Irish teenager soars in US Junior Amateur as Tiger Woods' son struggles

Irish teen golfing sensation Sean Kelling has made his way into the US Junior Amateur Championship matchplay stage at Oakland Hills.

The 17-year-old star delivered a first round of 69 and a second round of 68, placing him within the top five in this esteemed event.

Kelling's second round saw six birdies and four bogeys, and he now enters the draw for the matchplay stages where 64 golfers will compete for the title.

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Despite being eliminated in the last 64 in 2023, Kelling's stroke play performance indicates he could progress further in this year's tournament.

The reigning Irish Boys Amateur champion is set to begin his studies at Texas Tech University in the upcoming months. Among his competitors this week is American prodigy Miles Russell, who debuted on the PGA Tour at just 15 years old last month.

Russell started with a 68 and was two-under-par for his second round when play was halted due to dangerous weather conditions. Past winners of the tournament include Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, David Duval, and Tiger Woods .

Interestingly, Woods' son Charlie is also participating in his US Junior Amateur Championship this week. However, the 15-year-old had a challenging start with an opening round of 82 and faces a significant challenge to qualify for the matchplay stages.

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