Saturday 24th June 2023
Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA), who is 22, won the 128th Amateur Championship at a sun-drenched Hillside G.C., beating Ronan KLEU (SUI), 23, 3&2 in the 36 hole Final.
As the lowest WAGR-ranked player in the field of 288 players and one of the obvious pre-Championship favourites Lamprecht (#6) did remarkably well to finish top of the pile.
Kleu, who is ranked 376th, will be disappointed not to have played a little better in the Final but a runner-up result and a third place seeding after the Stroke Play Qualifying represents an excellent week’s work for him and a real boost for golf in Switzerland.
Ronan Kleu and Christo Lamprecht (Photo: Octavio Passos / R&A / R&A via Getty Images)
Four birdies in the opening nine holes helped Kleu take an early 2Up lead but Lamprecht fought back strongly with a string of birdies to close out the opening 18 holes and turn the match around.
Heading into the afternoon session with a 2Up lead the giant South African never really looked like he would be caught as he continued to overpower the course with his driver off the tee.
To Kleu’s credit he finally started to apply some pressure when all seemed to be lost, producing some world class recoveries and finally holing a few putts.
However, the Georgia Tech student wasn’t to be denied and with a great pitch on 15 for birdie and solid long two putt for par on 16 the title was his.
Fellow South African player Christiaan Maas achieved a notable double too. Last year he missed the Match Play Stage cut and caddied for the eventual champion Aldrich Potgieter. This year the same thing happened and he picked up Lamprecht’s bag and ended up again helping a teammate to victory.
It was the third South African winner in the last 6 years; Jovan Rebula also won at Royal Aberdeen in 2018.
Talking to The R&A afterwards he said “I’m over the moon. I haven’t won something big in a long time and it’s one to definitely win for sure. I’m ecstatic. I cannot kind of comprehend my feelings right now. I’m guessing South Africans like playing links golf. We kind of like being creative so I guessed that flowed over into this Championship. It’s always nice to be part of history with South Africa and enrich it.”
Christo Lamprecht v. Ronan Kleu Final Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
With his win Lamprecht secured exemptions into The 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool G.C., the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National G.C. and the 2024 U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst No.2.
The 129th Amateur Championship will be played at Ballyliffin G.C. in County Donegal, Ireland on 17th-22nd June 2024.
Click here to view the – Match Play Draw / Scores
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Friday 23rd June 2023
Match Play Stage – Semi-Finals (4)
Perhaps unsurprisingly after his superb scoring and putting this morning TK CHANTANANUWAT (THA) was a bit flat this afternoon and certainly not as effective on the greens. Ronan KLEU (SUI) took advantage with an outstanding performance which included five birdies in the 12 holes completed at Hillside G.C.
In a long week of golf Kleu will be pleased to get through today playing just 26 holes. He will now be hoping that the second semi-final becomes a drawn out affair.
TK Chantananuwat v. Ronan Kleu Semi-Final Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
In a remarkable comeback Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA) fought back from 2Down with three holes to play to beat Frank KENNEDY (ENG) by 1 Hole on the 18th. It was hard on the Englishman who had played beautifully for most of the round and who has enjoyed great Championship. The Florida-based Kennedy will rue a clumsy putt from off the 16th green when he appeared to be on the verge of victory and a poor approach on the 18th which left him short-sided in a green side bunker. However, Lamprecht applied pressure just at the right time, finishing the round magnificently with a great up and down on 16, an eagle on 17 and a tap in par on the home hole.
Frank Kennedy v. Christo Lamprecht Semi-Final Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Click here to view the – Match Play Draw / Scores
Match Play Stage – Quarter Finals (8)
You could have got very good odds on Switzerland being the most represented nation in the Quarter Finals at the start of this week. Well done to Max SCHLIESING and Ronan KLEU for flying the Swiss flag so proudly at The Amateur Championship.
Max SCHLIESING performed very well in the opening Quarter Final but despite dropping no shots and recording six birdies fell to an inspired TK CHANTANANUWAT. Nine birdies including three over the closing three holes at Hillside G.C. represented a superb effort, under pressure, from the Thai star.
Max Schliesing v. TK Chantananuwat Quarter Final Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Schliesing’s compatriot Ronan KLEU fared better in his game against Tobias JONSSON (SWE). Kleu started well but it was Jonsson’s collapse on the back nine that ultimately handed him a comfortable victory.
Ronan Kleu v. Tobias Jonsson Quarter Final Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
The clash between two of our most in form players, Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) and Frank KENNEDY (ENG), was the highlight of the Quarter Finals from a GB&I perspective. Frank KENNEDY (ENG) won the game 3&2 with his steadier play. Given the performances and victories that Maguire has delivered in recent weeks it is perhaps no surprise that he tired a little coming down the stretch this morning.
