This was a big deal for the Florida youngster, about to become a high school junior in two weeks. He couldn’t hold back the tears.
Young Tyler Mawhinney — just 16 years old and in contention all week for the 2024 Canadian Amateur men’s golf title — held his emotions in check right until the finish line.
But minutes after he captured the Canadian Amateur with a one-shot victory over defending champion Ashton McCulloch in dramatic style, Mawhinney needed some extra time to compose himself.
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Who could blame him?
This was a big deal for the Florida youngster, about to become a high school junior in two weeks.
He couldn’t hold back the tears.
He let it all out.
The emotions, that is. He was almost at a loss for words, otherwise.
“I kind of don’t have much, really, to say right now,” admitted Mawhinney, a member of the Team U.S.A national golf program. “I really don’t know. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just sinking it in. I’m just proud that I could finish it off after some great golf.”
Mawhinney finished it off with a 3-under-par 69 Thursday at the Riverside Country Club to end the four-day tournament at 15-under (65-69-70-69—273), one better than both Kingston, Ont.’s McCulloch (68-70-67-69—274) and Waterloo, Ont.’s Garrett Rank (67-71-69-67—274).
“It was a lot of fun (going shot to shot with McCulloch in the final pairing),” said Mawhinney. “It’s kind of what you practice for. You don’t practice for being like in the eighth-last group; you practice for being in the last group, with a shot to win. It’s nice to test where you’re at.”
With the Canadian Amateur win, Mawhinney will be granted a number of exemptions down the road.
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“A couple of people said, ‘I’ll see you at Hazeltine (site of 2024 U.S. Amateur)’ so I guess that’s what is next,” added Mawhinney, who thanked both his dad and Jesus Christ after the win. “We’ll figure it out when we get there.
“It’s a great thing (title) to have and something that I’ll always look back on and say that I won. I’ve won some junior events, but to win on an Amateur stage, and to win on a national stage, is just a whole different ball-park. Our national team helped us get in and I was one of those who said they’d go and do it and I guess the rest is history.’
Meanwhile, McCulloch made a late run for a second straight Canadian Amateur title but came up a little short.
“Obviously it stings a little bit, but the week itself was an unbelievable week,” said McCulloch, who will be heading to the U.S. Amateur next and then on to Michigan State for his final year of collegiate golf.
“To try and defend your national Am is pretty special, tight? And to do it at such an amazing golf course, with amazing help and amazing volunteers — the golf course was run perfectly — so you couldn’t really ask for a better week other than the end result.”
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McCulloch eagled No. 16 with a lengthy putt, from 20-25 feet out, to put extra pressure on Mawhinney.
“I really hadn’t made anything over two feet all day and we were kind of talking about it before and I said, ‘this one just has to go in; I don’t care if its’ five feet long, it just has to go in’ and it did,” offered McCulloch. “Obviously I was pretty excited. Tyler closed it out very well, but I felt I gave myself a chance.”
However, Mawhinney responded by almost acing the next hole, the Par 3 No. 17, putting his shot to within a foot of the cup.
“That’s probably the clutchest shot I’ve ever hit in my life, in that circumstance,” noted Mawhinney, tearing up. “I don’t know. It was just the right number, I guess. It’s hard to beat that shot. Hitting an 8-iron to a foot, on the second-last hole, is pretty special.”
McCulloch nearly gave himself another chance on No. 18 when he nearly holed his approach shot for an eagle. Instead he settled for a birdie but it was one shot short of Mawhinney.
“It looked to me like it hit the cup — it was a good shot, regardless,” said McCulloch. “I gave it a chance.”
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It was a good experience, nonetheless, for the runner-up McCulloch.
Past Canadian Amateur winners include current PGA Tour players Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor, who won at Saskatoon Riverside back in 2007.
“I definitely had confidence all week knowing that I can get it done,” said McCulloch. “I kind of proved it, at times today, that I can do it under pressure, obviously, and perform and elevate my game. You’ve got to take confidence away from the week.
“At the end of the day, it’s hard to win anywhere. To get close is pretty cool.”
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