24th May 2025

ROUND 4

Biagio Andrea GAGLIARDI (ITA) shot a final round 70 to win the 2025 Brabazon Trophy by 2-shots with a 276 (-8) total. He is the first Italian to win this prestigious trophy.

Biagio Andrea Gagliardi (Photo: England Golf / Leaderboard Photography)

Freddie TURNELL (ENG) moved up to 2nd place with a 69, the joint best round of the day.

Eliot BAKER (ENG) and Mattias VARJUN (EST) both finished Round 4 with 1-over 72’s to complete the Championship in tied 3rd place.

Australian Billy DOWLING finished strongly with a 69 to take 5th place. Harley SMITH (ENG) -3 finished 6th and Jack MCDONALD (SCO), Ben BOLTON (ENG) & Kayun MUDADANA (AUS) -2 tied 7th.

Final Brabazon Trophy Results (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius)

Freddie TURNELL (ENG) won The George Henriques Salver awarded to the highest finishing Under 20 GB&I player.

Final George Henriques Salver Results (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius)

Click here to view the – 2025 Brabazon Trophy Results

ME.

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24th May 2025

ROUND 3

Biagio Andrea GAGLIARDI (ITA) moved into the lead on 206 (-7) at Hankley Common after shooting a 2-under 69 on Day 3.

Mattias VARJUN (EST) and Eliot BAKER (ENG) are tied 2nd on -6 after they posted a 70 and 71 respectively.

A best of the week and new course record 63 (-8), which included 10 birdies, from Australian Kayun MUDADANA saw him jump up the leaderboard to tied 4th. He was joined by Ben BOLTON (ENG) and Freddie TURNELL (ENG) who benefitted from a 68 and 71 in Round 3.

Three other English players, Harry CROCKETT, Jake SOWDEN and Harley SMITH finished the day tied 7th alongside Sweden’s Simon HOVDAL on 210 (-3).

Mason HOWELL (USA) shot a blemish free 64, the second best round of the week, to move into tied 12th. Whilst there was no hole-in-one for the American today he did manage an eagle on the 13th and five other birdies in his third round.

Round 3 Leadboard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius)

ME.

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23rd May 2025

ROUND 2

Eliot BAKER (ENG) and Tom HUGHES (ENG) maintained their share of the lead on 136 (-6) after they both recorded 1-under par 70’s at Hankley Common on Day 2 of the Brabazon Trophy.

Simon HOVDAL (SWE), tied for 3rd, became the fifth player to shoot a 66 in the Championship with his bogey free effort in Round 2.

Biagio Andrea GAGLIARDI (ITA) 67 and Mattias VARJUN (EST) 69 moved up the leaderboard to join the Swede on 137 (-5) for the 36 holes played.

Freddie TURNELL (ENG) is 6th on 139 (-3) after he posted a 68 and now sits alongside compatriots Harley SMITH 70 and Jake SOWDEN (ENG) 71 as well as in form Welshman Matt ROBERTS 72.

Scoring on Friday proved harder than yesterday with just 19 players going under par and 10 playing to the par of 71. This compared with 25 and 16 players doing so respectively in Round 1.

60 players advanced to the weekend after the top 60 and ties cut fell at a higher than expected 147 (+5).

17 year old Mason HOWELL (USA) recorded a hole-in-one on the 167 yard par 3 2nd hole which helped him make the cut on the mark.

Round 2 Leadboard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius)

ME.

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22nd May 2025

ROUND 1

Ville VIRKKALA (FIN), Eliot BAKER (ENG) and Tom HUGHES (ENG) share the Round 1 lead at the Brabazon Trophy after they all recorded 66’s at Hankley Common.

Virkkkala played his opening nine holes in a 6-under 30 shots before three bogeys on his back nine took a little of the shine of his round.

Baker and Hughes both enjoyed eagles in their rounds; the Tiverton man’s came at the the 598 yard par 5 8th hole whilst Formby’s Hughes achieved his on the shorter 496 yard par 5 13th.

Matt ROBERTS (WAL) started and finished his rounds with bogeys but six birdies in between saw him finish the day tied for 4th alongside Richard TEDER (EST) and Alexander FARMER (SCO). Teder holed his approach on the short par 4 17th for an eagle whilst Farmer enjoyed seven birdies in his opening circuit.

From the field of 114 players 25 players recorded under par rounds with a further 16 shooting a par 71.

Round 1 Leadboard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius)

ME.

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20th May 2025

The 79^th English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship for the Brabazon Trophy will be played at Hankley Common Golf Club, between Thursday 22nd and Sunday 25th May 2025.

I will be updating this article with a scores link and daily reports once play commences.

Format

This four day competition consists of 72 holes of stroke play golf with 18 holes being played daily.

