Brabazon Trophy – 2021 Preview & Results

Posted on 15/08/2021 by Golf Bible

22nd August 2021

Left hander Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) from the Hallowes G.C. in Dronfield, south of Sheffield, won the 2021 Brabazon Trophy at Ganton G.C. with a 273 (-11) total.

The biggest win of his amateur career was built on consistency. His four under par rounds included 18 birdies and just seven bogeys over the 72 holes.

Talking to England Golf afterwards he said “It means a lot. I’ve been feeling like a win has been coming this year. To do it in my last big event feels really good. It’s very special – especially in Yorkshire. I had a lot of people out there supporting me which was nice.”

Bairstow’s victory lifted him to 32nd in the updated Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking.

Sam Bairstow’s 72 Hole Scores (Graphic: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

Zach CHEGWIDDEN (ENG) kept Bairstow honest with a best of the week 64 in the final round which included seven unblemished birdies.

Having won the Berkshire Trophy back in June the Essex man secured The Philip Scruton Jug, awarded to the player returning the best aggregate scores in The Brabazon Trophy and The Berkshire Trophy, with ease.

Zach Chegwidden’s Round 4 Scores (Graphic: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

The Final Round commenced at 8.00am after a 30 minute delay due to heavy overnight rain.

At the close of play only 10 players were able to finish the Championship with under par scores.

Leading Brabazon Trophy Results (Graphic: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

Frank KENNEDY (ENG) and Josh HILL (ENG), who both finished on 285 (+1), shared The George Henriques Salver awarded to the leading GB&I player(s) in the Championship under the age of 20.

Click here to view the full – 2021 Brabazon Trophy Results

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21st August 2021

Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) will take a 5-shot lead into the fourth round of the Brabazon Trophy after a 69 on Saturday afternoon. For the third day running the Yorkshire player recorded five birdies in his round and now looks down on the field with a 204 (-9) total.

Joshua BRISTOW (ENG) is his nearest challenger on -4 after a 69 in Round 3. It was the Kent player’s steadiest round of the Championship with three birdies offset by a single bogey on the 6th.

Charlie THORNTON (ENG), another local player with some experience of the course, moved up to 3rd place on -3 after a 66, the lowest round of the day.

Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG), Sam POTTER (ENG) and Zach CHEGWIDDEN (ENG) are all tied 4th on 211 (-2). Edwards-Hill shot a 67 which included 6 straight birdies on the 9th to 14th holes whilst Potter, who leads The George Henriques Salver Under 20 competition, followed him up the leaderboard with a 67.

At the end of 54 holes there were just eight players left under par at Ganton.

Leading Brabazon Trophy Round 3 Scores (Graphic: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

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20th August 2021

Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) moved into a 2-shot lead after a second round 69. Two late bogeys means his lead could have been even bigger but I am sure he is pleased with his position at the halfway stage.

Harvey BYERS (ENG) -5 and Zach CHEGWIDDEN (ENG) -4 lead the chasing pack after posting a 69 and 71 respectively.

James HYDES (NZL), who won last week’s Welsh Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, bounced back impressively from his first round 79 with a 67 to comfortably make the cut on +4. Callum BRUCE (SCO) also shot a 67 to haul himself up the leaderboard after a disappointing 77 on Thursday. He’ll start the third round in 21st place on +2.

At the end of Friday, which proved to be a tougher scoring day, just nine players remained under par.

64 players ultimately made the top 60 and ties 36 hole cut which fell at +6. They can all now look forward to another two rounds at Ganton over the weekend.

Leading Brabazon Trophy Round 2 Scores (Graphic: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

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19th August 2021

Matt ROBERTS (WAL) made a great start at Ganton recording eight birdies in his opening round of 65 -6.

Local player Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) is one shot further back after he produced a bogey free 66 -5.

Zach CHEGWIDDEN (ENG), winner of the Berkshire Trophy earlier his summer, is 3rd after a roller-coaster 67 -4 which saw him offset eight birdies with four bogeys.

At the end of the day just 14 of the 132 players broke par around the difficult Yorkshire course.

Leading Brabazon Trophy Round 1 Scores (Graphic: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

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15th August 2021

The 75^thEnglish Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship for the Brabazon Trophy will be played at Ganton Golf Club between Thursday 19th and Sunday 22nd August.

Ganton Golf Club (Photo: Ganton Golf Club )

Format

The competition consists of 72 holes of stroke play golf with 18 holes being played each day.

