Opening Golf to the World
The Amateur
Matt Moloney and Stuart Grehan reach the final of The 131st Amateur Championship
mins
Stuart Grehan of Ireland and Matt Moloney of the United States of America will contest the 36-hole final of The 131st Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool.
Grehan, who is ranked 46th on the World Amateur Golf Rankings®(WAGR®), edged out Estonia’s Richard Teder by a 2&1 margin while Moloney, who sits 677th on the WAGR®, staved off the challenge of Germany’s Emil Riegger on the final green and won by one hole. It will be the second Irish and American final in a row after Gavin Tiernan and Ethan Fang went head-to-head a year ago at Royal St George’s. Fang emerged triumphant on that occasion and his good friend Moloney will be aiming to secure back-to-back American successes in the championship for the first time in 50 years. The University of Georgia student is certainly deserving of a final place and he has put in the hard yards over the Hoylake links that hosted the very first Amateur Championship in 1885. The 20-year-old’s long road to the last-two has featured four 18th green victories and another on the 24th hole. Speaking after his impressive triumph over Riegger, a match he led from the fifth hole onwards, Moloney said: "It's hard to say that you are fully in control ever. You never know when somebody will get hot, make a 40-footer, or hit an iron shot to three feet. "I can't say I was in control, but I did have the lead the whole time, which was nice. It felt good to have a little bit of a cushion." “It's hard not to think about it (winning). But like I said, I'm going to try my best because there is a lot of golf left to execute," he added.
Matt Moloney will compete in tomorrow's 36-hole final at Royal Liverpool.
Grehan’s match with Teder provided an intriguing spectacle for the large galleries following and there was never more than one hole in it as the duo traded match play blows.
One of the key moments arrived on the par-3 11th when Grehan chipped in from below the green for an unlikely birdie and Teder, sitting safely in the heart of the green, missed his putt to halve the hole.
Grehan’s slender one hole lead was wiped out, however, on the 14th when his shot hit the slope of the green and rolled back down.
The Irishman countered on the 16th, though, and inched ahead again with a birdie after his long eagle putt grazed the hole.
As the tension mounted, Teder, making his first semi-final appearance after two previous quarter-final exits, had a chance to keep the match going on the 17th.
After his long birdie putt, the 21-year-old was left with a three-footer to halve the hole, but his effort rolled past and Grehan’s final place was confirmed.
“I'm delighted. It was a really tight, tight match there," Grehan said. "Richie (Teder), I know him very well, so I knew he would produce some good stuff, which he did. Luckily I produced some good stuff myself."
“I'm playing really well. Hitting the ball great," he added. "I enjoy all the people out there, the crowds. Hopefully a few more of them tomorrow. I really enjoyed the match today, and this is what you play for, isn't it? I'm buzzing for tomorrow.”
Stuart Grehan will face Matt Moloney in Saturday's 36-hole final.
Moloney, meanwhile, had assumed command in his match with Riegger and moved into a three hole lead through 11.
Riegger, striving to become the first German finalist since Christian Reimbold at Royal Liverpool in 2000, spurned a good opportunity from eight-feet on the 13th to reduce the lead.
The 21-year-old then missed another chance from six-feet to win the 15th and, despite taking the 16th with a birdie to get a hole back, Moloney repelled the German’s advances and remained resolute over the last two holes.
Earlier in the day, Moloney overcame his American compatriot, Kihei Akina, by two holes in the quarter-finals.
Moloney had forged a commanding three hole advantage after eight, but the ebb and flow of match play golf led to Akina clawing his way back into the contest and an eagle on the 13th squared the tie.
Akina, ranked number 12 on the WAGR®, slipped to a bogey on the penultimate hole to fall behind again and Moloney delivered on the 18th with a match-winning birdie.
Grehan, meanwhile, found himself four-up through five holes against Edward Featherstone as his English opponent struggled in the breeze.
Grehan never looked like surrendering his lead and three birdies at the start of the back-nine fortified his position and he eventually won 5&4.
The 36-hole Final gets underway at Royal Liverpool tomorrow at 8:32am. The winner will secure exemptions into The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale next month, the US Open, and, by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament.
The runner-up will receive a spot in Final Qualifying and the Last Chance Qualifier for The Open.
The Amateur Championship is one of the biggest and most prestigious amateur championships in the world and features a starting line-up of 288 players.
The first Amateur was held at Hoylake in 1885 where 44 players from 12 clubs competed. Some of golf’s greatest names have triumphed in the event, including Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal and Sergio Garcia.
Spectators are welcome and can attend free of charge or people can watch the Final live at home on R&A TV.
View match play scoring from The Amateur Championship here.