Alex Maguire v. Frank Kennedy Quarter Final Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA) went on his own birdie blitz to steam roller Richard TEDER (EST) who made few mistakes but simply couldn’t live with Lamprecht’s consistency and quality. Christiaan Maas, who caddied for last year’s champion Aldrich Potgieter, remains on course for a unique double having picked up Christo’s bag since his surprise early exit at the Stroke Play Qualifying stage.
Christo Lamprecht v. Richard Seder Quarter Final Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Click here to view the – Match Play Draw / Scores
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Thursday 22nd June 2023
Match Play Stage – Round 4 (16)
The R&A start to provide hole-by-hole scoring from the Last 16 onwards which obviously helps us to better understand all of the games that are played.
Caolan BURFORD (WAL) struggled to get going this afternoon and as a result Max SCHLIESING (SUI) was able to see out a comfortable victory.
Caolan Burford v. Max Schliesing Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
TH CHANTANANUWAT (THA) looks to have played a superb 16 holes of golf to see off Will HOPKINS by 3&2 after the Englishman had shocked him with a birdie-birdie start to go 2Up after two holes.
TK Chantananuwat v. Will Hopkins Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Ronan KLEU (SUI), who by way of reminder, shot the low round (64 -8) at Hillside in the Stroke Play Qualifying, continues to excel although Clément CHARMASSON (FRA) handed him the initiative this afternoon with some loose play on the opening nine.
Ronan Kleu v. Clément Charmasson Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
After a slow start Tobias JONSSON (SWE) quickly found his form and after three late birdies got the better of Australia’s Josh GREER in a tight game.
Joshua Greer v. Tobias Jonsson Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Ireland’s Alex MAGUIRE must surely have secured his GB&I Walker Cup team selection with this dramatic victory over Daniel RODRIGUES (POR). 1Down with two holes to play he birdied the par 5 17th hole to take the match in to overtime. Two more birdies on par 5’s saw Maguire secure victory on the 5th extra hole.
Alex Maguire v. Daniel Rodrigues Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Marc BOUCHER (IRL) and Frank KENNEDY enjoyed an exciting rollercoaster of a match which the Englishman, winner of the Lytham Trophy earlier this year, came out on top in despite some nervous play from both players down the 18th.
Marc Boucher v. Frank Kennedy Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
South Africa’s Christo LAMPRECHT was made to play his best golf to overcome Adam WALLIN (SWE), who clearly did very little wrong in the 17 holes that were played.
Adam Wallin v. Christo Lamprecht Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Richard TEDER (EST) and Tommy MORRISON (USA) played out a high quality encounter at the back of the Last 16 field with three of the opening eleven holes halved in birdie 4’s. The Estonian finally picked up the win with a par on the first hole as they started out again.
Tommy Morrison v. Richard Teder Round 4 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Click here to view the – Match Play Draw / Scores
Match Play Stage – Round 3 (32)
10 became 5 after a mixed morning for the GB&I players who had made it through to Match Play Round 3 at Hillside G.C. in the Amateur Championship.
Caolan BURFORD (WAL), Will HOPKINS (ENG), Alex MAGUIRE (IRL), Marc BOUCHER (IRL) and Frank KENNEDY (ENG) were all victorious.
Richard TEDER (EST), largely unknown on these shores, continues to shock and surprise us. In Round 3 he beat GB&I No. 1 John GOUGH (ENG) on the 18th hole.
From the overseas players TK CHANTANAUWAT (THA), Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA) and Tommy MORRISON (USA) all ominously advanced after good wins.
Here are the Round 3 results: –
Round 3 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Click here to view the – Match Play Draw / Scores
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Wednesday 21st June 2023
Match Play Stage – Round 2 (64)
Ben VAN WYK (RSA) suffered the infamous ‘curse of the medalist’ in his first match play game at this year’s Championship. Van Wyk is now the third medalist in the last four years to fall at the first match play hurdle. He lost by 2 Holes to Caolan BUFORD (WAL) who enjoyed his second win of the day on the 18th hole.
Dundalk’s Caolan RAFFERTY (IRL) enjoyed an impressive 4&3 win over Thom LINSSEN (NED) and continues to go from strength-to-strength.
Will HOPKINS (ENG) and Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) overcame Markus VARJUN (EST) and Jakob MELIN (SWE) respectively in tight 1 Hole contests which will hopefully have got them both fully battle ready. Maguire , who reached the semi-finals last year at Royal Lytham fought back from 3Down after 9 holes.
Arguably the best performance of the round came from James CLARIDGE (ENG) who thrashed the highly rated reigning Boys’ Amateur champion Albert HANSSON (SWE) by 5&4.
