AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Fresh off his big win in Dallas, Hamilton Coleman was welcomed back home by his West Lake neighborhood community.

Sunday, family and friends gathered at the front of the neighborhood to parade in golf carts all the way to the clubhouse.

“Seeing the support of everyone, to even seeing social media notifications from people I don’t know, it was just truly special,” said Coleman.

Saturday night, the 17-year-old from Lakeside became the first Augusta native to ever win the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

He did so by defeating Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Mihn 2-and-1 in the 36-hole finale at Trinity Forest Golf Club.

“That was really the most nerve racking week of my entire life,” he said. “There was just constant pressure and it was hard to sleep a lot of the time, so to have this kind of relief is awesome.”

On his way to becoming a champion, Coleman beat out some of the country’s best junior amateurs in Luke Colton and Miles Russell.

“That’s what I prepare for, and to see my skills stack up against them is pretty cool,” he said.

The biggest credit to his success in Texas? Not a specific club or piece of professional advice.

“I think the key to this week was me drinking a Dr. Pepper every day, so that was kind of my good luck charm,” he said.

His win automatically qualifies him for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York.

Following his upcoming senior year at Lakeside, Coleman will begin his collegiate career at Georgia.

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