How ‘shorter’ drives gave U.S. Junior Amateur winner edge

Look for Hamilton Coleman on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and you’ll have to do some scrolling. You’d find him a ways behind No. 26 Luke Colton and last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up Tyler Watts (No. 42).

You’ll find Coleman all the way down the list at No. 625. But that’s the beauty of golf, none of that matters once you tee it up.

In fact, being “behind” his opponents might have worked to Coleman’s advantage this week at the 77th playing of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Trinity Forest outside Dallas, Texas. The 17-year-old Georgia commit outlasted Isaiah Igo in a 25-hole marathon in the Round of 64. He then ousted Watts, talented lefty Sohan Patel and Colton in the semifinals before beating World No. 52 Minh Nguyen, an incoming freshman at Oregon State University, 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final. Coleman was 5 up through 12 holes and eventually closed out Nguyen with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 35th hole to claim the title on Saturday.

The key to Coleman’s U.S. Junior blitzing? Being a little shorter off the tee than his opponents. That can work to your advantage in match play if your approach game allows you to turn up the heat on your opponent. Coleman’s did.

“I know I haven’t had the best season coming into this, but I know that my game can stack up to those quality of golfers if I just keep hitting quality shots and putting pressure on,” Coleman said after his win. “And I mean, it also helps that I do hit it slightly shorter than most because I’m hitting most of the shots first, so just being able to put that pressure on and then just hitting quality shots.”

The win gives Coleman a spot in the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and a place in next month’s U.S. Amateur Championship at The Olympic Club. He’ll also play in the 2026 Am at Merion and get to defend his U.S. Junior title next year at Saucon Valley Golf Club.

Hamilton, who will officially become a Georgia Bulldog when he arrives on campus in 2026, joins a prestigious list of U.S. Junior Amateur champions that includes Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris, Brian Harman, Min Woo Lee and Nick Dunlap.

“It’s really cool just seeing the names that are also on that trophy,” Coleman said. “Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods, all the great players of the game have come through this tournament. Just to be on that level with them is a great feeling.”

While he’s No. 625 in WAGR rankings, Coleman’s win isn’t out of nowhere.

Last August, he beat Blades Brown, who is now grinding to make it as a professional, to win The Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. He was also selected to be a member of the East Team for the Wyndham Cup, the American Junior Golf Association’s Ryder Cup-style event. He qualified for last year’s U.S. Junior but had to withdraw during his first-round match against Miles Russell due to a back injury.

This year, healthy and confident, Coleman did what many believed he was capable of.

The 25-hole match victory over Igo — the longest U.S. Junior Am match in 23 years — gave him momentum and confidence to start the championship. He then showed great resolve in his match against Watts, erasing a three-hole deficit with seven to play to win 2 and 1.

He took a big lead early in the finals on Nguyen, but had to buckle down as the talented player from Vietnam cut away at his lead throughout the day.

When Coleman stood over his 10-foot birdie attempt on the 35th hole, his lead, which was four with 11 holes to play, was down to one and he hadn’t won a hole since the 25th hole.

“Getting off to that hot start, I knew I couldn’t just ease my way into winning,” Coleman said. “I knew I had to keep hitting quality shots. I was playing well, but he kept making putts. It got a little tight there, but I never lost faith. I told my caddie I was nervous but was never scared.”

And now, Hamilton Coleman, is forever a U.S. Junior Amateur champion.