It’s time for the most grueling men’s amateur championship in the world.

The 2025 U.S. Amateur got underway Monday at Olympic Club in San Francisco. Stroke play will be contested on both the Lake Course and Ocean Course, with match play moving to the Lake Course on Wednesday. The field consists of 312 of the best amateurs in the world, including 19 of the top 20 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and 47 of the top 50.

Here’s a look at 10 must-watch players during the 2025 U.S. Amateur:

10 players to watch at U.S. Amateur 2025

Hamilton Coleman

The winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur, Coleman, a Georgia commit, will try to see if he can make match play against some of the nation’s best.

Ethan Fang

Fang has been arguably the hottest amateur this summer. He won the British Amateur at Royal St. George’s, was named to the U.S. Walker Cup team and finished runner-up at the Western Amateur.

Filip Jakubcik

Jakubcik won the European Amateur this summer, earning his spot in the field at the Open Championship, where he missed the cut.

Ben James

Another member of the U.S. Walker Cup team, James is ranked second in WAGR and made the quarterfinals at the Western Amateur, falling to Fang.

Jackson Koivun

Koivun is the top-ranked amateur in the world, and for good reason. In his last three starts on the PGA Tour, he has finished T-11, T-6 and T-5.

Michael La Sasso

La Sasso, a rising senior at Ole Miss, is a member of the U.S. Walker Cup team and won the NCAA individual title in May at Omni La Costa.

Tommy Morrison

Morrison, who’s in contention for one of the final five spots on the U.S. Walker Cup team, made match play at the Western Amateur and European Amateur this summer.

Miles Russell

The 16-year-old is the top-ranked junior in the world, and he has an outside shot at making the Walker Cup team, but he’ll likely need a win to solidify his spot.

Preston Stout

Stout, another member of the U.S. Walker Cup team, won the Northeast Amateur earlier this summer and helped Oklahoma State win the national title in May.

Jase Summy

Summy, who’s virtually a lock for the Walker Cup team, won the Western Amateur a couple weeks ago, topping Fang by a record margin.

The Truth Behind the Rumor
A viral video claimed to show a killer whale trainer named Jessica Radcliffe, aged around 23, being attacked and killed on stage at the so-called “Pacific Blue Marine Park.” However, investigators have confirmed that the footage was entirely AI-generated, including both visuals and audio (New York Post, The Economic Times).

In reality, no person named Jessica Radcliffe exists, nor is there any marine park called “Pacific Blue Marine Park” (The Economic Times).

There have been no official reports from the media, marine facilities, or law enforcement confirming such an incident. No news briefs, obituaries, or press statements exist related to this case (The Economic Times, New York Post).

Why Did the Video Go Viral?
The clip tapped into genuine public fear stemming from real past incidents involving killer whales—such as the death of Dawn Brancheau caused by Tilikum at SeaWorld—making it easy for many to believe before fact-checking (The Economic Times).

Its realistic visuals, coupled with sophisticated AI-generated sound design, gave the video a sense of authenticity that fueled rapid sharing without verification.

Some versions even added sensational—and baseless—details, such as claims that the whale was drawn to the trainer’s menstrual blood, a fabrication meant solely to shock and attract attention (The Economic Times).