Local Golfer Shines at U.S. Amateur

SAN FRANCISCO – This week, Niall Shiels-Donegan has begun each morning in his Mill Valley, California home, about thirty minutes north of San Francisco. Dressed in golf attire, he has traversed the Golden Gate Bridge to the Olympic Club.

It seems much of Mill Valley has joined him there.

After concluding his third match in the 125th U.S. Amateur with a narrow 1-up win against Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout, the 20-year-old raised his hat to acknowledge the crowd of over a hundred supporters—clearly the largest and most vocal gallery present. Following the match, he turned to his caddie, Todd Moutafian—his former little league coach—and joyfully exclaimed, “That was pretty fun!”

The celebration escalated as friends and family rushed to congratulate him, their cheers likely echoing across Lake Merced.

“Niall! Niall! Niall!” they chanted, lining up for high-fives and hugs, shaking him so enthusiastically that his hat fell off.

“It’s the best thing in the world!” Shiels-Donegan said, his voice loud enough to be heard during his post-match interview with Golf Channel. “Winning in front of a home crowd at the U.S. Amateur is incredibly meaningful.”

Although originally from Scotland, Shiels-Donegan was raised in Mill Valley. His father, Lawrence Donegan, was a golf columnist for The Guardian when Niall was born in Glasgow, and his mother, Maggie Shiels, transitioned from the BBC to Google when Niall was three, leading the family to settle in the Bay Area.