The Elite Eight is set for the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship at the esteemed Merion Golf Club. The top seeds have all been knocked out and the rest of the way will be a test of pure grit in determining the champion.
Here's a closer look at the Quarterfinalists battling to bring home the Havemeyer Trophy.
Adam Bresnu, 22, of Morocco
- WAGR: 30
- Rising senior at Texas Tech University
- Earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2025-26
- Represented Morocco at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship, where he finished tied for third in Singapore
- Finished tied for fourth at 2025 Northeast Amateur Invitational
- Advanced to the Round of 16 of the North & South Amateur Championship
- First player from Morocco to advance to match play in U.S. Amateur history
- First Arab-born golfer to make the cut in a DP World Tour Rolex Series event at the 2025 Hero Dubai Classic
- Won nine events at Odessa (Texas) College to become the No. 1 junior college player in the country in the 2024-25 season
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 72-68-140 to earn the No. 29 seed
R64: Def. Ward Harris, 4 and 3
R32: Def. Finn Koelle, 3 and 2
R16: Def. Max Herendeen, 5 and 4
Brandon Knight, 21, of Pleasanton, Calif.
- WAGR: 534
- Competing in third U.S. Amateur Championship
- Rising senior at University of Colorado
- Finished second at Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate
- Finished seventh at The Thunderbird Collegiate
- Recorded a top-15 finish at the Pacific Coast Amateur
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 69-72 to earn the No. 48 seed
R64: Def. Connor Graham, 6 and 5
R32: Def. Noah Kent, 3 and 2
R16: Def. Gaven Lane, 1 up
Jay Leng Jr., 20, of San Diego, Calif.
- WAGR: 23
- Competing in his second U.S. Amateur
- Winner of 2026 Western Amateur
- Finished as the runner-up at the Northeast Amateur Invitational
- Rising Junior at Stanford University where he had four Top 10 finishes and was named to the 2026 All-ACC team
- Was the top-ranked recruit in the state of California in 2024
- Represented the USA in the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup
- Advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 70–68 in stroke play and earned the No. 15 seed
R64: Def. Evan Beck, 5 and 4
R32: Def. Zackary Swanwick, 6 and 5
R16: Def. Tyler Watts, 1 up
Carter Loflin, 22, of Duluth, Ga.
- WAGR: 47
- Competing in his first U.S. Amateur and sixth USGA championship
- Advanced to the semifinals in consecutive U.S. Amateur Four-Balls in 2022 and 2023 alongside partner Wells Williams
- Completed senior season at the University of Georgia in May; will graduate in December with a business degree
- Runner-up at the 2026 Georgia Amateur Championship
- Finished T-13 at the 2026 Southern Amateur
- Won both the 2026 Dogwood Invitational and Linger Longer Invitational
- Advanced to the Round of 32 of the 2025 North & South Amateur
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 70-67-137 to earn the No. 8 seed
R64: Def. Grayson Wood, 1 up
R32: Def. Wolfgang Glawe, 3 and 1
R16: Def. William Jennings, 19 holes
Michael Lugiano, 22, of Jackson Township, Pa.
- WAGR: 335
- Competing in his second U.S. Amateur after missing the cut last year at The Olympic Club
- Winner of 2026 NCAA Corvallis Regional
- Rising junior at Liberty University where he earned First-Team All-Conference USA honors in 2026
- Liberty teammate Joshua Ryan earned medalist honors this week at Merion
- Finished as the runner-up at the 2025 Pennsylvania Amateur Championship
- Won the 2025 Delaware Amateur Championship
- Advanced to the Round of 64 at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 71–68–139 in stroke play to earn the No. 19 seed
R64: Def. Chase Hughes, 1 up
R32: Def. Nevil Ruiter, 1 up
R16: Def. Drake Harvey, 1 up
Logan Reilly, 19, of Lovettsville, Va.
- WAGR: 56
- Advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Western Amateur
- Competed in the 2026 US Open after shooting 68-67-135 during final qualifying
- Tied for fifth at the 2026 Northeast Amateur Invitational
- Rising sophomore at Auburn University where he was a member of the SEC All-Freshman team
- Secured the winning putt in the 2026 NCAA National Championship Match against UCLA
- Only player on Auburn's roster to go undefeated in match play on the season
- Father, Terry Reilly, is a golf agent who represents Chris Gotterup and Denny Mccarthy
- 2024 Virginia State Amateur Champion
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 69–69–138 in stroke play and earned the No. 11 seed
R64: Def. Emile Lebrun, 19 holes
R32: Def. Evan Liu, 2 and 1
R16: Def. Ryder Cowan, 20 holes
Jack Turner, 22, of Orlando, Fla.
- WAGR: 19
- Competing in his second U.S. Amateur
- Three-time PING All-American, including Second-Team honors in 2026
- Rising Senior at Florida University where he earned First-Team All-SEC honors last season
- Two-time Arnold Palmer Cup participant for the USA in 2025 and 2026
- Was a part of the longest final match in Western Amateur history where he lost to Florida teammate Ian Gilligan in 29 holes
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 70–67–137 in stroke play to earn the No. 7 seed
R64: Def. Fifa Laopakdee, 2 and 1
R32: Def. Niall Sheils Donegan, 3 and 2
R16: Def. Joshua Bai, 5 and 3
Jack Whaley, 22, of England
- WAGR: 90
- Rising senior at Florida State University
- Competing in first U.S. Amateur
- Competed at NAIA Dalton State before transferring to FSU
- Won the 2025 NAIA Men’s Golf Championship and became the first player in history to collect all of the NAIA national awards, including the Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player Awards
- Finished T-14 during stroke play at the 2026 NCAA National Championship
- Competed in the 2026 Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool, in England
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 71-71-142 and survived a 16-for-11 playoff to earn the No. 60 seed
R64: Def. Jackson Ormund, 22 holes
R32: Def. Bowen Mauss, 2 and 1
R16: Def. Christian Cavaliere, 4 and 3
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