Marc BOUCHER (IRL) and Frank KENNEDY (ENG) were made to work hard for their wins over the front nines before pulling away nicely later on.
Eliot BAKER (ENG) continues to enjoy himself in Lancashire. After his strong qualification he claimed the scalp of Welsh Walker Cup hopeful James ASHFIELD by 3&2 this afternoon.
Mats EGE (NOR) finally got the better of Nicola GERHARDSEN (SUI) in a match that required 9 extra holes.
Jon HOPKINS (ENG) also required extra time beating Frenchman Paul BEAUVY on the 20th hole.
The highest ranked player in the field 22 year old Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA), now ranked 6th in WAGR, ominously remains ‘alive’ in the bottom half of the draw after getting past two strong players today.
24 year old John GOUGH (ENG) overcame 17 year old Ollie MUKHERJEE (SCO) after a slow start to secure game against stroke play runner-up Richard TEDER (EST). Mukherjee will hopefully be able to put the experience to good use as he continues to trend upwards.
Thailand’s TK CHANTANAUWAT and USA’s Tommy MORRISON also made it though the last 32 and will be difficult opponents as we now enter the business end of the Championship. Morrison, who is from Texas, said after his round “It’s my first time out of the country and my first time in England. I’ve enjoyed playing the bump and runs and am enjoying links golf short game.”
Round 2 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Click here to view the – Match Play Draw / Scores
Match Play Stage – Preliminary Round 1
With 85 players progressing from the Stroke Play Qualifying a Preliminary Round 1 was required.
To ensure 64 players could contest Round 2 the lowest finishing 42 players in Qualifying were needed to participate in this Round. The 24 players who finished on -2 were joined by 18 from the 22 who finished on -3 to create the necessary field.
In a potentially long week the fact that 42 of the 85 players who qualified are having to play an extra game seems a little unfair to me but then I am a long time advocate of the play-off option at this point in proceedings. Of course the winners of these early games do have the advantage of having played and seen the course ahead of their Round 2 games which immediately follow on.
A 24 players-for-3 spots play-off at Hillside would have added an exciting and interesting spectacle to the middle of the Championship.
For reasons I don’t fully understand The R&A don’t seed the Preliminary Round draw either. This means that the 18 players on -3 that are involved in the Preliminary Round will all be playing each other, which hardly seems equitable, and at the other end of the spectrum the two players seeded 84th and 85th will are drawn together.
GB&I players Caolan BURFORD (WAL), Liam NOLAN (IRL), who beat young KRIS KIM (ENG) by 2&1, James CLARIDGE (ENG), who required 20 holes in his game, Marc BOUCHER (IRL), who got the better of Jack BIGHAM (ENG), James ASHFILED (WAL), Calum SCOTT (SCO) and Charlie CROCKETT (ENG) were our morning success stories.
Preliminary Round 1 Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Click here to view the – Match Play Draw / Scores
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Tuesday 20th June 2023
Stroke Play Qualifying – Round 2
Round 2 of The Amateur Championship’s Stroke Play Qualifying competition again started at 7.00am with the final three-balls heading out at 3.52pm. Each competitor moved across to the other qualifying course for their second round, i.e. if they played at Hillside G.C. yesterday they would face the challenge of Southport & Ainsdale G.C. (S&A) today and vice versa.
The forecast rain arrived at 8.15am and whilst it was heavy until 10.15am thankfully abated earlier than expected, giving way to sunny intervals for the rest of the day.
Medalist honours 132 (-11) went to Ben VAN WYK (RSA), who teed off at S&A at 7.33am and therefore had to play through all of the heavy rain. He backed up his great first round with a very creditable 68, holding on to his card through the bad weather before finishing strongly when the sun came out.
Following Jonathan Broomhead’s success last year it is the second year running that a South African has won the Stroke Play Qualifying at The Amateur Championship. Wilcon Nienaber in 2018 is the only other South African medalist since this stage was introduced in 1983.
Ben Van Wyk’s Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Richard TEDER (EST) also maintained his form into Round 2. Helped by his late 2.46pm tee time at Hillside his 69 took him on to -10 and secured the 2nd seed, which is where he had started the day.
Eliott BAKER (ENG), who fired eight birdies in his 64 at S&A today, was GB&I’s leading qualifier in 3rd place. His 64 was the joint best round at S&A, matched only by Teder’s Round 1 effort. Baker finished on 133 (-10), like Teder one shot back of Van Wyk.
Eliot Baker’s Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Ronan KLEU (SUI) moved into 4th place, also on on -10, after he recorded an unblemished 64 (-8) at Hillside, the best round in Stroke Play Qualifying at this course.
