ARMONK, N.Y. (July 15, 2025) – Final qualifying for the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship wrapped up on Tuesday at The Whippoorwill Club following a suspension of play on Monday due to weather, then a 5-for-1 playoff for the last qualifying spot. In the end, Dean Muratore of Dix Hills, N.Y., and Jackson Saroney of Syracuse, N.Y., shared medalist honors behind 5-under 65s.
Both Muratore and Saroney finished play on Monday, as did Canada’s Garrett Rank with a 3-under 67, while the remaining six qualifiers – Arrow Aarav Shah of Australia; Alex Zurat of Victor, N.Y.; Tim Hegarty of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.; Jager Pain of Canada; Colin Summers of Westfield, N.J.; and Kevin Lydon of Doylestown, Pa. – completed play on Tuesday. Lydon used a birdie on the par-4 12th – the fifth playoff hole – to earn the final qualifying spot.
“I definitely putted well,” said Muratore of his performance. “I missed one putt inside of 10 feet all day, and I think that is definitely why I’ll be going to San Francisco in a few weeks.”
Muratore used his length to his advantage around Whippoorwill right from the start.
“I drove the first green and had a long two-putt from around 75 feet, so got started with a birdie, then was greenside on the second hole. I had a lot of wedges in today, so it was nice because you get those shorter clubs, you get a little bit of spin on it, and you’ll be able to hit it close and make a putt.”
Hegarty and Summers joined Muratore as Met Area players moving on to The Olympic Club for the August 11-17 championship. Both carded 3-under 67s, with Hegarty returning to The Whippoorwill Club Tuesday morning to clean up a two-foot par putt on the final hole. This will be his first start in the U.S. Amateur.
“I figured it was kind of soft out here, so people would be able to score,” said Summers about his approach entering Tuesday with nine holes to play. “I took it one shot at a time, one step at a time.”
Summers will be making his second straight U.S. Amateur appearance and looks to build off the experience from 2024.
“You go the first time, see a lot of the top players, and you kind of get starstruck a little,” says Summers. “You don’t really know what process is the best for you, but I have a good game plan going into it and I’m looking forward to going to San Francisco.”
Pain, 17, saved bogey from the right hillside of the par-4 18th to notch his 3-under 67 on Tuesday morning while Shah, 18, drilled a lengthy birdie putt to secure his spot with a 4-under 66. Zurat had four birdies on his inward nine en route to his 4-under 66.
Rank, who at one time had competed in nine consecutive U.S. Amateurs, had a quick start to his round on Monday and though he had to wait a long time to confirm he had qualified, is now looking forward to making another appearance in the championship.
“I got off to a great start, birdied the first two holes and then played a really solid front nine,” said Rank, who is now finding more time for his game after another season as an NHL referee. “I got scratchy in the middle of the round, maybe thinking about it a little bit or maybe just not as sharp, but then finished strong with a couple of birdies late and was pretty happy to get it in at 3-under. “It’s nice to get back in and I’m excited to go and compete again.”
Saroney used four consecutive birdies over his last four holes to secure his spot with his 65 on Monday.
Out of the 5-for-1 playoff, Jack Estrella of Brookville, N.Y., earned the first alternate position and recent Long Island Amateur champion Joseph Dolezal took the second alternate position.