A 36 hole cut will take place with only the leading 60 competitors and ties progressing to the two remaining rounds.

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

Field

A final field of 132 has been set for the 2021 Championship.

The majority of the field are 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 leading players, all from England, are Callan BARROW, Sam BAIRSTOW, Jack BROOKS, Jack DYER, Arron EDWARDS-HILL, John GOUGH, Olly HUGGINS, Haider HUSSAIN and Laird SHEPHERD.

The continuing impact on travel of the COVID-19 pandemic means only a handful of overseas entries are competing. The commencement of the US college academic year and the playing of the Jacques Léglise Trophy next week in Sweden have also damaged the field. The latter means that Jack BIGHAM, winner of The R&A Boys’ Amateur last weekend, and Harley SMITH, winner of the U16 McGregor Trophy and U18 Carris Trophy will sadly both be missing.

Three regional qualifying tournaments have been staged in recent weeks to determine the remainder of the field.

Southern – Brokenhurst Manor G.C. on 3rd August
Medalist – Riccardo Fantinelli (ITA) 63 -7
Qualifiers (24)- Riccardo Fantinelli, Tom Stagg, Reis Suart, Craig Passmore, Ollie Brimfield, James Ellis, Luke Spooner, Max Shirvell, Harry Uzzell, Connor O’Brien, Finlay Szafnauer, Ryan Greenwood, George Johnson, William Green, Ben Quick, Andrew Issacs, Charlie Salter, Lewis Beer, Jacob Kelso, Harvey Byers, Jay Scott, Joseph McDonagh-Brown, Kipp Popert and Rocky Chapman

Midland – Spalding G.C. on 10th August
Medalist – Sam Potter (ENG) 67 -5
Qualifiers (19) – Sam Potter, Hugo Kedzlie, Joel Smith, Andres Acevedo, Ross Macintosh, Sam Hessian, Jordan Boulton, Stuart Easton, Lewis Phillips, Harry Glenn, Max Hayward, Daniel McEvoy, Joshua Austin-Tierney, Harry Coe, Jack Remblance, Alex Ford, Louis Sanders, Jack Diment and Shaun Marshall

Northern – The Oaks GC on 12th August
Medalist – Harry Lord (ENG) 64 -8
Qualifiers (30) – Harry Lord, Thomas Harbord, Andrew Benson, Jamie Roberts, Ryan Tatton, Harry Lee, James Swash, Callum Bruce, George Mason, Dominic Barron Holden, Jack Lampkin, Jamie Gregory, Thomas Pyman, Charlie Daughtrey, Ben Brookes, Max Berrisford, Tom Etridge, Ryan Owen, Andrew Ni, Max Baxendale, Oliver White, Jack McPhail, Tom Hughes, Ben Rhodes, James Stewart, James Holland, Fred Tisdale, Nick Raybould, Will Wilkinson and George Ash

Click here and use the three filters to view the full – Qualifying Results

Tee Times

Click here to view the – 2021 Brabazon Trophy Tee Times

Play will be starting at 7.00am on the opening two days with the final tee time being 2.40pm.

Prizes

The Winner receives the magnificent gold Brabazon Trophy shown in the photo below.

The Champion’s Prize and 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 Scruton Jug is awarded to the player returning the best aggregate scores in The Brabazon Trophy and The Berkshire Trophy.

Ganton Golf Club

Ganton G.C. is located in the Vale of Pickering in Yorkshire, 10 miles inland from Scarborough.

The Club was founded in 1891 and Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, James Braid, JH Taylor, Harry Colt and Alistair Mackenzie all had a hand in the development of the course in the early 1900’s.

Ganton G.C. Aerial Photo (Photo: Ganton G.C.)

The Championship course is well known for it’s deep bunkers, gorse and fir trees and plays to 7,016 yards and a challenging par of 71.

Ganton G.C. Scorecard (Photo: Ganton G.C.)

The course has hosted the Ryder Cup (1949), the Amateur Championship (1964, 1977, 1991), the Curtis Cup (2000) and the Walker Cup (2003) in its illustrious history.

Weather Forecast

The weather is looking largely dry at the moment, albeit with little sun, with fresh breezes picking up throughout the week.