Ronan Kleu’s Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Caolan RAFFERTY (IRL), despite his limited playing schedule in 2023, continues to put his best foot forward in the race for a spot in GB&I’s Walker Cup team. One bogey in 36 holes around these two championship links courses and an 8th place seeding certainly won’t have gone unnoticed by the selectors.
Caolan Rafferty’s Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Ollie LEWIS-PERKINS (ENG) -6 16th, Jon HOPKINS (ENG) -6 18th, Matthew DODD-BERRY (ENG) -5 23rd, Mark STOCKDALE (ENG) -5 30th, John GOUGH (ENG) -4 31st, Oliver MUCKHERJEE (SCO) -4 34th and Frank KENNEDY (ENG) -4 35th.
Will HOPKINS (ENG) bounced back well with a Round 2 65 at S&A to finish on -3 and 41st. His round included eight birdies including three in his closing three holes.
The average Round 2 score at Hillside G.C. and Southport & Ainsdale G.C. was 72.23 (+0.23), almost identical to yesterday’s 72.26 (+0.26).
The average Round 2 score at Southport & Ainsdale G.C. was 72.10 (+1.10), just a little lower than Round 1’s 72.19 (+1.19).
The standard of play remained high with 122 under par rounds produced today from the field of 288 competitors.
85 players made the top 64 and ties cut, finishing on -2 or better, to progress to the Match Play Stage. 26 of these are from GB&I, albeit 15 of this number will be starting their journey’s in the Preliminary Round 1.
Ties for the match play seedings are resolved by reference to the combined back nines (then six, three and one) from each course.
Matteo CRISTONI (ITA) and James ASHFIELD (WAL), who holed a 35 foot putt having driven on to the front of the green, both eagled S&A’s 352 yard par 4 18th hole to finish on -2 and jump into the Match Play stage in style.
However, perhaps the best finish in the Stroke Play Qualifying belonged to Alex MAGUIRE (IRL). The recent East of Ireland Amateur and St. Andrews Links Trophy champion stood on the 15th tee on +1, 3-shots adrift of the anticipated -2 cut mark. He then completed his round with a birdie, eagle, par, birdie to finish tied 40th and claim the 43rd seed. Little did he know at the time that this finish would also make him the lowest seeded player to avoid the Preliminary Round 1 – which may prove to be a big bonus.
Here is the Stroke Play Qualifying leaderboard (upper half): –
Stroke Play Qualifying Results (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Paul CONROY (IRL) -1, Harrison CROWE (AUS) -1, Max KENNEDY (IRL) Ev, Connor GRAHAM (SCO) Ev, Sean KEELING (IRL) Ev, Hugh FOLEY (IRL) Ev, Gregor TAIT (SCO) +1, Matt ROBERTS (WAL) +1, Christiaan MAAS (RSA) +1, Archie DAVIES (WAL) +2, Robert MORAN (IRL) +2 and Peter O’KEEFFE (IRL) +2, were amongst the more notable players to miss the match play cut.
Click here to view the – Stroke Play Qualifying Leaderboard
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Monday 19th June 2023
Stroke Play Qualifying – Round 1
It was a lovely day in Southport on Monday with the sun shining brightly for most of it and only light winds being seen.
The 288 players were allocated to either Hillside G.C. or Southport & Ainsdale G.C. for their opening rounds, 144 playing each.
Ben VAN WYK (RSA) leads the Stroke Play Qualifying after shooting an impressive 64 (-8) opening round at the par 72 Hillside G.C. Only in his wildest dreams could he have imagined firing seven birdies in his opening nine holes of The Amateur.
Ben Van Wyk’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
However, arguably the best round of the day came from 2nd placed Richard TEDER (EST) who posted a flawless 64 (-7) at the par 71 Southport & Ainsdale G.C. Five 3’s in his last six holes certainly tidies your card up.
Richard Teder’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Calum SCOTT (SCO) -6 tied 3rd, Ben BROWN (ENG) -5 tied 5th, Jack BIGHAM (ENG) -5 tied 5th, John GOUGH (ENG) -4 tied 10th, Paul CONROY (IRL) -4 tied 10th, Oliver MUKHERJEE (SCO) -4 tied 10th and Thomas CRAIG (SCO) -4 tied 10th were GB&I’s best Day 1 scorers at Hillside.
Liam NOLAN (IRL) -3 tied 19th, Matty DODD-BERRY (ENG) -3 tied 19th, Jack MURPHY (IRL) -3 tied 19th, Jon HOPKINS (ENG) -2 tied 43rd, Caolan RAFFERTY (IRL) -2 tied 43rd and LUKE O’NEILL (IRL) -2 tied 43rd were GB&I’s best Day 1 scorers at the slightly tougher Southport & Ainsdale.
The average Round 1 score at Hillside G.C. and Southport & Ainsdale G.C. was 72.26 (+0.26) and 72.19 (+1.19) respectively.
