From Epsom to Oakmont – ITV Racing's Jason Weaver set for whirlwind month as son joins golf’s elite at the US Open

Jason Weaver has never been shy in the saddle or studio, but it is his son Tyler who will be taking centre stage next week.

Parents are allowed to be biased when it comes to the achievements of their children, and it usually comes with the territory, but Weaver has every right to be a proud dad as he gears up for an epic month of sporting action.

The Classic-winning jockey and popular TV pundit will be on duty at Epsom this weekend and then there is Royal Ascot to tackle from June 17. Between those two huge events in the Flat season, there is the small matter of a detour to Oakmont County Club to watch Tyler compete in the US Open.

"Up there with my biggest achievement," was how understated 20-year-old Tyler described being one of three amateurs to take the five available spots in Atlanta on Monday. Zach Johnson, KJ Choi and Jason Dufner were among those to miss out on qualification.

Unlike Tyler, Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler will also be among the superstars watching the action on TV rather than teeing up in Pennsylvania, and Weaver senior cannot wait to watch his son play in golf's third major of the season.

He said: "I am super, super proud because I know the hard work that has been put in. You have to put such a shift in to reach that kind of level because it is about the physical side of things as well as the skill and it is a great achievement.

"It will be even more special with his older brother Max caddying, and Tyler has timed his qualification to perfection as far as I am concerned. The Oaks on Friday, the Derby on Saturday, then we fly out to Oakmont on Sunday, and return to the UK the following Sunday before heading straight to Royal Ascot."

Jason calls himself a "bit of a chopper" on the golf course, although he might be doing himself a disservice given he has a handicap of 5.7, but he realised early on that his two sons were destined to do much more than just hack around their local Suffolk courses.

"I took Max, Tyler and my nephew Jack for a lesson with the golf pro Duncan Abbott, who is at the Gorleston Golf Club in Great Yarmouth now," recalls Jason. "Tyler could only have been three or four and Duncan said I can take those two – pointing to Max and Jack – but he reckoned Tyler was too young.

"I told Tyler to tee it up and he walloped it down the middle. Duncan changed his mind immediately after that!"

Both sons were good enough to get a sports scholarship at Culford in Bury St Edmunds where they combined their education alongside their golf tuition under the watchful eye of Lawrence Dodd, the school's resident pro and a former European Tour player.

Max won the 2023 Welsh Amateur Championship, while Tyler claimed the Carris Trophy (English Boys' Under-18 Championship) and fell just short in the English Amateur Championship, losing a playoff after opponent Ben Brown chipped in from 20 yards.

The schooling was a great springboard and Jason added: "They could practice and learn at the same time. Tyler has gone through the grades, getting an England squad call-up, and then he went to Florida, where he is now in the US golf college system."

It is ultra-competitive. Tyler's Florida State teammate Luke Clanton – a former world number one amateur – is making his professional debut this week at the Canadian Open but Tyler is more than holding his own.

Luke Clanton celebrates with teammate Tyler Weaver Credit: NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Currently 27th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Tyler has made 12 starts this year and recorded six top-ten finishes, including success at the Cabo Collegiate following a tense three-way playoff.

That triumph has earned Tyler an exemption for the PGA Tour's World Wide Technologies tournament in November and a "big leg-up" according to his dad. But now Tyler has accelerated his upward trajectory by qualifying for the US Open to take on Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler on a course renowned for humbling even the best.

Anything under par will have a good chance of winning next week at Oakmont, often described as the most difficult course in the world where fast fairways, punishing long rough and devilishly difficult greens have made it a treacherous test.

Tyler has been chalked up at 1,000-1 for what would be the most remarkable of sporting successes, and asked whether he thinks his son can make the weekend cut, Jason replied: "You have got to believe but whatever happens it's going to be something else with his brother on the bag too. You have to enjoy occasions like this."

It promises to be a June to remember for the Weaver family as Epsom, Oakmont and Ascot are the kind of sporting experiences that makes life well and truly worth living.

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