TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – On Sunday, Florida State men\u2019s golf star Jack Whaley vaulted to the top of the amateur golf world with a thrilling win at the 126th U.S. Amateur at the Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
Back on campus, with the Havemeyer trophy in hand, Whaley was honored for what\u2019s, to this point, the pinnacle of his golfing career.<\/p>\n
In 15 months, the rising senior went from the NAIA\u2019s Dalton State to hoisting one of the most coveted trophies in amateur golf. <\/p>\n
He became the first Seminole to win the tournament and, with the win, punched his ticket to the 2027 Masters, U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and The Open Championship at St. Andrews.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, picked a great year to win it, right?\u201d said Whaley, with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s obviously the pinnacle of golf. To be able to play in the majors is going to be a great experience for me, but also for the family to see some hard work that I\u2019ve put in through golf is starting to pay off and playing these prestigious events is going to mean the world to them as well as going to mean the world to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trailing Jay Leng Jr. halfway through the 36-hole championship, Whaley worked on the putting green with FSU head coach Trey Jones, who flew in that morning. That midday confidence booster helped him erase the two-hole deficit and Whaley never looked back.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Coach Jones and the coaching staff at Florida State to take a chance on me last year after playing NAIA golf, to now being sat in this position, I can\u2019t thank them enough,\u201d said Whaley, who\u2019s now ranked 45th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. \u201cFor them to be able to experience being there at Merion with me, when I won. I think it\u2019s going to be an incredible memory for us all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whaley had another trusted advisor carrying the bag as his father caddied the historic run.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were asking if my dad wanted to do it again and he said, \u2018No, I\u2019m done, I\u2019m one for one,\u2019\u201d said Whaley. \u201cTo win the U.S. Amateur with him on the bag was obviously a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another dream come true is having your name on the same trophy as Tiger Woods.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe won it three in a row, that\u2019s pretty hard,\u201d he said. \u201dOne of my one of my old teammates\u2019 brother was saying, it needs to say, \u2018Jack, Jack, Jack\u2019 now, and well, that\u2019s going to be a tough one to do, but hopefully we can give it a go.\u201d<\/p>\n
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