AFRICA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

February 7, 2026

Jack Buchanan

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Jack, you are the winner of the Africa Amateur Championship after an amazing run this week. How does it feel?

JACK BUCHANAN: It feels great to get the job done this week. Like I said earlier, feels like it's been coming for a while, but it feels unreal to get into the tournaments that you get into by winning this tournament.

Q. I heard you mentioned you want to win The Open one day, but you had to win this first. How does that feel?

JACK BUCHANAN: Any time you win any tournament it's really good, but to win a tournament of this caliber really means a lot to me.

It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure over the next couple days, by the time I get back to school in the U.S., it'll be in full force.

Q. Obviously 154th Open, Royal Birkdale. Excited?

JACK BUCHANAN: I stand to be corrected, but I believe my first Open that I went to was Royal Birkdale, either 2016 or '17 I think it was.

So to go back somewhere where I was a kid watching not too long ago, what feels like not too long ago but actually ten years ago, it's going to be really special.

Q. You said you watched it. Have you got any memories from that?

JACK BUCHANAN: Yeah, Kevin Na gave me a golf ball that he just got a hole-in-one with in a practice round. Rickie Fowler gave me a signed glove.

It's going to be unbelievable to tee it up with these type of names in a few months' time.

Q. And golfers that you might play with there, talk to me about some of the names you might want to play with.

JACK BUCHANAN: Yeah, my favorite golfer since I was a kid has Rory McIlroy, so I mean, just to see him up close would be pretty cool.

But to play with, obviously some of the South African names. Aldrich won the R&A Amateur a few years ago he gave me a few tickets to go watch him, so took me in the ropes over there.

Love to play with somebody local like that, but, yeah, Rory has been my No. 1 golfer, favorite golfer since I've been a kid.

Q. And let's go back to today and this week. How do you feel that you played this week?

JACK BUCHANAN: I'm just grateful that the R&A can put on such a good event and you guys are so accepting of college guys coming to play. My coach at school let me come play, so just really fortunate to be able to play in such an event like this, good event like this, which has so much meaning behind it.

Q. And winning this week is obviously very important. What else have you enjoyed?

JACK BUCHANAN: Royal Johannesburg Golf Club has been a great host this week. Rob Larsen and his team have really looked after us well. The course has been in unreal condition.

I was telling him the other day it's very similar to one the courses we play in southern Cal. Just really felt like home this week. I had a lot people come out and watch today in hopes that I could get the job done, and just over the moon right now.

Q. And is there anyone that you would like to thank?

JACK BUCHANAN: Yeah, my mom has been walking all four rounds. Big part of my golf up to now. My dad is back in Cape Town at the moment, so mom and dad and the whole team around me. So many people to list. Callaway Golf has been a big help to me thus far.

My coach, swing coach Lionel Wearne (?) out in Cape Town being. Just too many people to mention.

Yeah, it's been good.