A 36 hole cut will reduce the field to the leading 60 competitors and ties.

In the event of a tie for the Championship there will be a sudden death play off.

All other places will be determined by a card count-back, starting with the final round and working backwards from there.

Field

144 competitors from 17 different countries will contest the 2025 Brabazon Trophy Championship.

With the NCAA U.S. College golf season, where the majority of the leading International and GB&I players are now engaged, not finishing until the end of May the field quality is understandably impacted.

Just four of GB&I’s top 20 WAGR-ranked players are competing. The third highest ranked, Dominic CLEMONS (ENG) #44, who played in the US Open Qualifier at Walton Heath (on 19th May) – 30 miles away from Hankley Common – has chosen to skip the event.

The DRVN.golf Power Estimator suggests the event will have a WAGR Power figure of c.368.0000 in 2025 (Actual: 384.3262). This continues the decline seen in recent years where the number was 617.0619 in 2022, 467.2656 in 2023 and 454.8860 last year.

The majority of the field were exempt with starting places offered to a number of national golf federations and to those players who have performed well in other recent Championships.

The top 20 WAGR-ranked players in the field are Richard TEDER (EST) #148, Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) #149, Tom OSBORNE (ENG) #191, Harley SMITH (ENG) #192, Michele FERRERO (ITA) 207, Tomi BOWEN (WAL) #225, Freddie TURNELL (ENG) #227, Magnus BECKER FREDERIKSON (DEN) #249, Simon HOVDAL (SWE) #274, Eliot BAKER (ENG) #289, Matt ROBERTS (WAL) #334, Scott WOLTERING (NED) #390, Conor GOUGH (ENG) #393, Kayun MUDADANA (AUS) #405, Billy DOWLING (AUS) #409, Ben BOLTON (ENG) #468, Mason HOWELL (USA) #472, Charlie RUSBRIDGE (ENG) #473, Oscar HOLM BREDKJÆR (DEN) #488 and Kris KIM (ENG) #507.

Three 18 hole regional Qualifying Tournaments were staged on 13th May 2025. 51 players automatically qualified from each of the Midland, Northern and Southern Qualifiers. A further number will make the final start sheet after being called up from the Alternates / Reserves list.

Ties for the last qualifying place at each venue were determined by card countback.

Here is a summary of the Qualifying results and a list of all the players who progressed: –

MIDLAND – Burton-on-Trent G.C., Nottinghamshire – Results
6,510 yards – Par 71
111 players / 17 Qualifiers

Medalists – Philipp KRONE (ENG) 68 -3
Other Qualifiers – Jack DRURY (ENG), Matthew STRUDWICK (ENG), Bailey HIRD (ENG), Olly ALLISON (ENG), Joe CLARKE (ENG), Tim HOLLIS (ENG), Jack PETERS (ENG), Max WEAVER (ENG), Daniel BARDSLEY (ENG), Leyton HARDWICK (ENG), Max HOPKINS (ENG), Louie BLOXHAM (ENG), Edward LINLEY (ENG), Ben A. WILLIS (ENG), Daniel BUTTERISS (ENG) and Charlie DAUGHTERY (ENG)

NORTHERN – Fleetwood G.C., Lancashire – Results
6,521 yards – Par 72
101 players / 16 Qualifiers

Co-Medalist – Andrew HASWELL (ENG) 67 -5
Other Qualifiers – Luke KELLY (ENG), Oliver CATON (ENG), Tom HUGHES (ENG), Cameron THOBURN (ENG), Tai NAYLOR (ENG), George WHITEHEAD (ENG), Ben BROWN (ENG), Daniel ROBERTS (ENG), Sam MUKHERJEE (SCO), Thomas GRIMES (ENG), Matthew DOLLING (ENG), Jamie MANN (SCO), Cole SELF (ENG), Kieran MCCARTHY (ENG) and Matthew LEVER (ENG)

SOUTHERN – Long Ashton G.C., Somerset – Results
6,347 yards – Par 71
118 players / 18 Qualifiers

Medalist – Nathan MOORE (ENG) 64 -7
Other Qualifiers – Joss EDWARDS (ENG), George SAUNDERS (ENG), Milan REED (ENG), Charlie ROBB (ENG), William PARTNER (ENG), Lewy HAYWARD (ENG), Henry DALY (ENG), Andrew ISAACS (ENG), Ryan WILLIAMS (WAL), William PONTIN (WAL), Luke JENKINS (ENG), Dewi JOHN (WAL), Zac MUDFORD (ENG), Jonah FERNANDES (ENG), Aled GREVILLE (WAL), Rory BROWNE (ENG) and James BATH (ENG)

Tee Times

Play on the opening two days will commence at 7.00am with the final three-ball heading out at 3.30pm.

