Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

SDSU Golfer Wins U.S. Amateur Championship

Gunn Yang blast out of the greenside bunker on the 15th hole at the U.S. Amateur Championship golf tournament at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga., Aug. 16, 2014.
USGA/Associated Press
Gunn Yang blast out of the greenside bunker on the 15th hole at the U.S. Amateur Championship golf tournament at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga., Aug. 16, 2014.

San Diego State University sophomore golfer Gunn Yang won the 114th U.S. Amateur Championship Sunday, beating Canada's Corey Conners 2- and-1 in the 36-hole match play final at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Yang, 20, is a native of South Korea and graduate of Torrey Pines High. He is the No. 776 ranked amateur golfer in the world and beat five players who are ranked in the top 100 on his way to winning the world's premier amateur golfing title.

The win guarantees Yang a spot in three of the PGA's four major tournaments in 2015, including the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open Championship and the British Open Championship.

Advertisement

Yang never trailed in Sunday's final and a par putt on No. 17, the 35th hole of the day, gave him a two-hole lead with just one hole left to play, making him the second SDSU golfer to win the tournament along with Gene Littler in 1953. San Diego native Phil Mickelson won in 1990.

Yang qualified for the 64-player match play portion of the tournament Tuesday after shooting a 2-under 141 during stroke play to finish in a tie for 21st. SDSU senior Xander Schauffele, a graduate of Scripps Ranch High, also qualified for match-play, falling 7-and-6 in the opening round.

Yang has played in just four tournaments for SDSU in two seasons due to a back injury, according to SDSU's athletics website. His best finish was at the Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic, where he finished tied for eighth out of 83 golfers by shooting a 1-under 215.