Summy trounces Fang in Western Am final

Writing from Glencoe, Illinois

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Jase Summy and Ethan Fang grew up about 40 miles from each other in Texas, Summy in Keller, Fang in Plano. They’ve been playing golf against each other since they were 10 and 11, Summy the elder by a few months. Good health and good golf swings willing, they’ll be playing each other for another 40 years, until one or the other tires of the senior tour.

Saturday afternoon, Summy went 1-up on Fang in significant championships. Summy scored a 6 and 5 victory over Fang in the 123rd championship match of the Western Amateur. That secures bragging rights until they meet again – perhaps in a fortnight in the United States Amateur, perhaps in the professional ranks in a couple of years.

Fang entered the higher-ranked player in the world rankings – No. 3 to Summy’s No. 9 – and had an easier time of it in his morning semifinal, but that meant nothing once Summy dropped a 12-footer for birdie on the par-3 second and two-putted for birdie from 50 feet on the par-5 third.

Summy was 2 up and was on his way. Fang closed the gap with a birdie on No. 7, but when Summy won Nos. 8, 9 and 10 with a pair of pars and a birdie, it was just a matter of time.

The par-5 13th is where time ran out. Fang rinsed his approach to the green, and once he failed to hole a desperation par putt, his hat was off and hand was extended. Golf’s version of Bedlam – Summy represents Oklahoma, Fang Oklahoma State – was over in three quarters. Summy is the first Sooner to win the Western Amateur since Charlie Coe in 1950.

“It was a tough week,” said Summy, who played 67 match play holes in two days after 72 stroke-play holes in qualifying. “I felt I did a good job preparing mentally and physically. It was cool playing against Ethan. We’ve been playing together and against each other for a long time. It was still really competitive, but at the end of the day, we’re still friends.”

The margin matched the largest in a final since the 18-hole format was adopted in 1961. John Klauk defeated Adam Robinson by a similar 6 and 5 margin at Point O Woods in 2002. It was also 16 holes shorter than last year’s 29-hole marathon in which Ian Gilligan outparred Jack Turner.

Summy, 4-under in 13 holes to Fang’s 4-over, including the usual concessions,  considered the 50 or so minutes between the dramatic end of his semifinal over Zackary Swanwick and the 90-odd minutes Fang rested after romping over Jacob Modleski a bit of an advantage.

“I knew I was swinging it good and felt confident,” Summy said. “I started to have some good pace on the greens. I knew where I was with my game.”

He made the final after trailing Swanwick 1 down on the 18th tee, and then saw his tee shot, and Swanwick’s, find fairway bunkers to the right. But Summy was next to the green with his second shot, and while he needed three more to get in the hole, Swanwick made a dog’s breakfast of it, taking 6 and double-bogeying his way to the 19th hole.

“I was just trying to make a good four, and ended up making bogey and it was enough to win,” Summy said of the 18th. “I hit it in that bunker two or three times in stroke play. I don’t like that bunker and it doesn’t like me.”

On the 19th, Swanwick three-putted from above the hole and was down the highway. Summy, who hadn’t led all morning, put his approach below the hole, two-putted, and was into the final.

Now, he not only has the George Thorne trophy in his clutches, but might have a berth on the Walker Cup team as well. Knocking off the world No. 3 can’t hurt him.

“I’d like to think I’m in a pretty good spot,” Summy said. “Nothing’s final, so I need to have another good week at the U.S. Am to further justify my case to be on the team.”

He’s a logical pick at this point, and he’d join the already-selected Fang in the team showcase.

“The ball-tracking was good,” Fang said of his morning adventure with Modleski, a 5 and 3 cartoon. “The afternoon match, I played pretty good on the front nine, but a couple things got loose.”

Fang didn’t miss a fairway until the 10th hole, but he’d lost the previous two to Summy, the eighth by failing to save par on No. 8, then by making a hash of the par-3 ninth.

“I tried forcing things when I was 2- or 3-down and they didn’t go my way. It’s all good,” Fang said. “I’ve got 20 or 30 years more of golf left in me. I’ll take the positives from the week and keep doing my thing.”

Around Skokie

Both players hit eight of nine fairways, with Summy hitting 11 of 13 greens and Fang nine greens. … Fang’s next stops are the U.S. Amateur and the Walker Cup. “One of things you want to do is represent Team USA as a college golfer, and at Cypress Point, too, which doesn’t suck,” Fang said. “I’m excited for both, but the Walker Cup is going to be special.” … Skokie superintendent Don Cross is to be commended for setting up a golf course both challenging and beautiful. Walking about was like walking in an oil painting. … Next year’s Western Amateur is at Beverly on the border of Chicago and Evergreen Park, while the 2027 edition, the 125th, is at Knollwood Club.

– Tim Cronin