Thur 19th Aug – Light Cloud / Wind 8 mph W / Temp. Min. 13°C, Max. 18°C.
Fri 20th Aug – Light Cloud / Wind 10 mph SE / Temp. Min. 14°C, Max. 18°C.
Sat 21st Aug – Light Cloud / Wind 14 mph SE / Temp. Min. 15°C / Min 19°C.
Sun 22nd Aug – Light Rain Showers / Wind 17 mph E / Temp. Min. 14°C / Max. 19°C.

2020 Brabazon Trophy

David RAVETTO (FRA) won the 2020 Brabazon Trophy at Sherwood Forest G.C.

David Ravetto (Photo: Leaderboard Photography / FFGolf)

Ravetto secured the title on the second sudden death play-off hole (the 2nd) with a birdie after he and Christoffer BRING (DEN) and Mark POWER (IRL) couldn’t be separated after 72 holes. Power fell out of the play-off on the 1st extra hole after he could only par it – Bring and Ravetto both birdied.

English pair Barclay BROWN and Jack DYER -8 finished tied for 4th with compatriots Enrique DIMAYUGA and Sam BAIRSTOW one shot further back in tied 6th.

Barclay Brown won The George Henriques Salver, awarded to the leading GB&I player under the age of 20.

Northern Ireland’s Tom MCKIBBIN -6 finished 8th after a consistent tournament, Joe LONG -5 9th delivered another strong result and Jack COPE -4 backed up his English Amateur victory with a tied 10th place alongside Josh BRISTOW from Kent.

Here are the leading scores from 2020: –

Leading Results (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

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Recent Results

Click here to view the full: –

Sherwood Forest – 2020 Brabazon Trophy Results

Alwoodley – 2019 Brabazon Trophy Results

Frilford Heath – 2018 Brabazon Trophy Results

Woodhall Spa – 2017 Brabazon Trophy Results

London G.C. – 2016 Brabazon Trophy Results

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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 recent winners include well known pros Ignacio GARRIDO (1992), Peter HANSON (1998) and Charl SCHWARTZEL (2002).

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The European Amateur Championship – 2020 Preview, Reports & Results

Posted on 21/09/2020 by Golf Bible

25th September 2020

Matthias SCHMID (GER) retained the European Amateur Championship at G. & C.C. Zurich in Switzerland.

He became the second player to achieve this feat following in the footsteps of Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) who won in 2013 and 2104 and who is the only other two-time winner.

Nick Bachem, Matthias Schmid and Haider Hussain (Photo: swissgolf.ch)

A final round 72 (+1), which included a double bogey on his 72nd hole, proved to be good enough to secure a three shot victory. As can be seen from Schmid’s scorecard below the Championship was won on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes today where he picked up four shots at just the right time.

Schmid’s Final Scorecard (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

Nick BACHEM (GER), who started the day tied for the lead, opened with a triple bogey – bogey to lose all momentum. Whilst he held on for 2nd place any chance he had of winning was clearly lost early in his round.

It was a much better story for Haider HUSSAIN (ENG) whose final day 67 (-4) lifted him up into 3rd place with a 278 (-6) total.

Hussain’s Final Scorecard (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

Ben JONES (ENG), the only other GB&I player to make the cut, finished tied 26th on 288 (+4).

Here is a summary of the leading results: –

Final Results (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

The average score in Round 4 was 73.68 the second highest of the week (1: 73.01 / 2: 74.12 / 3: 72.30).

Click here to view the full – 2020 European Amateur Championship Results

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24th September 2020

Nick BACHEM (GER), Philipp KATICH (GER) and Cedric GUGLER (SUI) all posted best of the week’s 63 (-8) in Round 3.

Bachem’s Scorecard (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

Bachem now shares the lead with defending champion Matthias SCHMID (GER). Schmid himself shot an impressive 64 (-7) today. The two German’s will now take a 5-shot lead into the Final Round on -12. Fellow German Katich and David RAVETTO (FRA) lead the chasing pack on -7.

Haider HUSSAIN (ENG) recorded a 71 (Ev) to stay on -2 for the Championship and tied 11th. Ben JONES‘s (ENG) 68 (-3) moved him on to -1 overall and he will start tomorrow in tied 14th place.

Here are the leading players after 54 holes: –

Round 3 Scoreboard (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

The 54 hole cut fell at 219 (+6) with 52 players progressing to the final round tomorrow.

Michael YOUNG (IRL) 72 75 73 (+7) and Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) 70 75 76 (+8) were amongst those who missed the cut.

The average score in Round 3 was 72.30, the lowest of the week so far (1: 73.01 / 2: 74.12).

