In June, Ethan Fang won the 130th Amateur Championship at Royal St. George’s, becoming the tournament’s 20th American champion and first since 2007. The victory earned Fang significant spoils, starting with a berth in this week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
“That’s something you dream of as a kid, playing all the major tournaments,” said Fang, who also earned entry into next year’s Masters and U.S. Open by virtue of winning. “I’m going to try and have as much fun as I can out there. Just play my game and see where life takes me.”
The Oklahoma State rising junior is having a year to remember, including being part of an NCAA Championship-winning team and representing Team USA at the Arnold Palmer Cup. Now, the Plano, Texas, resident will make his debut in a professional tournament at Royal Portrush and will once again aim for a strong overseas performance.
“It would be pretty cool to run it back in the UK,” Fang said.
Fang’s father, Frank, introduced him to the game when he was around 6 years old.
“He took me to the golf course one day and I was messing around,” Fang said. “I don’t remember this but he said I hit one pretty good for not knowing how to play and from there on I thought it was pretty fun.”
“Your goal as a kid is to get on the PGA Tour and win a couple majors. Ever since then that’s been my goal and I’ve been working pretty hard to get there.”
Ethan Fang
While Fang also played other sports like basketball and soccer, he says golf was the only one he was getting better at. In high school, Fang started to shoot good scores and collect hardware. That’s when he decided to pursue professional golf.
“Your goal as a kid is to get on the PGA Tour and win a couple majors,” Fang said. “Ever since then that’s been my goal and I’ve been working pretty hard to get there.”
Fang spent his freshman year at the University of California-Berkeley, where he made the Pac-12 All-Freshman team with four top-10s in 13 events.
For his sophomore year, Fang decided to transfer to Oklahoma State.
“First off [it was attractive because of] all the history we have at Oklahoma State with 12 national championships and all the tour players who came through here and have had success on tour.”
Fang follows in the footsteps of great Oklahoma State players like Rickie Fowler and Viktor Hovland. Alan Bratton, head coach of the Oklahoma State men’s team since 2013, says Fang was an attractive transfer.
“He knows his golf swing and how to adjust on the course,” Bratton said. “If you could take his confidence, attitude, unflappability and bottle it, you could make a lot of money.”
Before joining the Cowboys, however, Fang struggled with his game last summer, missing the cut at the Northeast Amateur, finishing T29 at the Southern Amateur and failing to make match play at the Western Amateur.
“My confidence was pretty low,” Fang said. “But one tournament can change everything.”
That tournament was the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National, where Fang advanced to the quarterfinals. While he lacked confidence going into the event, he succeeded by staying in the present.
“Having fun is the most important part and not throwing yourself into a deep hole,” Fang said. “Just enjoy playing golf in general and not grinding … trying to figure out something.”
The confidence he gained from the U.S. Amateur went a long way for Fang’s sophomore season. He finished with nine top-10s in 13 starts on the way to helping Oklahoma State clinch its 12th national title. The victory tied the Cowboys with Princeton for the third most in championship history.
“That was really cool,” Fang said. “Especially winning it with a group of guys who were all pretty close and have known each other for a long time. Most of the time golf is an individual sport so to win something like that as a team, there’s no better feeling.”
The next week, Fang made his Team USA debut in the Arnold Palmer Cup. He went 2-1-1 in his matches, but the United States lost to Team International. Despite the loss, Fang says it was an honor and a special experience to represent his country.
Fang is likely to receive another chance to bring the United States glory as a member of the Walker Cup team in September at Cypress Point. Last winter, he was invited to the U.S. Walker Cup team practice session in Florida. His recent performances make Fang a virtual lock to make the team and fulfill a long-held dream.
“It’s been a goal of mine ever since I got to college because it’s such a big deal,” Fang said.
Fang’s victory at the Amateur Championship was his first individual title since a Legends Junior Tour event in 2020.
“It’s a big relief,” Fang said. “All the weight just drops off your shoulders. I’ve been close a lot and to finally get one feels good. There’s more to come.”
“Every tournament I play, going into the week, I don’t like to set a bar for myself. I just try to go out there and play as good as I can and the results will show.”
In the final against Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan at Royal St. George’s, Fang won with a birdie on the 36th and final hole. As an American, Fang could tell he wasn’t the crowd favorite.
“It’s always cool when you’re over in a different country and all the fans root against you,” Fang said. “Every time I made a putt everyone would clap. When he would make a putt everyone started going crazy and yelling.”
Fang will be the first Oklahoma State amateur to compete in the Open Championship since Jordan Niebrugge finished T6 in 2015. Bratton wants Fang to soak in the experience.
“What a special place Portrush is,” Bratton said. “In particular when it comes to Ireland I’ve been told that the Irish fans kick it up another level. Not that many players get to experience that as an amateur. But once it’s time to put the flag up, golf is golf, and he should be trying to finish as high as he can wherever that might be.”
Fang says he’d love to be low amateur and make the cut, but he isn’t putting any pressure on himself. He’s going to treat the major like a regular tournament.
“Every tournament I play, going into the week, I don’t like to set a bar for myself,” Fang said. “I just try to go out there and play as good as I can and the results will show.”
E-MAIL EVERETT
Top: Ethan Fang celebrates after winning the Amateur Championship in June.
Oisin Keniry, R&A via Getty Images