Noah Maclauchlan caused a big surprise when the little-known player reached the final of the 2026 US Junior Amateur to face Miles Russell.
Here are 10 things to know about him.
Noah Maclauchlan Facts
1. Noah Maclauchlan is from Moseley, Virginia.
2. He surprised many by not only reaching the final of the 2026 US Junior Amateur to face Miles Russell but beating him with a commanding 6&5 victory.
3. His win was even more remarkable given he made the 264-player field as an alternate, earning his spot when Rawlin Sutter won the Alabama State Boys Junior to become exempt.
4. The 18-year-old has a younger brother, Liam, who also plays golf. He also played in the 2026 US Junior Amateur, but missed the cut at the strokeplay stage of the event.
5. Because of Liam’s missed cut, he caddied for Noah in the latter stages of the tournament.
6. Maclauchlan began the week as 2,047th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, 2,040 places beneath Russell.
7. He earned a place in the US Amateur at Merion as a result of reaching the final. Following his semi-final win over Cooper Moore, he seemed surprised at the news, saying: “Oh, man. You know, I don't really have words for that.
“I passed my local but failed my final, so nothing means more to me than that, going to get to play at another stage like this in another USGA Championship. I'm sure it'll come to my mind and I'll start to really take hold of it later, but it's all kind of fresh right now.”
8. He has committed to play college golf at Liberty University.
9. The month before the US Junior Amateur, he won the Lanto Junior Championship with rounds of 66, 67 and 73.
10. He is left-handed.
From |
Moseley, Virginia |
College |
Liberty University (from 2026) |
Height |
6'0" (183 cm) |
