Tyler Watts, 17, becomes youngest winner of Sunnehanna Amateur with record-breaking score
Saturday was the conclusion of the 84th Sunnehanna Amateur, and never in the event's history has there been a younger winner than Tyler Watts.
The 17-year-old punctuated the biggest win of his career with a closing 6-under 64 to win by four shots at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, about an hour and a half from the site of this week's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Watts fired consecutive 64s in the third and final round, and the 2026 Tennessee commit beat Boise State's Cole Rueck by four shots to win the first event of the Elite Amateur Golf Series.
Watts, who's ranked sixth in the AJGA rankings, carded five straight birdies on Nos. 4-8 to turn in 30 during the final round. He added a pair of birdies on the back nine, and one lone blemish on the card didn't change the result. His 19-under 261 mark is the lowest 72-hole score in the history of the Sunnehanna Amateur.
"This is my first year here, and it's an honor to be able to walk away with the trophy," Watts told Ben Adelberg with The Back of the Range. "I just know after this week that there's a lot of history behind this tournament, and it's a true honor to win."
Earlier this year, Watts finished T-6 in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and then T-5 at the Team TaylorMade Invitational earlier this month. Last year, he made the final of the U.S. Junior Amateur, falling 4 and 3 to soon-to-be Florida freshman Trevor Gutschewski, who played in the U.S. Open this week thanks to his win.
The Sunnehanna Amateur is the first of seven events in the Elite Amateur Golf Series, which features the top amateur events of the summer, concluding at the Western Amateur. Past Sunnehanna champions include Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Lucas Glover and more.
The next event in the Elite Amateur Golf Series is the Northeast Amateur, which begins Wednesday, June 18 at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rhode Island.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
3 hours ago
Donegan advances to US Amateur semifinals to the delight of his large, vocal gallery
SAN FRANCISCO -- Niall Shiels Donegan, the Scot who grew up in nearby Mill Valley, advanced to the U.S. Amateur semifinals Friday at The Olympic Club to the delight of his large, vocal gallery. Donegan — set for his first season at North Carolina after two years at Northwestern — outlasted Notre Dame junior Jacob Modleski with a par on the 19th hole in windy conditions. 'I feel like with this crowd, I know so many of them, it just feels very natural. ... I can't thank them enough for being here,' Donegan said. 'I'm just trying to enjoy the moment. ... It's amazing they're giving me so much support.' Donegan pulled even with a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th. 'You've just got to stay so patient,' Donegan said. 'You can't get ahead of yourself… one hole is its own event, and it's just all about staying in the present, not thinking ahead.' Donegan will face rising Tennessee sophomore Jackson Herrington, a 4-and-2 winner over Jimmy Abdo of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. 'I didn't play too well today,' Herrington said. 'I was pretty mad at myself for that. I felt like I kept him in it a little too long, but I got the job done.' Herrington and Donegan were among the 17 players who advanced from a 20-man playoff Wednesday morning to determine the final 64 for match play. Donegan's father, Lawrence, was a longtime golf correspondent for The Guardian. In the other semifinal, Georgia teen Mason Howell will face Oklahoma State junior Eric Lee. They each won their matches 1 up, with the 18-year-old Howell beating John Daly II, and Lee edging 16-year-old Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. 'I like the fact that it's just me and one other guy,' Lee said. 'I don't really need to worry about what I shot. Just need to worry about beating the other guy.' Howell qualified for the U.S. Open this year with rounds of 63-63 from the Atlanta sectional. Daly, a senior-to-be at Arkansas, is the son of two-time major champion John Daly. ___
NBC Sports
6 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Niall Shiels Donegan, backed by vocal gallery, advances to U.S. Amateur semifinals
Watch the best shots from the Round of 16 at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship hosted by The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. SAN FRANCISCO — Niall Shiels Donegan, the Scot who grew up in nearby Mill Valley, advanced to the U.S. Amateur semifinals Friday at The Olympic Club to the delight of his large, vocal gallery. Donegan — set for his first season at North Carolina after two years at Northwestern — outlasted Notre Dame junior Jacob Modleski with a par on the 19th hole in windy conditions. Donegan pulled even with a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th. Donegan will face rising Tennessee sophomore Jackson Herrington, a 4-and-2 winner over Jimmy Abdo of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. Herrington and Donegan were among the 17 players who advanced from a 20-man playoff Wednesday morning to determine the final 64 for match play. Donegan's father, Lawrence, was a longtime golf correspondent for The Guardian. In the other semifinal, Georgia teen Mason Howell will face Oklahoma State junior Eric Lee. They each won their matches, 1 up, with the 18-year-old Howell beating John Daly II, and Lee edging 16-year-old Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Howell qualified for the U.S. Open this year with rounds of 63-63 from the Atlanta sectional. Daly, a senior-to-be at Arkansas, is the son of two-time major champion John Daly.
