William Jennings Poised to Make Impact for Alabama Golf After Breakout Summer

Fog hung low over Olympic Club, wrapping itself around the towering cypress trees. William Jennings stood on the tee, the Pacific Ocean air so heavy it made his drives fall shorter than they would in Tuscaloosa.

To the outside world, he was just another name on the U.S. Amateur tee sheet, a rising sophomore at Alabama trying to survive one of amateur golf’s toughest tests. But Jennings knew differently. He knew what it took to get here and how far he had come in just a few months.

Only a few months earlier, he was buried in the grind of college golf, struggling to adapt during his freshman season and searching for his swing. Now, after a summer that turned heads at the Dogwood Invitational, the North & South Amateur and finally on the game’s biggest amateur stage, Jennings enters the 2025 college golf season looking less like a newcomer and more like someone ready to lead.

Jennings, from Greenville, South Carolina, started playing golf around age eight and tried nearly every sport until his early teens, including basketball and tennis. Both of his parents played college tennis, and he was more interested in tennis at a young age. By 14, he focused primarily on golf, and even before winning some of the bigger junior events, he felt the sport could be his pathway.

The mental side of golf, Jennings said, was shaped by his tennis experience. The solo nature of both sports forced him to rely on himself and learn to thrive independently, a skill that has carried over into his golfing career.

Alabama had been a familiar presence long before Jennings arrived on campus. He has known the Seawell family for years and took lessons from Coach Jay Seawell’s brother, Daniel, who is based in Aiken. Both of his grandparents attended Alabama, giving the program personal significance. Despite having multiple options, Alabama stood out because of the coaching connection and the new facilities, and Jennings said he has had no regrets about his choice.

That early familiarity didn’t make the transition to college golf easy.

“Coming out of high school, I was playing some good golf and then kind of got to school and struggled a little bit,” Jennings told Bama Central. “Getting to college, you’re on a schedule, and I just didn’t adapt very well. Towards the end of the season, I got back to the basics of my whole game and started finding it again. From there, I got confidence back and started playing good golf.”

That confidence showed up on the scorecards. Jennings began the summer at the Dogwood Invitational, posting a pair of 66s on Friday and Sunday to finish tied for sixth at 13-under par. For a player who only cracked Alabama’s starting lineup once as a freshman, it was a breakthrough performance.

“I could have made a lot more putts at Dogwood, maybe finished a little higher,” Jennings said. “It was a good start to the summer and something I could build off.”

Next came Pinehurst. On a stage soaked in amateur golf history, Jennings delivered the biggest result of his career. He won medalist honors at the North & South Amateur, shooting 5-under across No. 2 and No. 7 to top the field in stroke play.

In match play, he defeated UCLA transfer and future Alabama teammate Luke Powell 5-and-4 in the opening round. The two had never met before the tournament, making it a competitive, high-stakes matchup. Jennings’ run ended in the Round of 16 against Kihei Akina, but he had already set the stage for the U.S. Amateur.

This August wasn’t Jennings’ first U.S. Amateur. In 2022, he qualified through the Camden, South Carolina, Camden Country Club qualifier but struggled at Ridgewood, shooting 79-78 and missing the cut.

“[The U.S. Amateur] is obviously a lot different than other tournaments because of how tough a test it is,” Jennings said. “I feel like I benefited a lot from playing it before. It’s really just another golf tournament, and the majority of those guys I’ve been playing with my whole life.”

Jennings returned to the U.S. Amateur in 2025 through the Johns Creek, Georgia, Standard Club qualifier, shooting a 69 to finish solo fourth and secure his spot at Olympic Club. The tournament was staged on both Olympic’s Ocean Course and the recently renovated Lake Course, designed by Gil Hanse.

William Jennings, rising sophomore at the University of Alabama, hits his approach shot onto the second green at the Lake Course. | (Chris Keane/USGA)

"It’s very penal. If you’re out of the fairway, you’re probably going to make bogey," Jennings said. "The greens are also penal, but most of the time you’re playing toward the middle, and they’re so perfect.”

Foggy mornings and the cold Pacific air forced Jennings to adjust to shorter drives and tricky conditions. He opened with an even-par 70 on Ocean and followed with a 72 on Lake, finishing T33 in stroke play and the only Alabama player to qualify for match play.

“I’ve heard people say U.S. Amateurs can compare to the U.S. Open,” Jennings said. “I don’t know if that’s completely accurate. The U.S. Open is probably harder. But the USGA does a great job making it as difficult as possible.”

In match play, Jennings, seeded No. 33, faced Utah Tech’s David Liechty on the Lake Course. He jumped out to an early two-hole lead with pars on holes 1 and 3. But Liechty won four straight holes beginning on the fifth, taking a two-hole lead at the turn. Jennings fought back, winning the 11th and 14th holes, but a dropped hole on 13 and a double bogey on 17 ended his run, with Liechty claiming a 2-and-1 victory.

“It was definitely disappointing,” Jennings said. “I felt like I was playing at a high enough level to make a run, especially getting up early. The first few holes are tough, and if you can manage them, you can set yourself up. I just didn’t get the momentum I needed, and match play is so much about putting pressure on your opponent. A couple of unlucky breaks and missed shots cost me.”

Despite the loss, Jennings viewed the week as a success. He left as the only Alabama player to reach match play and with confidence he can carry into the college season. “Making match play at the U.S. Amateur is the goal,” he said. “Once you get there, anything can happen.”

Jennings said the summer taught him lessons about his game and mindset. For somebody who was searching for his swing just a few months ago, a more easygoing approach has paid dividends.

“I understand now that you don't have to be perfect. Your swing doesn't have to be perfect to play good golf,” Jennings said. “If you just learn how to get around a golf course and understand what works within your game, even when you're playing poorly, you feel like you can still compete.”

Headed into the 2025 season, Jennings is expected to take on a larger role for Alabama. Despite having only one collegiate start last season at the Old Waverly Collegiate, he made an impression, finishing inside the top 20 at Mossy Oak in Mississippi, ironically, a fellow Hanse course. That performance, combined with his summer successes, suggests he is ready to contribute and build on the momentum he built over the offseason.

Alabama golf begins its 2025 season Monday, Sept. 8, at the Folds of Honor Collegiate in Grand Haven, Michigan. Jennings will begin the season in the starting lineup alongside Jonathan Griz, Nick Gross, Connor Brown and Jack Mitchell.

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