On a great day for scoring the standard of play was high. 99 players out of the 288 starters broke par with a further 39 achieving it.
If the top 64 and ties cut was made after Day 1 68 players would progress on -2 or better. Here is the Round 1 leaderboard showing the players in prime position:-
Round 1 Leaderboard (Graphic: The R&A / GolfBox)
Amongst the more notable players Aaron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) +1 (SA), Charlie CROCKETT (ENG) +1 (SA), Connor GRAHAM (SCO) +2 (H), Robert MORAN (IRL) +2 (SA), Sean KEELING (IRL) +2 (H), Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) +2 (H), Hugh FOLEY (IRL) +2 (SA), Will HOPKINS (ENG) +3 (H), Archie DAVIES (WAL) +3 (H), Max KENNEDY (IRL) +3 (H), Christiaan MAAS (RSA) +3 (H) and Matt ROBERTS (WAL) +6 (H) will all need a spectacular Round 2 to continue their Championships into the Match Play Stage.
Click here to view the – Stroke Play Qualifying Leaderboard
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Saturday 17th June 2023
Stroke Play Qualifying
288 competitors from 39 different countries will start the event. England are the best represented country with 62 players in the field. Ireland have 22 and Scotland 20.
Scotland’s number was boosted today by the inclusion of First Reserve Thomas CRAIG. This increases the number of players in the Championship field to 34 that contested Pre-Qualifying on Friday.
The R&A have this afternoon released the draw for the Stroke Play Qualifying Stage of The 128th Amateur Championship.
Click here to view the – Stroke Play Qualifying Tee Times
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Friday 16th June 2023
Pre-Qualifying
The 18 hole Amateur Championship Pre-Qualifying event was played today at a sunny Southport & Ainsdale G.C.
A field of 72 players teed off between 8.00am and 12.46pm.
Whilst 10 spots were originally on offer from Pre-Qualifying 23 withdrawals from the Championship field since entries closed on 25th May meant a total of 33 players (46% of the starters) had the opportunity to advance to the main event.
Kristoffer MAX (DEN), George HOLLAND (ENG) and Matthew LEVER (ENG), who all shot 4-under 67’s, were the leading qualifiers.
In form pair Andrew HASWELL (ENG) -2 and Tomi BOWEN (WAL) -1 also finished in the top 10.
Liam GOBIN (ENG), Henry DALY (ENG), Kipp POPERT (ENG) and Ben QUICK (ENG) came through a 9-for-4 sudden death play-off to finalise the 33 qualifiers.
Further withdrawals from the existing Championship field over the weekend may also open the door to one or two of the reserves (determined by count back rather than play-off) that are shown in the second graphic below. Thomas CRAIG (SCO) Res 1, Harry WATKINS (WAL) Res 2 and Harry UZZELL (ENG) Res 3 will certainly be hoping this comes to pass.
Pre-Qualifying Results (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox)
Pre-Qualifying Play-Off Results (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox)
Click here to view the – Pre-Qualifying Results
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14th June 2023 (last updated 17th June 2023)
The 128th Amateur Championship will be played at Hillside G.C. and Southport & Ainsdale G.C. in England between Monday 19th and Saturday 24th June 2022.
The Amateur is the most prestigious amateur golf event played outside of the United States and without question the highlight of the Great British and Irish (GB&I) amateur season.
I will be updating this article as more information comes to hand and providing daily reports throughout the Championship.
Championship Format
Stroke Play Qualifying
Two rounds of stroke play will be completed on Monday 19th June and Tuesday 20th June to determine the match play field.
Each contestant will play 18 holes at Hillside G.C. and Southport & Ainsdale G.C. with three-ball tee times between 7.00am and 3.52pm on both days.
The 64 lowest scores and ties for 64th place will advance to the match play stage.
Match Play Stage
The Match Play stage will be played between Wednesday 21st and Saturday 24th June and held exclusively at Hillside G.C.
The decision to again take all ties through to match play will almost certainly necessitate a Preliminary Round 1 so that a proper 64 player Round 2 can take place.
I believe a play-off, as used in the U.S. Amateur Championship, to determine a clean 64 for Round 1 would be a more efficient solution.
Each match will consist of one round of 18 holes except the Final which will be played over 36 holes. Any tied matches will continue into sudden death extra holes to determine a winner.
Field
288 male amateur golfers will contest the Championship.
An international field will gather in Lancashire with competitors coming from 39 different countries. As at 17th June 2023 the countries represented are England (62), Ireland (22), Scotland (20), Spain (17), France (16), Australia & Sweden (14), USA (13), Netherland & Norway (11), South Africa (10), Germany (9), Wales (7), Italy & Switzerland (6), Estonia (5), Belgium, Finland, Iceland & Japan (4), Argentina, Austria & India (3), Denmark, New Zealand, Portugal & Turkey (2) and Bahamas, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Slovenia & Thailand (1).
