Oakmont, Pa. — After three rounds at Oakmont Country Club in the 113th Amateur Championship, only one player finished under par: The 1912 Club's Josh Ryan, at −1, for his third PAGA title.
Ryan, who previously won the 2022 George Dressler Memorial and the 2020 R. Jay Sigel Match Play — and was runner-up at this year's Sigel — was tied for the lead after an opening 69, and equalled that score on a windy Wednesday at Oakmont. He was three under after seven holes, with birdies at the 3rd, 4th and 7th, then again at the 11th and 12th, and parred the last two to clinch it.
“I didn't look at the leaderboard all day. On the last hole my caddie said Well done, champ — that was the first time I knew.”
Josh Ryan
“Today we had some really difficult conditions,” said Sims. “I'd say Oakmont really showed its teeth, but it was the best tournament round I've ever been a part of. I've been fortunate enough to be an Oakmont caddy for 27 years and caddy in U.S. Amateurs and U.S. Opens for the world's greatest, and this was hands-down the best round of golf I've ever caddied for.”
“The first two rounds I kind of hit it everywhere and just had to manage,” Ryan said. “Dave and I had a very good plan of just hitting centre greens. My ball striking was really good — I hit it to an inch on 7 and a 3-wood to eight feet on 12. I just hit it in the right spots, and maybe had one bad swing all day.”
The win carries an exemption into the 126th U.S. Amateur at Merion, 10–16 August — which would have counted for more had Ryan not already secured his place a week earlier at final qualifying at Llanerch. “Qualifiers are hard and not really my specialty,” he said, “so it's funny that I qualified twice in two weeks.”
“Golf's a journey,” Ryan said. “During junior golf she was there all the time, then in college we travelled a lot more and she couldn't get out as much. This was her first event she's come out to all summer, so I was joking with her that she can't leave me now. It's always the best feeling coming off the last hole, knowing you played well, and you can just hug your mom.”
