The 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Trinity Forest Golf Club proved to be a grueling, yet exhilarating test for the nation’s top junior golfers, culminating in a hard-fought victory for 17-year-old Hamilton Coleman of Augusta, Georgia. Over a demanding week from July 21-26, Coleman, a University of Georgia commit, showcased exceptional mental fortitude and a refined game to emerge as champion, inscribing his name among golf’s rising stars.
The championship began with 264 players tackling the stroke-play qualifying rounds across Trinity Forest Golf Club, a modern links-style course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and co-host Brook Hollow Golf Club, a classic A.W. Tillinghast design. Trinity Forest, known for its firm, fast conditions and undulating greens, presented a unique challenge, often playing like a European links course despite its Dallas location.
Once in match play, Coleman hit his stride, demonstrating a relentless competitive spirit. His Round of 64 match stretched an incredible 25 holes, the longest U.S. Junior Amateur match in 23 years, setting the tone for a week where he consistently rose to the occasion under pressure. He systematically defeated formidable opponents, including a decisive 5&4 victory over Vanderbilt commit Luke Colton in the semifinals, and a 2&1 win against Tyler Watts in the Round of 16, both of whom are top five players in the Junior Golf Hub Rankings. Coleman specifically noted the need to “keep the pedal down” and avoid “silly mistakes” against such strong competition.
The 36-hole championship final pitted Coleman against 18-year-old Nguyen Anh Minh of Vietnam, an incoming Oregon State freshman. Anh Minh’s own run to the final was historic, making him the first Vietnamese player ever to reach a USGA final. His path included impressive wins over players like Nicholas Gross and Qiwou Wu, demonstrating his own high-level play.
In the final, Coleman burst out of the gates, building a commanding 5-up lead through 12 holes in the morning session. Despite this significant advantage, Anh Minh, known for his gritty play, mounted a relentless comeback. Coleman took a 3-up lead into the lunch break, but Anh Minh continued to chip away in the afternoon, reducing Coleman’s lead to just 1-up with six holes to play. Coleman, with his caddie Mitchell Blackburn providing steady support, remained composed. He hadn’t won a hole since the 25th until a crucial moment on the 99-yard, par-3 17th (the 35th hole of the match). There, Coleman calmly sank a 10-foot birdie putt, sealing his 2 and 1 victory.
Coleman’s triumph secures him an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills, along with exemptions into the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Amateur Championships, and all future U.S. Junior Amateur Championships if age-eligible. This win places him in an elite fraternity of U.S. Junior Amateur champions, including golf legends like Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler. For Nguyen Anh Minh, while the trophy eluded him, his historic run and impressive performance served as a strong statement for Vietnamese golf on the global stage.
The 77th U.S. Junior Amateur at Trinity Forest was a true testament to the spirit of junior golf, showcasing competitive excellence, perseverance, and sportsmanship under the Texas sun.
Photo Credit: USGA/Dustin Satloff