278 competitors were offered places in the Championship when entries closed on 25th May 2023. These were drawn from 1) a number of exempt categories covering various historic Championship performances and representative team selections and 2) allocated to those highest ranked players 1st-2,000th in the WAGR as at Week 20 2023 (i.e. the Wednesday 17th May release), and then via WHS Handicap index at the date of entry.
Players that didn’t make the original line-up were offered the opportunity to play in a Pre-Qualifying (PQ) event (see below) for which the remaining 10 spots were allocated. Additional places in the Championship also become available as players withdraw before and after the PQ event has been played.
The WAGR split (based on the 14th June 2023 release) for the 288 competitors is as follows – 9 players from the top 50, 21 from the top 100, 54 from the top 250, 103 from the top 500, 145 from the top 750, 194 from the top 1,000, 235 from the top 1,250, 256 in the top 1,500 and 279 in the top 4,000. 9 players do not have a WAGR ranking.
The defending champion Aldrich POTGIETER (RSA) is unable to compete as he is playing in the conflicting U.S. Open Championship using his exemption from his win at Royal Lytham & St. Annes last year.
Pre-Qualifying
For the second time The R&A ran a Pre-Qualifying (PQ) event to offer some of the players not allocated an original place in the field an opportunity to earn one.
Whilst many more players are interested The R&A limits the PQ field to 72. The event was played over 18 holes of stroke play at Southport & Ainsdale G.C. on Friday 16th June. This field is made up of the 15 highest ranked WAGR players (1,347th – 1,661st) not originally accepted into the Championship field followed by a lowest handicap ballot for the remainder (cut off +3.8).
Whilst 10 places are guaranteed from PQ significantly more players ultimately advance. By the 16th June when the PQ was played there had already been 23 withdrawals from the original Championship field since the close of entries. This meant that 33 spots need to be filled. The final 2022 Amateur Championship field ultimately included 38 players who had competed in the prior PQ competition so I assume come next Monday we will be well into the 30’s this year too.
Ties for the last qualifying place from PQ are resolved via a sudden death play-off.
However, withdrawals following PQ and before the Championship commences will be handed to players on a card count back rather than via the play-off results.
Click here to view the full – Amateur Championship Terms of Competition
Leading Players
The home GB&I players that I will be keeping a close eye on are James ASHFIELD (WAL), Jack BIGHAM (ENG), James CLARIDGE (ENG), Charlie CROCKETT (ENG), Archie DAVIES (WAL), Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG), Hugh FOLEY (IRL), John GOUGH (ENG), Connor GRAHAM (SCO), Sean KEELING (IRL), Frank KENNEDY (ENG), Max KENNEDY (IRL), Alex MAGUIRE (IRL), Robert MORAN (IRL), Liam NOLAN (IRL), Peter O’KEEFFE (IRL), Caolan RAFFERTY (IRL), Matt ROBERTS (WAL) Calum SCOTT (SCO) and Gregor TAIT (SCO).
Local Lancashire players Jack BROOKS (ENG / Mere), Matthew DODD-BERRY (ENG / Royal Liverpool) Jack MCPHAIL (ENG / S&A) and James NASH (WAL / Ormskirk) will all have familiarity on their side. We may also be able to add in-form Andrew HASWELL (ENG / Ormskirk) to this list if (when) he comes through Pre-Qualifying on Friday.
The overseas entries that I fancy to do well include Jose BALLESTER (ESP), Nicola GERHARDSEN (SUI), Albert HANSSON (SWE), Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA), Christiaan MAAS (RSA) and Luis MASAVEU (ESP).
6ft 9″ tall Tommy MORRISON from Texas is the standout entry from the United States along with Matthew KRESS who was part of Florida’s NCAA Division I Championship winning team just a few weeks ago.
Host Courses
The two courses are situated in Southport on ‘England’s Golf Coast’.
It is the first time that these two courses have been combined by The R&A to co-host the Amateur Championship.
Hillside G.C.
7,091 yards (Black) / Par 72 / Slope Rating 138 / Course Rating 75.2
The 18 hole championship links course was built in 1923/24. It was fully renovated in the 1960’s by Fred Hawtree and in recent years the front nine has been transformed by Martin Ebert.
The front nine covers level ground before the back nine enjoys the hillier dune land for which the course is renowned.
Hillside has previously hosted the Amateur Championship in 1979, 1989 and 2011. It was the primary course in 1979 and 2011, when Jay Siegel (USA) and Greg Eason (ENG) won, and supported Royal Birkdale in 1989 when Stephen Dodd (WAL) came out on top.