The 295 yard par 4 10th hole played the easiest on Day 3 with an average score of 3.76. There was 1 eagle and 39 birdies today. In a change to the previous two rounds the 200 yard par 3 4th hole played the hardest in Round 3 with an average score of 3.35.

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23rd September 2020

Matthias SCHMID (GER) moved into sole possession of the lead with an even par round of 71 in Round 2. His round included four birdies and four bogeys.

Nick BACHEM (GER) and Rasmus KARLSSON (FIN) joined Frederik SCHOTT (GER) in tied 2nd place on -4 after the pair both posted a joint best of the day 68 (-3).

On a tougher day in Zurich Haider HUSSAIN (ENG) posted a 72 to slip to tied 11th, Ben JONES (ENG) a 72 to rise to tied 27th, Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) a 75 to sit tied 30th and Michael YOUNG (IRL) a 75 to finish the day in tied 49th.

Here is the Round 2 Scoreboard (leading players only): –

Round 2 Scoreboard (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

The average score in Round 2 was 74.12 (+3.12), a full shot higher than yesterday.

The 478 yard par 4 12th hole played the easiest on Day 2 with an average score of 4.71. There were 2 eagles and 33 birdies on this hole. The 450 yard par 4th 18th hole remained the hardest hole in Round 2 with an average score of 4.73, just slightly lower than yesterday (4.77).

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22nd September 2020

Matthias SCHMID (GER), Gregorio DE LEO (ITA), Casper SIMBERG (FIN) and Frederik SCHOTT (GER) all recorded 66’s (-5) in Round 1 to lead the European Amateur Championship in Zurich.

Schmid, Simberg, De Leo and Schott’s Rd 1 Scorecards (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

Haider HUSSAIN (ENG) made a great start to his opening round with four birdies in his opening five holes. His 67 -4 score sees him nicely placed in tied 5th place.

Hussain’s Rd 1 Scorecards (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) 70 -1 is tied 11th and Ben JONES (ENG) and Michael YOUNG (IRL) 72 +1 are tied 35th.

Here are the leading players after Round 1: –

Round 1 Scoreboard (Photo: EGA / Golfbox)

The average score in Round 1 was 73.01 (+2.01).

The 295 yard par 4 10th hole played the easiest with an average score of 3.52. There was 8 eagles and 38 birdies on this hole on Day 1. The 450 yard par 4th 18th hole was the hardest with an average score of 4.77.

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21st September 2020

The 33rd European Amateur Championship starts tomorrow at Golf & Country Club Zurich in Switzerland.

This prestigious Championship is run by the European Golf Association (EGA), assisted each year by the host nation; this year, the Swiss Golf Association.

Golf & Country Club Zurich Aerial (Photo: golfhome.ch)

Entries / Competition Format

In normal times 144 players contest the European Amateur Championship in June each year. Due to COVID-19 the 2020 event has slipped to September and the field has been reduced to 90 players.

All of the players in the field must have handicaps of 0.0 or better with the entry ballot applied based on the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Exemptions were available to the defending champion, a single nomination from each EGA member nation, four nominated players from the host nation, Switzerland, competitors in the most recent Bonallack Trophy, St. Andrew’s Trophy and Jacques Léglise Trophy matches, the 2019 South American Amateur champion and the 2019 European Mid-Amateur champion.

Due to travel and quarantine concerns there are just four GB&I players competing in Switzerland, namely Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG), Haider HUSSAIN (ENG), Ben JONES (ENG) and Michael YOUNG (IRL).

The defending champion Matthias SCHMID (GER) is competing as is the 2020 Brabazon Trophy winner David RAVETTO (FRA).

It is a 72-hole stroke play competition with 18-holes played daily over four days.

A cut will take place after 54 holes. The 60 lowest scores and ties normally qualifying but due to the reduced field only the lowest 48 scores and ties will progress this year to the final round on Friday 25th September.

A 3 hole aggregate score play off will decide the winner in the event of a tie. If this doesn’t separate the players then a sudden death play-off will commence over the same holes.

Golf & Country Club Zurich

The 2020 Championship is being staged at the Golf & Country Club Zurich in Switzerland.

Golf & Country Club Zurich (Photo: gccz.ch)

The Club was founded in the 1920s with the course originally designed by the English professional Tom Williamson.

Simpson & Co. made some minor adjustments in 1936 before a major redesign was completed by Donald Harradine in 1978/79. The course re-opened in May 1980.

