Jackson Herrington, Mason Howell reaches us amateur final

San Francisco – Tennessee’s teenager, Jackson Herrington, made a 5 -foot putt on the 18th hole to beat the local favorite Niall Shiels Donegan on Saturday to qualify for the American final of the amateur at the Olympic Club.

“I played this hole this week well,” said Herrington. “I knew I could do it. The wind was in my favor. I hit a cup, I was going to straighten each ball. I had a good number for the second blow.”

Herrington won 1 and will face the teenager of Georgie Mason Howell in the last Sunday of 36 holes. Howell beat Eric Lee 3 and 2 in the other semi-final at the 125th American amateur.

Harrington and Howell qualified for the final after being among the 17 players to survive a series of 20 men on Wednesday morning to determine the last 64 for the match match.

The matches have turned off in a typical time of San Francisco with a heavy fog that made the shots followed, as well as a regular mist and gusts of wind of more than 20 mph.

Herrington entered an early hole after falsifying the first two holes against Donegan, the 20 -year -old Scottish who grew up just through the Golden Gate Bridge in Mill Valley.

Herrington, a 19 -year -old about to enter his second season in Tennessee, overcome the partisan crowd, the weather and the early deficit to obtain the victory.

“I think I had somewhat fed,” said Herrington about the crowd. “Today, we will climb on the fairway, after hitting the fairway and they were shouting as if it was a hole in one. It was funny, I would go up the fairway and I thank you. I would feed on it. There are a few people here who wanted me to win, but it was a bit against everyone.”

Donegan almost achieved a fifth late rally. He erased a deficit of two holes when Herrington dropped the 16th by 5, then Donegan made a short bit putt in the 17th by 5 to prepare the ground for the last decisive hole in front of the noisy crowd of his supporters.

Herrington struck a perfect approach in the 18th par-4, then made his 5-foot sneaky putt after Donegan bought his Birdie attempt.

“I did what I could,” said Donegan. “I had a very good second blow in there, I did not quite turn, then the putt. Just a hard putt. It is still a great experience, however.

Howell, who is about to enter his last year in high school, continued an impressive 2025 season after qualifying for the US Open earlier this year. Howell, who was 18 years old on June 28, has tried to become the youngest American amateur champion since Danny Lee won it in 2008 exactly a month after his 18th birthday.

He was tied in the Tour with Lee but took an advance of two holes after Lee made Bogey the 11th and 14th holes. Howell then won the match with a long sneck on the 16th par-5, punctuating it with a fist pump.

“Happy to do this putt out of 16,” said Howll. “Happy not to have to get on the hill on the 17 and 18 year old. Overall, it was a good day. I knew that the pins were hidden again. It’s not really a striking time. I knew that if I was doing a few stews, three or four, it would put me in the right place.”

Lee was playing in his first American amateur career after helping Oklahoma State winning an NCAA title this year.

It is the fourth American lover to be held at the Olympic club. Charles Coe (1958), Nathaniel Crosby (1981) and Cole Knost (2007) won the others.