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Great Lakes Amateur
17-19 Jul. 2026
This tournament was played on our Eastern Michigan University home course but it was not a college tournament yet. In the first round, I was able to carry over some of what I'd learned in Scotland and England, shooting -7. On day two, I struggled with putting and my short game on the front nine but bounced back to post 3 under on the back, taking the lead into the final round.
I'd reflected a lot over the summer on past tournaments where I'd led going into the last round but wasn't able to close it out, and that reflection paid off — I had a better plan this time. I responded well to pressure early in the round; it felt like I was slightly more comfortable being uncomfortable. That's something that takes time, reflection, and self-awareness to build.
What held me back from winning were small setup and swing issues I wasn't aware of in the moment, which cost me a few shots. Still, I finished the tournament at -11, good for second place, and I'm proud of how I handled the pressure better than I have before.
I also had a lot of fun playing with Arsit in the last round, one of my new teammates this year at Eastern. He's a great guy and a very strong player who simply beat me that day.
British Amateur Championship 15-21 Jun. 2026
With everything I'd learned in Scotland, I was excited to head into the best amateur field in Europe. This year's British Amateur was held at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire Golf Club. Traveling with the Swiss team, we had Daniel Wunderlin with us as captain of the European Amateur Team Championship.
I had Dani on the bag for my first round at West Lancashire, and we got off to a rather slow start. Dani and I are a good team, mainly because we both stay calm — he's great at reframing any situation into something useful, which keeps me supported but also focused on the next task. After an eagle on 11, I was back to even par, fighting it out.
Unfortunately, on 15 I hit my approach shot way right into the tall grass, and we couldn't find the ball. I made my double and moved on to the next hole. I wasn't crushed or disappointed in myself — I knew I'd prepared as well as I could before hitting that approach shot, and I'd simply lacked a bit of situational awareness and self-knowledge in the moment. I kept fighting, purely focused on the task in front of me. Unfortunately, it was my putting and short game that let me down again over those last three holes — but I was still proud of how I handled a tricky situation.
The next day, it was clear a low round was needed. With perfect weather conditions, I was able to shoot 3 under par, which ended up being two shots short of the cut line. There were a lot of things that went well in the tournament, and a few small things that didn't — but those small things made the big difference. What's clear is that my short game and putting need more work, and that will be my focus in training this summer.
St.Andrews Links Trophy 5-7. Jun. 2026
I had a great week of preparation in the North Berwick area before the tournament, getting used to links conditions again. Andrew Summers runs this trip with IJGA students on a regular basis, and since I happened to be in the area, he was kind enough to invite me to join them on courses like Renaissance and Gullane — perfect preparation for the Links Trophy. I felt ready heading into the first round, and the change of scenery from the US to the UK felt refreshing.
I had a much better grasp of course strategy and felt confident in it, but I wasn't able to turn that into a good score because of my putting. I missed too many short putts — the kind that get very costly at that level of amateur golf. Between the first and second rounds, I spent a lot of time working on my putting. I knew I had to go low on day two — there was no way around it.
With the front nine playing easier, I knew I needed a good start. Instead, I hit my tee shot into the fairway bunker on the 3rd hole and found myself in a bad place mentally. I gave up on the rest of that hole, disappointed in myself. Luckily, there was a long wait before we could tee off on the 4th, which gave me time to reflect.
That's when a thought hit me: now is the time to be a soldier. A soldier can't afford to dwell on what's already happened — he has to accept the situation as it is and focus completely on the task directly in front of him. No excuses, no self-pity, only the next task. That thought freed something up in me and made me focus entirely on what was next. I responded with a stretch of consistent holes and a few birdies, but with a back nine playing straight into the wind, I wasn't able to fully claw back what I'd lost.
Still, I learned an incredible amount about how I need to respond when my confidence drops.
