Jackson Herrington plays his tee shot on the eighth hole during the semifinals of the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club (Lake Course) in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Jackson Herrington and his his father Greg shared the same joke every day driving to the Olympic Club at last summer’s U.S. Amateur. Greg reminded the star Tennessee golfer how many more matches he needed to win to qualify for the 2026 Masters and U.S. Open.

After a Round of 32 exit in the 2024 U.S. Amateur, Herrington just wanted to make it farther last August in San Francisco. Herrington rolled right past that benchmark, making it to the championship before falling to Mason Howell. But the second place finish was good enough to make it to Augusta in April and Long Island in June for the 126th U.S. Open.

“Going into it last year, I did not think I was going to finish second,” Herrington told RTI. “It kind of sounds bad when I say it, but I was just really trying to do better than what I did … the year before. So, kind of, once I got past where I did the year before I was kind of just playing free. I just would go out there and just have fun.”

The expectations are different for Herrington, affectionately known as Fridge, entering this week’s U.S. Amateur at the Philadelphia Country Club and Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania. A year after striving to make it to the Round of 16, there’s no sugarcoating Herrington’s goals. The lefty is seeking another berth in the championship with ambitions of finishing the job this time around.

“I think for me, it’s really, I’m kind of sick and tired of losing, to be honest,” Herrington said.

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The U.S. Amateur is one of the most unique events in golf, lasting seven days and totaling 162 holes. Everyone in 312-player field will play two stroke play rounds, one at Philadelphia CC and one at Merion GC, on Monday and Tuesday.

The cut weeds the field down to 64 players with the match play portion of the tournament beginning on Wednesday at Merion GC and running through Sunday and the 36-hole championship match.

Herrington is battle tested in the format after last year. He outlasted Caleb Bond in 20 holes in the Round of 16. Leading by two with three holes to play against fan-favorite Niall Shiels Donegan in the semifinals, Herrington dropped holes 16 and 17 before making birdie on 18 to win the match, reach the championship and qualify for both the Masters and U.S. Open.

A Dickson native, Herrington missed the cut by four strokes at the Masters and by five strokes at the U.S. Open. He still has other ways to qualify for the 2027 U.S. Open but making the championship at the U.S. Amateur is his best chance to get back to Augusta. Qualifying for both events is near the top of his motivations entering this week.

“A thing that kind of motivates me, that I think about sometimes, is I didn’t make the cut of the majors, and I know I’m good enough to,” Herrington said. “So, I think, getting back there and showing why I’m one of the best in the world. And I know I am, I just got to go prove it.”

Herrington heads to Pennsylvania knowing what to expect from and how to succeed in the golf marathon, but it’s been an experimental summer for the rising junior. He parted ways with his long-time swing coach following the U.S. Open with a feeling that he maybe “had just plateaued a little bit.”

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The Tennessee standout worked with Jason Birnbaum before playing in the Southern Amateur and then worked with Sean Foley before playing the Western Amateur. Despite missing the cut at the Western Amateur, Herrington decided to move forward with Foley.

“It felt like it was a pretty instant connection, and we hit it off,” Herrington said. “We were throwing jokes at each other. He was just, he was awesome.”

With weather canceling his practice round at Beverly Country Club in Chicago, Herrington shot 3-over 74 in his first round at the Western Amateur before bouncing back with a 5-under 66, validating his confidence in his swing changes with Foley.

“I came out that next day, and I hadn’t had a range session like that, where I just had complete control over the golf ball, and I told my caddy it was going to be a really good day,” Herrington said.

Herrington believes he’s never worked harder than he has in the week and a half after wrapping up play at the Western Amateur. He’s spent six-plus hours just on the range nearly every day dialing in his yardages with every shot in his bag, sending videos and exchanging texts with Foley to confirm all looks good with his swing.

A year after his runner-up finish and less than a month after changing swing coaches, Herrington returns to the U.S. Amateur with confidence in his game and a clear, ambitious goal.

“I don’t want to leave there without that big gold trophy,” Herrington said. “I just think all of the things that I learned during that week and all the things I did after that week kind of are going in with just more confidence than I have myself for next week. Golf’s a funny game, but I know I’ve put in the time and effort, so now it’s time to watch it pay off.”