Ireland’s Stuart Grehan is the 2026 Amateur Championship winner following a 1Up win over world number one Matt Moloney of the USA in Royal Liverpool on Saturday.
The Offaly golfer overcame a late round blip to edge past his American opponent on the 36th and final hole of the two-round finale.
With the win, Grehan secured qualification for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale next month, and an invite to the 2027 Masters and US Open.
It was the American who started the brighter under the Merseyside sunshine. Moloney played a flawless opening nine of one-under-par, with no bogeys on the card to take a 2UP lead at the halfway stage of the first round.
Grehan’s bogeys on holes three and five and a double on the 12th saw him go three down against the number one seed, with ominous signs growing.
The Tullamore man responded with a flourish however, carding birdies on 13 and 16, and winning the 14th with a par to level up the tie as the players approached the halfway point.
Moloney birdied the par-four 18th to take a slender 1Up advantage as the players headed for a gentle break.
The lead was short lived however with Grehan going in front on the 20th hole, before both players traded the share of the lead over the next two holes.
The first hammer blow of the round came from the County Louth based golfer at the par-five eighth hole, his 26th.
With Moloney already in for birdie, Grehan responded with an eagle to edge back in front, before taking a 2Up advantage with eight to play, following a par on the tenth hole.
Two more pars followed, then the competitors traded birdies on the par five 14th hole, meaning Grehan maintained his lead heading down the home straight.
A costly three-putt bogey by Moloney on the tricky par-three 15th placed one Irish hand on the trophy, with Grehan 3Up with three holes to play.
The Offaly golfer lost the 16th and 17th holes, narrowly missing putts that would have sealed the title; but finished with a routine par to get the job done.