It sits 685m above sea level and plays to 6,563m and a par of 71 off the back tees.

Weather Forecast

A showery week is forecast for Zurich but with virtually no wind expected scoring should be good.

Tues 22nd Sept – Sunny Intervals. Wind 3 mph (W). Min. 24°C / Max. 16°C.
Weds 23rd Sept – Light Rain Showers. Wind 5 mph (W). Min. 22°C / Max. 14°C.
Thurs 24th Sept – Light Rain Showers. Wind 4 mph (W). Min. 22°C / Max. 14°C.
Fri 25th Sept – Light Rain Showers. Wind 5 mph (W). Max. 15°C / Min 8°C.

Prizes

Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the Top 3 finishers.

More importantly the champion will receive an exemption into next year’s delayed Open Championship being played at Royal St. George’s G.C. in England.

The Championship Trophy is held by the winning player’s national golf authority.

2019 European Amateur Championship

Matthias SCHMID (GER) won the 2019 European Amateur Championship by 3-shots with a 273 (-15) total.

Matthias Schmid (Photo: European Golf Association)

Euan WALKER (SCO) finished 2nd on -12 and Ben JONES (ENG) and Joe LONG (ENG) tied 3rd on -9. Jones collected the bronze medal based on a last 36 holes count back.

Here are the results for the last three European Amateurs: –

Click here to view the full – 2019 European Amateur Championship Results

Click here to view the – 2018 European Amateur Championship Results

Click here to view the – 2017 European Amateur Championship Results

History

The competition was first contested in 1986 at Eindhoven G.C. Initially it was held biennially before moving to an annual fixture from 1990.

2020 will be the second occasion that Switzerland has hosted the European Amateur. Sweden’s Didier Olsson won in 1997 at Golf Club du Domaine Impérial in Gland.

Former winners who have gone on to enjoy very successful professional careers include Stephen GALLACHER (1994), Sergio GARCIA (1995), Gregory HAVRET (1999), Carl PETTERSSON (2000), Rory MCILROY (2006) and Victor DUBUISSON (2009).

In addition to Gallacher and McIlroy other GB&I past winners include Jim PAYNE (1991), Paddy GRIBBEN (1998), Stephen BROWNE (2001), Brian MCELHINNEY (2003), Matthew RICHARDSON (2004), Rhys PUGH (2012) and Ashley CHESTERS (2013 and 2014) and Alfie PLANT (2017).

Ashley Chesters is the only two-time winner and the only player to have retained the trophy.

Click here to view the – European Amateur Championship Past Winners and Venues

Rory McIlroy – 2006 Champion (Photo: European Golf Association)

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The Amateur Championship – 2020 Preview, Reports & Results

Posted on 18/08/2020 by Golf Bible

Sunday 30th August 2020

Joe LONG (ENG) won the 2020 Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale G.C. to become the 51st Englishman to lift the famous silver trophy.

Joe Long (Photo: Richard Heathcote / The R&A / R&A via Getty Images)

Joe beat his namesake Joe HARVEY (ENG) 4&3 in the 36 hole Final.

Long built up a 3Up lead after 11 holes helped by birdies on the 5th, 6th, 9th and 10th holes. Whilst Harvey battled till the end Long steadied himself after a shaky opening nine in the afternoon to see out the match.

Long v. Harvey (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Long and Harvey were well known to each other coming into the Final; hailing from the Gloucestershire County and golf clubs just 10 miles apart, namely The Kendleshire and Lansdown respectively.

It was the first all-England final since Graeme Storm defeated Aran Wainwright 7&6 at Royal County Down in 1999. The last English champion was Harry Ellis who won at Royal St George’s in 2017.

Joe LONG was the clear favourite before play commenced. At the beginning of the Championship he was ranked 102nd and 31st in the WAGR and SPWAR whilst Joe HARVEY was 897th and 387th.

With his victory Joe LONG secured exemptions into the Open, Masters Tournament and US Open in 2021. He also guaranteed a place in the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup Team.

Joe Long shot a 74 (-3) in the stroke play qualifying to finish tied 30th. In then reaching the Final he also had to care of three of England’s leading players Olly HUGGINS, Barclay BROWN and Jake BOLTON. All in all a well deserved victory for the 23 year old.

