Ethan Fang

Ethan Fang earned his place at Royal Portrush by becoming only the second American to win The Amateur Championship since 1979.

His victory means he will now also have the chance to play in next year’s Masters and US Open.

The 20-year-old Oklahoma State University student beat Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan with a six-foot birdie on the 18th green in their 36-hole final at Royal St George’s – the venue for Collin Morikawa’s Open triumph four years ago and for Ben Curtis’s win in 2003 on what was also his first experience of links golf.

Seventh in the amateur rankings going into the week, Fang was favourite against an opponent who was the first pre-qualifier ever to reach the final and whose own ranking was 1,340th.

County Louth teenager Tiernan, ahead by one on three separate occasions during the morning, then found himself two down with three to play before sinking successive birdie putts of 25 and 20 feet, but a closing par was not enough.

In earlier games Fang, a quarter-finalist in last year’s US Amateur, had twice been three down and against Scotland’s Connor Graham, winner of the 36-hole stroke play qualifying stage, birdied the last two holes to stay alive before winning in extra holes.