ARDMORE, Pa. – The Chinese character Zhi (志) hangs from a gold chain around Adam Bresnu’s neck. The piece of jewelry was a gift from his mother, though Bresnu seems unsure of the exact meaning of the pendant.
“I think it means dream,” Bresnu says.
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He’s correct, as Zhi signifies will, ambition and aspiration.
The 22-year-old Bresnu, however, doesn’t hesitate when asked what he hopes to achieve on the golf course.
“Win a lot of tournaments and be No. 1 in the world,” Bresnu responds. “That’s been my dream ever since I was a little kid.”
While Bresnu is looking to become the first Moroccan to win the U.S. Amateur this week at Merion Golf Club, he is a dual citizen, as he was born in Paris and his dad, Stephane, is a French golf instructor. Bresnu also considers Marrakesh home, and before heading to the U.S. for college – first at Odessa College and now at Texas Tech – he developed into an elite talent under the guidance of the Moroccan National Team.
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As a teenager, Bresnu earned some starts on the Asian Tour. During the 2022 International Series Egypt, won by 2019 U.S. Amateur champion Andy Ogletree, Bresnu was grouped with Ian Snyman, who played at North Texas under head coach Brad Stracke.
The early signing period had just begun for Bresnu’s Class of 2023, so Snyman asked Bresnu if he planned on playing college golf.
Bresnu answered, “I’m trying to, but I don’t have any offers.”
Immediately after the round, Snyman alerted Stracke of Bresnu, saying, “There’s something about this guy.” Stracke called Bresnu that night and soon was watching him play a junior tournament in Florida.
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“He was struggling, but I could still tell that he was very competitive, short game was unreal, and I just really liked what I saw,” said Stracke, who coached the likes of Carlos Ortiz and Sebastian Munoz at North Texas, and Billy Horschel while an assistant at Florida. “He’s right in line with the best players I’ve coached. His competitiveness and work ethic reminded me a lot of Billy, and I’m just like, I need to get Adam to play for me.”
Stracke did, just not where he originally thought.
Bresnu fell a few hours short of being eligible to compete for the Mean Green, so he instead ended up at Odessa, a junior college in west Texas, about two hours from Lubbock. Then just months prior to Bresnu’s first semester, Stracke departed North Texas and landed at Odessa. In two seasons under Stracke, Bresnu won nine times while earning the 2025 Jack Nicklaus Award as the best NJCAA golfer.
He also became the first Arab player to make a cut in a DP World Tour Rolex Series event when he tied for 68th at the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, a few weeks after he shared sixth at the PIF Saudi International to mark the best performance ever by a Moroccan golfer in a world-ranked pro tournament.
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Bresnu’s success led him to Texas Tech, where he notched six top-10s and was named a third-team All-American as a junior last season. He’s also earned several sponsorships, including apparel brand Malbon, which has featured Bresnu in several ad campaigns.
Stracke has not only remained Bresnu’s instructor but also left Odessa to become Morocco’s national coach earlier this year. Stracke oversees over 200 junior coaches, plus 20 high-school players and 20 elite amateur players.
At No. 30 in the world amateur rankings, Bresnu is 204 spots clear of his next highest-ranked countryman, Ahmed Essalmi.
That brings Bresnu to another dream: “I think the main goal for me is to try to show kids in Morocco, even young people, that if I can do it, everyone can do it. We only have 34 golf courses in Morocco. There’s probably more in Rhode Island, I would say. It’s just to show that even if you don’t have a lot of golf courses or a facility, you can still make it.
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“I made it, so there’s no excuse.”
After Thursday’s drubbing of red-hot Max Herendeen, the Illinois senior who hadn’t gone past the 13th hole in either of his first two matches, Bresnu has made the quarterfinals in his first U.S. Amateur appearance.
“I just try to respect the course, hit the greens, two putt and sometimes get one to fall,” said Bresnu, who also is incredibly lively on the course, fist-pumping and shouting after big shots.
“That’s the way I am in match play,” he added. “Sometimes I’m not my best friend in my mind and in match play. I just try to support my mind, just try to be my own best friend. That’s who I am. Also, I know it can make mad the partner, so that’s why I do it also.”
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Next up: England’s Jack Whaley, in one of Friday afternoon’s quarterfinals.
Two more wins and Bresnu gets into the Masters.
An additional victory on Sunday will come with more majors and more history.
“You just don’t know where this game will lead you,” said Stracke, who is on Bresnu’s bag this week, “but I like what he’s doing and where he’s going.”
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
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