Click here to view the – 2025 Brabazon Trophy Tee Times

Prizes

The Winner receives the magnificent gold Brabazon Trophy shown below.

The Champion’s Prize and The Brabazon Trophy (Photo: Golf Bible)

Prize vouchers will be awarded to those players finishing in the top five.

Two other prizes are connected to the Brabazon Trophy competition: –

The George Henriques Salver is awarded to the leading GB&I player in the Championship under the age of 20.

The Philip Scrutton Jug is awarded to the player returning the best aggregate scores in The Brabazon Trophy and The Berkshire Trophy. The latter was played on 17-18 May and won by Jake SOWDEN (ENG) who is also competing this week.

Hankley Common Golf Club

Hankley Common G.C. in Tilford, near Farnham in Surrey was first opened as a nine hole course in May 1897. A further nine holes were added by James Braid in 1923/24 but it was only after Harry Colt undertook some remodelling and replaced three holes in 1935 that it started to be recognised as one of England’s best inland courses.

It sits on a huge piece of heathland which allows the holes to meander across the property often in isolation. The area has been designated as a ‘site of special scientific interest’ due to its range of trees and abundant wildlife.

Off the back tees the course measures 6,904 yards and plays to a par of 71, there being only one par 5 on the back nine.

The uphill par three 7th is the ‘signature hole’ but in truth their are many memorable holes on the property.

There are a number of roads, paths and tracks on the course all of which have been deemed integral with no free relief available.

Hankley Common has hosted a number of major events through the years most recently the English Men’s Amateur Championship (Closed) in 2019, which was won by Conor Gough, and the R&A Men’s Home Internationals in 2021.

4th Tee, Hankley Common G.C. (Photo: Golf Bible) 

Weather Forecast – on Tuesday 20th May 2025

The weather forecast suggests the Championship will be predominantly dry with some sun and modest breezes. Saturday and early Sunday morning are expected to  see some rain.

Thur 22nd May – Sunny / Wind 9 mph NW / Temp. Min. 8°C, Max. 18°C.
Fri 23rd May – Sunny Intervals / Wind 12 mph SW / Temp. Min. 8°C, Max. 16°C.
Sat 24th May – Light Rain / Wind 15 mph SW / Temp. Min. 11°C / Max. 17°C.
Sun 25th May – Sunny Intervals / Wind 14 mph W / Temp. Min. 12°C / Max. 17°C.

England Golf Event Website

Click here to view the – England Golf / Golf Genius Brabazon Trophy Website

2024 Brabazon Trophy

Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) won the 2024 Brabazon Trophy at Hollinwell G.C. becoming the fifth Scotsman to collect this prestigious title.

Due to poor weather the Championship was played over 48 holes with Graham winning with a -9 total.

Gregor Graham (Photo: England Golf / Leaderboard Photography)

Daniel HAYES (ENG) finished 2nd on -8, Wilhelm RYDING (SWE) 3rd on -8, fast finishing Wilmer EDERO (SWE) 4th on -7 and Eliot BAKER (ENG) 5th on -7.

2024 Brabazon Trophy Results (Graphic: England Golf / Golf Genius) 

Daniel HAYES (ENG) won The George Henriques Salver, awarded to the leading GB&I player in the Championship under the age of 20. Harley SMITH (ENG) -6 was 2nd and Ben BOLTON (ENG) -5 3rd. All three return to the Championship in 2025.

Recent Results

Click below to view the results over the last three years: –

Hollinwell – 2024 Brabazon Trophy Results

Sunningdale – 2023 Brabazon Trophy Results

Saunton – 2022 Brabazon Trophy Results

History, Past Winners and Records

The English Amateur International Trophy competition was first played in 1947.

In 1957 the official title was changed to the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

The current trophy was donated by Lord Brabazon of Tara in 1948 and the event has come to be widely known as the Brabazon Trophy.

Click here to view the full list of – Brabazon Trophy Past Winners

The first player to successfully defend the title was Ronnie WHITE who won at Birkdale in 1950 and nearby Formby in 1951.

Shortly afterwards Philip SCRUTTON won the Brabazon three times in four years (1952, ‘54 & ‘55).

Sir Michael BONALLACK has four wins to his name. The first came at Royal Cinque Ports in 1964 and the last at Hillside in 1971. At Moortown in 1969, with play-offs having been discarded at this time, he shared the title with Rodney FOSTER.

Other well known British winners of the Brabazon include Gordon BRAND Jnr, Sandy LYLE (2), Peter MCEVOY, Ronan RAFFERTY and Ronnie SHADE (3).

Other notable winners include well known pros Ignacio GARRIDO (1992), Peter HANSON (1998) and Charl SCHWARTZEL (2002), Jordan SMITH (2013) and Sam BAIRSTOW (2021).

ME.

Copyright © 2014-2025, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.