The club has also recently hosted The British Masters (2019) and The Cazoo Classic (2022) on the DP World Tour.
Hillside’s club house is circled in yellow and S&A’s in red. Hillside sits to the west of the railway line, with Royal Birkdale located adjacent to it’s north, and S&A to the east of the track.
Southport & Ainsdale G.C.
6,912 yards (Black) / Par 71 / Slope Rating 145 / Course Rating 75.6
Founded in 1906, Southport & Ainsdale (S&A) is another excellent links course on England’s north west coast. It is a challenging course with heather, gorse and superb bunkering all featuring highly.
S&A supported Formby G.C. and Royal Birkdale G.C. in hosting the Amateur Championship’s stroke play qualifying in 1984 and 2005. Jose Maria Olazabel (ESP) and Brian McElhinney (IRL) were the winners in these years.
The club has famously hosted two Ryder Cup matches in 1933 and 1937.
Schedule
The R&A have laid out the following provisional schedule for the Championship: –
2023 Amateur Championship Schedule (Graphic: The R&A)
Weather Forecast (as at Friday 16th June)
The weather forecast is good with largely dry conditions and light breezes expected: –
Fri 16th – Sunny. Wind 6mph SE. Temp. Min. 13°C / Max. 25°C.
Mon 19th – Sunny Intervals. Wind 9mph SW. Temp. Min. 13°C / Max. 24°C.
Tues 20th – Showers. Wind 9mph SW. Temp. Min. 12°C / Max. 23°C.
Wed 21st – Sunny Intervals. Wind 8mph SW. Temp. Min. 12°C / Max. 23°C.
Thu 22nd – Sunny. Wind 9mph W. Temp. Min. 13°C / Max. 24°C.
Fri 23rd – Sunny Intervals. Wind 7mph W. Temp. Min. 13°C / Max. 25°C.
Sat 24th – Sunny Intervals. Wind 8mph W. Temp. Min. 13°C / Max. 24°C.
Click here to view the – Latest BBC Weather Forecast For Southport
Tee times between 7.00am and 3.52pm mean changes in the weather during the opening two days can have a material impact on the stroke play qualifying competition.
Prizes / Exemptions
A momento (a framed championship flag) is presented by The R&A to the leading player in the stroke play qualifying competition, with any ties for this prize decided on the lowest aggregate score for the second nine holes on both courses (or the last six or three or one if necessary).
The winner of the match play stage will become the Amateur Champion receiving the Championship Trophy and a Gold Medal.
The runner-up receives a Silver Medal and each losing semi-finalist a Bronze Medal.
The winner of The Amateur Championship, on the basis they remain an amateur, will receive the following exemptions / invitations into: –
a) the 151st Open Championship being staged a few miles south of Hillside and S&A at Royal Liverpool G.C., England in July 2023;
b) the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National G.C.;
c) the 2024 U.S. Open Championship which will be held at Pinehurst No.2, North Carolina; and
d) a DP World Tour event to be determined.
The Runner-Up and two losing Semi-Finalists, on the basis they are still an amateur, will receive an invitation to compete in a Challenge Tour event to be determined and will be exempt into the Final Qualifying for the 2023 Open Championship.
The losing Quarter Finalists, on the basis they are still an amateur, will also receive exemptions into Final Qualifying for The Open.
The Open Championship Amateur Series Winner
In a further boost to this year’s Amateur Championship The R&A announced a new exemption category for the 2023 Open Championship back in February.
The player who gains the most WAGR points in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, the Amateur Championship and the European Amateur Championship will earn a spot at Royal Liverpool G.C.
2023 Walker Cup
Should a Great Britain & Ireland player win the Amateur Championship they are guaranteed a place on this year’s GB&I Walker Cup team.
More Information
Click here to view the – R&A Amateur Championship Official Website
2022 Amateur Championship
Match Play Stage
Aldrich POTGIETER (RSA) won the 127th Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes G.C., beating Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) 3&2 in the 36 hole Final.
Potgieter became the third South African winner after Bobby Cole at Carnoustie in 1966 and Jovan Rebula at Royal Aberdeen in 2018. He was also the second youngest winner in history after Matteo Manassero’s win at Formby in 2009 when he was just 16.
Aldrich Potgieter (Photo: The R&A / Getty Images)
The 17 year old South African built a 7Up lead in the morning round with a near flawless display of golf and despite not playing as well in the afternoon was sufficiently composed to see out the match. On the few occasions he got out of position his short game and putting quickly got him back on track.
Bairstow v. Potgieter Hole-by-Hole Scores (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)
Please click here to view the – Golfbox Match Play Results
Stroke Play Qualifying
Jonathan BROOMHEAD (RSA) earned medalist honours at the 2022 Amateur Championship with a 36 hole score of 135 (-7).
