Former Pro Qualifies For Masters, US Open And The Open With Amateur Championship Win

Former pro Stuart Grehan has beaten Matt Moloney to claim the 131st Amateur Championship title at Royal Liverpool.

Moloney had been bidding to become the second consecutive American to win after Ethan Fang’s victory a year ago.

However, it was his Irish opponent who triumphed in the 36-hole final, finishing with a 1 up victory to become the first player from his country to win since James Sugrue in 2019.

Grehan began the tournament 46th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, while Moloney was 677th, but it was the underdog who made the more confident start, going 3 up after 12 holes of the first round of the match play contest.

Grehan, who regained his amateur status in 2025, came to life, though, winning three of the next four holes to get it back to all-square before Moloney’s birdie at the 18th gave him a 1 up lead heading to the final 18.

The two traded the lead on the opening holes of the afternoon session, before a big moment came at the 24th, when Grehan holed a long par putt to remain tied with Moloney.

Stuart Grehan with a huge putt 👏Watch live ➡️ https://t.co/4Fdp088wXm pic.twitter.com/UDgpv4f7HEJune 20, 2026

Two holes later, Grehan had his nose in front again with an eagle, and when Moloney double bogeyed the 26th, Grehan was 2 up.

That became 3 up when Moloney bogeyed the 33rd, to leave Grehan on the cusp of victory.

Even then, Moloney refused to give up, winning the next two holes to leave 2025 Irish Open Amateur winner Grehan 1 up as they headed to the 36th and final hole.

Both approaches found a similar area of the green, which suited Grehan, who only needed to match Moloney for the title.

Matt Moloney at The Amateur — Matt Moloney led at various stages before succumbing to Grehan

When Moloney’s birdie putt stayed out, it left Grehan two putts to win it. That proved enough, and the 33-year-old had the biggest win of his career.

As well as winning one of the most prestigious tournaments in the amateur game, Grehan also qualifies for next month's Open at Royal Birkdale and The Masters and the US Open in 2027.

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.