Politano Set to Tee It Up at 2026 U.S. Men's Amateur Championship
Aug 03 | Men's Golf
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers rising sophomore Lucas Politano will compete in the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship, August 10-16, at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., and Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa., after claiming a full exemption into the field with a wire-to-wire win at the Vermont Amateur Championship.
Politano authored one of the best freshman seasons in recent Rutgers men's golf history in 2025-26. The Brandon, Vermont, native made an immediate impact in the Scarlet Knights' lineup, posting a 72.25 stroke average with seven rounds in the 60s and 11 rounds under par en route to Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.
His breakout moment came at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, where he finished runner-up while setting a program 54-hole scoring record at 18-under-par and carding the lowest single-round score in school history at 9-under. He backed that up with top-15 finishes at the Marquette Intercollegiate, Palmas del Mar Collegiate and Hoosier Collegiate, and helped lead Rutgers to its best-ever finish at the Big Ten Championships (fourth) in Oregon.
Politano capped his freshman campaign by qualifying for the NCAA Columbus Regional as the individual field's No. 7 seed, becoming the first freshman under 14th-year head coach Rob Shutte to reach NCAA Regionals — and the first Scarlet Knight to earn an individual NCAA postseason berth since Chris Gotterup in 2019-20.
Before arriving at Rutgers, Politano was the No. 1-ranked golfer in Vermont according to Junior Golf Scoreboard, became the second-youngest player ever to win the Vermont Amateur Championship in 2024, and qualified for both the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur Championships.
How He Qualified
Politano won the 2026 Vermont Amateur Championship on Thursday at historic Ekwanok Country Club, closing with a 5-under 65 to claim his home state's most prestigious amateur title by 12 strokes.
He finished 72 holes at 8-under 272 (70-66-71-65) on the par-70 layout — the only player in the field to finish the week under par. Alex Leonard of Burlington Country Club was second at 4-over 284.
Trailing by one after an opening 70, Politano answered with a 4-under 66 to seize a lead he would never surrender. He carried a three-shot cushion into the final round, then pulled away with the low round of the championship, gaining nine strokes on Leonard over the closing 18 holes alone. His 65 and 66 stand as the two lowest rounds recorded at Ekwanok all week.
As Vermont Amateur champion, Politano receives a full exemption into the 126th U.S. Amateur. Merion's East Course welcomes the championship back for the first time since 2005, with the field capped at 312 players.
Championship Info
Dates: August 10-16, 2026 Sites: Merion Golf Club (Ardmore, Pa.) | Philadelphia Country Club (Gladwyne, Pa.)
Format:
- Stroke Play (Rounds 1-2): Begins Monday, August 10 (not streamed)
- Match Play: Begins Wednesday, August 12, pending stroke play qualification
Lucas' tee time for the opening round will be released closer to the start of the tournament. Live results will be available on the USGA website.
Broadcast/Streaming
Coverage airs on Peacock/NBC.
| Date | Round | Network | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Aug. 12 | Round of 64 | Peacock/NBCSN | 3-6 p.m. |
| Thu., Aug. 13 | Round of 16 | Peacock/NBCSN | 3-6 p.m. |
| Fri., Aug. 14 | Quarterfinals | Peacock/NBCSN | 3-6 p.m. |
| Sat., Aug. 15 | Semifinals | Peacock | 3-4 p.m. |
| Sat., Aug. 15 | Semifinals | NBC | 4-6 p.m. |
| Sun., Aug. 16 | Championship Match (AM 18) | Peacock | 3-4 p.m. |
| Sun., Aug. 16 | Championship Match (PM 18) | NBC | 4-6 p.m. |
Full Schedule
Monday, August 10 (First Round)
- 7-9:12 a.m. off No. 1 tee; 7:15-9:27 a.m. off No. 11 tee
- 12:30-2:42 p.m. off No. 1 tee; 12:45-2:57 p.m. off No. 11 tee
- 7-9:12 a.m. off No. 1 and No. 10 tee @ PCC; 12:30-2:42 p.m. off No. 1 and No. 10 tee @ PCC
Tuesday, August 11 (Second Round)
- 7-9:12 a.m. off No. 1 tee; 7:15-9:27 a.m. off No. 11 tee
- 12:30-2:42 p.m. off No. 1 tee; 12:45-2:57 p.m. off No. 11 tee
- 7-9:12 a.m. off No. 1 and No. 10 tee @ PCC; 12:30-2:42 p.m. off No. 1 and No. 10 tee @ PCC
Wednesday, August 12 — Round of 64 Match Play: 9 a.m.
Thursday, August 13
- Round of 32 Match Play: 7:15 a.m.
- Round of 16 Match Play: 1:15 p.m.
Friday, August 14 — Quarterfinals: 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 15 — Semifinals: 2 p.m.
Sunday, August 16 — Championship Match: 9 a.m.
