Florida State rising senior Jack Whaley moved one step closer to one of amateur golf's most prestigious titles Saturday, earning a dramatic semifinal victory to advance to the championship match of the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club.
With the win, Whaley becomes the first Florida State golfer to reach the U.S. Amateur final since Drew Kittleson accomplished the feat in 2008 at Pinehurst. Representing England, Whaley will face Stanford's Jay Leng in Sunday's 36-hole championship match.
Whaley secured his spot in the final with a hard-fought 1-up victory over No. 8 seed Carter Loflin in the semifinals.
The Seminole standout came out strong, winning the first two holes with birdies to take an early 2-up advantage. He extended the lead to 3 up with another birdie on the sixth hole before Loflin battled back and trimmed the deficit to one at the turn.
ℍ𝔼𝔸𝔻𝔼𝔻 𝕋𝕆 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝔽𝕀ℕ𝔸𝕃!!!!
— FSU Golf (@FSUGolf) August 15, 2026
Jack Whaley wins the 18th hole to advance to the @USGA Amateur Championship Final on Sunday!#NoleFamilypic.twitter.com/gJpKm8WaDQ
Whaley responded with birdies on the 10th and 12th holes to regain a three-hole cushion, but Loflin refused to go away. A birdie on No. 13 and a par on No. 15 helped Loflin pull within one before he squared the match on the 17th hole.
With the semifinal hanging in the balance, Whaley delivered under pressure. He won the 18th hole to close out the match and punch his ticket to the championship.
Sunday's final against Leng is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. The afternoon portion of the championship will be televised on Peacock beginning at 3 p.m. before coverage shifts to NBC from 4-6 p.m.
Whaley's run has continued a remarkable rise since arriving at Florida State in August 2025. Over the past year, he has climbed more than 200 positions in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and currently sits at No. 90.
His strong summer form helped pave the way for this week's breakthrough performance. Whaley finished 21st at the Western Amateur at 10-under-par 274, highlighted by rounds of 68, 69, 71 and 66. He also placed 33rd at the European Amateur and competed in the British Amateur.
During match play at Merion, Whaley has defeated a string of highly regarded opponents, including No. 5 seed Jackson Ormond of Florida, No. 37 Bowen Mauss of Arizona State, No. 53 Christian Cavaliere, No. 29 Adam Bresnu of Texas Tech and Loflin in the semifinals.
Now one victory away from a national championship, Whaley has already etched his name into Florida State golf history. A win Sunday would cap one of the most impressive individual runs by a Seminole golfer and add one of amateur golf's most coveted titles to his rapidly growing résumé.
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Whaley's U.S. Amateur Match Play Results
- Round of 64: def. No. 5 Jackson Ormond (Florida), 1 up (22 holes)
- Round of 32: def. No. 37 Bowen Mauss (Arizona State), 2 and 1
- Round of 16: def. No. 53 Christian Cavaliere, 3 and 4
- Quarterfinals: def. No. 29 Adam Bresnu (Texas Tech), 5 and 4
- Semifinals: def. No. 8 Carter Loflin, 1 up
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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics and Big Bend Preps for the Tallahassee Democrat. If you like to pitch a story on a high school athlete, don't hesitate to get in touch with him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU's Jack Whaley reaches U.S. Amateur championship match