrue in 2019.
A year after his County Louth club-mate Gavin Tiernan had lost in the final at Royal St George’s, Grehan went one better and followed in the footsteps of the decorated Irishman, Joe Carr, who won the first of his three Amateur Championship titles at Royal Liverpool in 1953.
As well as joining a roll of honour of considerable distinction, Grehan’s success also earned him an exemption into The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale next month, the 2027 US Open and an invitation to the 2027 Masters Tournament.
On a bright, breezy day over the famed Hoylake links, which staged the very first Amateur Championship in 1885, it was Moloney who gained the upper hand in the morning’s opening 18 holes.
While Grehan struggled to find his rhythm, especially on the front nine, Moloney was largely neat and tidy from tee to green and could have fashioned a bigger advantage had his putting been more clinical. Two-up after five holes, the American would increase that lead to three on the 12th as Grehan failed to get up and down from a mound to the left of the green.
The Irishman, ranked 46th on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, needed a spark, and he got it on the par-5 13th with a birdie and won his first hole of the day when Moloney missed his own birdie putt from seven feet. The American then made his first bogey of the round on the 14th and lost the hole before Grehan squared the match on the 16th as his opponent was punished after going into the greenside bunker.
The momentum was certainly with Grehan, but the pendulum swung back in Moloney’s favour on the 18th. Grehan’s booming drive found the bunker near the green and he had to come out sideways. Moloney, meanwhile, played a skilful chip to within four feet and rolled in the birdie putt to take a one-hole lead into lunch.
His advantage did not last long, however. The 20-year-old made a double-bogey on the 19th and a bogey on the 20th to hand Grehan a one-hole lead. The fluctuating nature of the match continued as Moloney responded on the 21st with a birdie to restore parity before inching ahead again when Grehan three-putted the 22nd.
The large gallery, bolstered by a sizeable and vocal following of County Louth members who had flown in for the final, were savouring an intriguing, keenly fought contest. Having squared the match again on the 23rd, Grehan conjured a couple of telling moments as the tie intensified.
The 2025 GB&I Walker Cup player made a crucial 25-foot putt for par to stay level on the 24th, before playing a sublime approach to within five feet on the par-5 26th which led to an eagle and a one-hole lead.
When Moloney got into trouble on the 28th, then three-putted the 33rd, Grehan was three holes up but his American rival, who had been to the 18th green and beyond in all of his previous rounds en route to the final, refused to throw in the towel. He birdied the 34th to win a hole back and reduced the deficit to just one when Grehan missed a 12-foot putt for par on the 35th.
The title would be decided on the 36th and Grehan held his nerve amid the tension to match Moloney’s par and become the 131st Amateur Champion.
Speaking after lifting the trophy, Grehan said: “I’m absolutely over the moon. So much hard work has gone into it. This morning I got off to a really slow start. I was really struggling with my swing and lunch came at a good time to reset.
“I went in at lunch on my own and just took a few minutes, and spoke to Dean (Robertson, GB&I captain). I met with my coach, Dave Ruddy, on the range, and we talked through a couple of things. I played really well this afternoon and hit some great shots.
“Obviously coming down the stretch, there were a few iffy ones, but there’s so much pressure on and so much at stake so it’s bound to happen. I played the last hole really, really well and got the job done.
“I’m going to be buzzing for The Open. I’ll absolutely love it. It hasn’t really sunk in that I’m going to the US Open and the Masters as well. I’ll just relish it and take it all in.”
To watch highlights of the final, visit www.randa.tv