Fox Sports
6 hours ago
- Fox Sports
LIV Indianapolis Round 1 Recap: Sebastian Munoz Shoots Record-Setting 59
LIV Golf LIV Indianapolis Round 1 Recap: Sebastian Munoz Shoots Record-Setting 59 Published Aug. 15, 2025 9:15 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link WESTFIELD, Ind. – Torque GC star Sebastian Munoz shot a record-setting 59 in Round 1 at LIV Golf Indianapolis while Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann and Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm continued to battle it out for the season-long Individual Championship. Here are some other news, notes and stats from the first round. PROJECTIONS AFTER RD. 1 The LIV Golf Individual Championship and Zone status for players will be decided after LIV Golf Indianapolis, the regular-season finale. Here's a look at the various projections after Friday: INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Joaquin Niemann shot a 64 and is tied for third while Jon Rahm is tied for 12th after shooting 67. Niemann is now projected to win by 27.18 points. THIRD PLACE. Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau entered the week in the final bonus-paying position and remains there after shooting 67. Patrick Reed did pass him at one point during the day when Reed held the solo lead, but the 4Aces GC star slipped back into a tie for third after shooting 64. Sebastian Munoz, who started the week in seventh, cannot catch DeChambeau. ADVERTISEMENT LOCK ZONE. 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson (28 to 13) and HyFlyers GC's Cameron Tringale (27 to 23) moved into the projected top 24 that earns guaranteed playing privileges for next season. Johnson is solo second on the leaderboard after shooting 62, while Tringale is tied for ninth after his 66. Dropping below the projected top 24 are Stinger GC's Charl Schwartzel (from 21 to 25) and Crushers GC's Charles Howell III (24 to 26). DROP ZONE. HyFlyers GC's Andy Ogletree (50 to 47) moved out of the projected Drop Zone that will result in relegation after the season after shooting 67. Falling into the projected Drop Zone was Majesticks GC Co-Captain Lee Westwood (47 to 49), who shot a 70 and is tied for 38th. "I'm obviously at risk and I can't play super-conservative," said Ogletree. "I have to go try to post a good score and make some birdies." MUÑOZ'S LAST PUTT Sebastian Munoz faced an uphill 3-foot putt on his final hole Friday to finish off his historic round of 59. He said it was reminiscent of a short putt he failed to convert during an attempt to make the U.S. Open field. "Kind of reminded me of a putt I hit in the U.S. Open qualifier in sectionals that I had a 3-footer to make it through, and I missed it, and I felt like I rushed it. I wasn't all of myself there," he said. "So, I just reminded myself, just stay here in the moment, keep breathing, one more time, just keep it simple, and it worked." JOHNSON'S LATE BID 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson is trying to post his first win of the year; he has only failed to record a win in a calendar year just one time in his professional career, and he has won a LIV Golf tournament in each of his first three seasons. Friday's 9-under 62 sets him up for a potential weekend run. "I know it's late in the season, but I've been working at it hard," Johnson said. "It just hasn't really clicked. … It would be nice to finish off the year with a win, but obviously there's two more rounds and a lot of good players and still 36 holes to go." GOOD SCORING AT CHATHAM HILLS The field average of 68.519 in the first round is nearly 2-1/2 strokes under par at The Club at Chatham Hills. A total of 17 eagles were made on Friday, including 10 at the 554-yard par-5 seventh, which played to a stroke average of 4.148. That made it the easiest hole in any single round in LIV Golf history. "With this type of golf course, you've got to be able to put on the gas and get going," said 4Aces GC star Patrick Reed after shooting a 7-under 64 that left him tied for third. GROUNDS PASSES UPDATE LIV Golf announced that grounds passes for Indianapolis sold out for Friday's opening round and are also sold out for Saturday's second round. Fans can still access the action through a limited number of VIP and Premium Hospitality experiences. A limited number of grounds passes remain available for Sunday's final round. LIV GOLF SUB-60 ROUNDS There have now been three sub-60 rounds shot in the first four seasons of LIV Golf. Bryson DeChambeau, 58 (12 under), 2023 LIV Golf Greenbrier, Rd. 3 Joaquin Niemann, 59 (12 under), 2024 LIV Golf Mayakoba, Rd. 1 Sebastián Muñoz, 59 (12 under), 2025 LIV Golf Indianapolis, Rd. 1 Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! What did you think of this story? share