Jonathan Broomhead’s Stroke Play Qualifying Scorecard
Barclay BROWN (ENG) finished on the same score after a 65 (-7) at St. Annes Old Links, taking second place on count back. After their last nine holes on both courses were the same (aggregate 69) it came down to the last six holes. Broomhead recorded a total score of 46, two better than Brown’s 48.
79 players on 143 (+1) or better made the 64 lowest scores and ties cut to advance to the match play stage.
The lowest 30 players, i.e. those finishing in 50th to 79th place, were required to play in a Preliminary Round 1. The 15 winners of this Preliminary Round 1 then joined the highest finishers, i.e. those finishing in 1st to 49th place, in Round 2.
Here is the 2022 Stroke Play Qualifying leaderboard: –
Stroke Play Qualifying Results (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)
Please click here to view the – Golfbox Stroke Play Qualifying Results
Pre-Qualifying
Gregor TAIT (SCO) won the inaugural 18 hole Pre-Qualifying (PQ) competition which was played at St. Annes Old Links. His 67 (-5) included eight birdies and three bogeys.
A minimum of 10 places were originally allocated to PQ by The R&A. However, as there had been 20 withdrawals from the main field, after the close of entries and prior to PQ starting, this number increased to 30 on the day of PQ.
31 players ultimately finished on 73 (+1) or better. As eight of them were on +1 there was an 8-for-7 play-off to determine which player missed out.
Following further withdrawals prior to the Championship starting an additional eight players were called up from the Reserve List. So in the end the final field included 38 players who had competed in the PQ event.
Here is the 2022 Pre-Qualifying competition leaderboard: –
Pre-Qualifying Results (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)
For more information on this championship please click here – The Amateur Championship – 2022 Preview & Results Article
A Short History of The Amateur
The Amateur Championship was first played in April 1885 at Royal Liverpool G.C. Allan Macfie (SCO) was the first champion beating Horace Hutchinson (ENG) 7&6 in the Final.
Up until the Second World War it was a hugely prestigious event and in many of these early years was afforded a much higher standing in the game than The Open Championship. Players like Johnny Ball (ENG), Harold Hilton (ENG) and Freddie Tait (SCO) were all amateurs and as good if not better than most of the professionals of the day.
With only modest rewards available in the professional game many of the better players simply stayed amateur. The great American Bobby Jones, who won The Amateur in 1930 on the way to his Grand Slam, remains the most well known career amateur.
Even after the war players remained amateur for much longer and famous names like Frank Stranahan (USA), Joe Carr (IRE), Sir Michael Bonallack (ENG) and Peter McEvoy (ENG) all built their reputations on Amateur Championship wins.
With the growth and transformation of the professional game from the early 1980s onwards both the better players and the media increasingly started to turn their backs on the amateur game.
Save for exceptional cases like Gary Wolstenholme (ENG) all continuity has been lost over the last 30 years and most of the young golfing stars of today rarely play any more than 2 or 3 Amateurs before being lured into the pro ranks by the potentially huge rewards on offer.
Past Winners
The greatest player in the history of The Amateur is Johnny Ball. The Hoylake man won the Championship a record 8 times between 1888 and 1912.
Only three other players have won the competition more than twice; Sir Michael Bonallack (5), Harold Hilton (4) and Joe Carr (3). Bonallack amazingly won it three years in a row between 1968-1970. The last person to retain The Amateur was Peter McEvoy in 1977 and ’78.
Prior to Aldrich Pogieter’s win in 2022 the previous 10 winners of The Amateur Championship were: –
2021 Laird Shepherd (ENG) – Nairn G.C.
2020 Joe Long (ENG) – Royal Birkdale G.C.
2019 James Sugrue (IRL) – Portmarnock G.C.
2018 Jovan Rebula (RSA) – Royal Aberdeen G.C.
2017 Harry Ellis (ENG) – Royal St. George’s G.C.
2016 Scott Gregory (ENG) – Royal Porthcawl G.C.
2015 Romain Langasque (FRA) – Carnoustie G.L.
2014 Bradley Neil (SCO) – Royal Portrush G.C.
2013 Garrick Porteous (ENG) – Royal Cinque Ports G.C.
2012 Alan Dunbar (IRL) – Royal Troon G.C.
A great achievement and honour for all of the players listed above. However, looking through the names reminds us of how incredibly tough golf is and that wins in the biggest amateur events are no guarantee of success in the professional game.
Click here to view a complete list of – Past Amateur Championship Winners
Click here to view a complete list of – Past Amateur Stroke Play Qualifying Medalists
ME.
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Luke O’Neill (Photo: Kansas State Men’s Golf Team)
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