Wales golfers Jonathan Bale and Tomi Bowen reached the final of the US Amateur Four-Ball in one of the top Welsh performances in US Golf Association events.
The impressive pair came through a strong field of the world’s top players in the 11th USGA Amateur Four-Ball in Desert Mountain Golf Club in Arizona, qualifying for the event through both being top 400 in the world rankings at the time of entries.
Bale, aged 38, and Bowen, 23, met through representing Wales together in the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship in Malaysia, as well as the European Team Championships and Home Internationals.
“It’s a success,” said Bale after the final. “Obviously, this is disappointing not to have won, but I think someone said yesterday there were 2,500 entries and we’re one of the last two teams standing. To get to a final of a USGA event, I think it’s pretty successful.”
Bowen hopes the result will boost his hopes of making the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team later this summer. “I mean, the results state their own case. I’ve just got to go out the next two months, just perform and that will do any talking,” he said.
Bale, from Royal Porthcawl but now based in Florida and working for a hedge fund, asked his younger teammate Bowen, from Welshpool, to join him in the event, a decision that certainly paid off.
They qualified for the last 32 match play stages out of a field of 256 players, and then were 33 under par on their way to the final, winning the morning semi-final on the 18th before taking part in the championship match in the afternoon.
They lost out to former Southeastern Louisiana University teammates Grady Brame and Lawrence Allan, who are both reinstated amateurs following spells in the professional ranks.
After a nip and tuck battle on the front nine, the American/Scottish pair were six under for the next six holes to clinch the title.
“It was a lot tougher this afternoon,” said Bale. “I think the greens were crispier, a bit more wind, so it’s hard to hit it close to some of those pins.
“I think we made some early on and then, you know, the matching eagle on 12 by Tomi and then the birdie on the par-3 13th to get it back to 2 down.
“So, I would say I think we made our fair share. I think we got outplayed today. Those guys played great.”
The runners-up earned silver medals, plus exemptions into the next three U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships. However Bowen has indicated he might enter DP World Tour Q-School later this fall and turn professional, which would forfeit the exemptions.
Wales Golf Pathway and High Performance Director Gareth Jenkins added, “The guys did incredibly well.
“This was an excellent performance within a top class field in the US. Congratulations to both players which will no doubt boost their confidence for the rest of the season ahead.”
The R&A have announced that Lahinch Golf Club, located on the west coast of Ireland, will host the 51st Walker Cup match on 5th-6th September 2026. The ten man teams are expected to be announced in Mid-August.