Joe Long’s Match Play Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Click here to follow the – 2020 Amateur Championship Match Play Scores

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Saturday 29th August 2020

Semi-Finals

Here are the results from Saturday afternoon’s Semi-Finals: –

Semi-Finals Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Joe HARVEY (ENG) beat Mark POWER (IRL) by 3&2 in the first Semi-Final at Royal Birkdale G.C. The Bristolian made a good start and having moved into a 3Up lead after 6 holes saw out the match relatively comfortably despite Power improving down the home stretch.

Harvey v. Power Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Joe LONG (ENG) beat Jake BOLTON (ENG) by 2&1 in the second Semi-Final at Royal Birkdale G.C. The standard of play doesn’t appear to have been as good as the first semi but at this stage it’s all about the result. After a demanding week perhaps Long’s much easier Quarter Final when compared with Bolton’s gave him an advantage.

Long v. Bolton Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Quarter Finals

Here are the results from Saturday morning’s four matches: –

Quarter Finals Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Joe HARVEY (ENG) did what was required to overcome an out of sorts Victor H.S. SVENDSEN (DEN) in the first Quarter Final.

Svendsen v. Harvey Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Barclay BROWN (ENG) couldn’t find the game he had enjoyed yesterday and succumbed easily to a very steady performance form Joe LONG (ENG).

Brown v. Long Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Five birdies in his opening 10 holes provided Mark POWER (IRL) with a strong foundation against Callan BARROW (ENG) and he saw out the match to secure the third semi-final place.

Barrow v. Power Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

The fourth match proved to be the tightest with Jake BOLTON (ENG) taken all the way by Hamish W. BROWN (DEN).

Bolton v. Brown Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

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Friday 28th August 2020

Round 4

Joe HARVEY (ENG), Callan BARROW (ENG), Mark POWER (IRL), Barclay BROWN (ENG), Joe LONG (ENG) and Jake BOLTON (ENG) all won their Last 16 matches to progress to the Quarter Finals.

Some of the results were a little more comprehensive this afternoon as the mental and physical stresses perhaps started to show up a little more in the play.

Round 4 Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

The SPWAR was updated after Round 4 of The Amateur so heading into the Quarter Finals I thought it would be interesting to review the current rankings of the remaining players: –
Joe LONG (ENG) – #8
Jake BOLTON (ENG) – #19
Mark POWER (IRL) – #34
Barclay BROWN (ENG) – #37
Callan BARROW (ENG) – #94
Joe HARVEY (ENG) – #151
Victor H.S. SVENDSEN (DEN) – #192
Hamish W. BROWN (DEN) – #236

Round 3

22 GB&I players became 11 after the completion of Round 3 this morning.

Three Danes, Victor H.S. SVENDSEN, Frederik KJETTRUP and Hamish W. BROWN make up the majority of the five overseas players still standing and are clearly finding Royal Birkdale to their liking.

Svendsen beat Ilari SAULO (FIN), who having won two matches yesterday, quickly fell back down to earth with a heavy defeat in the opening game of the day.

Callum FARR (ENG) enjoyed a solid 3&2 victory over his England teammate Tom PLUMB (ENG).

Mark POWER and Marc BOUCHER ensured Irish interest remained well and truly alive in the Championship overcoming the in form English pair Jack DYER and Matty LAMB respectively.

The other Irish player in the draw Tom MCKIBBIN saw his hopes ended at the hands of Barclay BROWN (ENG).

Round 3 Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

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Thursday 27th August 2020

Round 2

The ‘Curse of the Medalist’ struck Ruben LINDSAY (SCO) who lost 2&1 to Finland’s Ilari SAULO. Saulo, who won the 2020 Finnish Amateur in early August, had already given notice of his continued good form when he knocked out Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) in the Preliminary Round.

David RAVETTO (FRA), winner of the Brabazon Trophy last week, beat Jack COPE (ENG), the English Amateur champion, by 5&4 in an interesting match up thrown up by the draw.

Dubai-based Josh HILL (ENG) completed a long day on the links with a smile on his face after winning his second match on the 19th hole. His victory over Sam BROADHURST (ENG) suggests that he may now be ready to fulfil his undoubted potential over here.

Round 2 Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Preliminary Round 1

Day 3 of The Amateur Championship started with the Preliminary Round 1 which featured the eight lowest qualifiers. The four winners feeding into the Round 2 draw against the top four qualifiers.

Josh HILL (ENG) and Matthew MCCLEAN (IRL) were the two GB&I players to progress to Round 2.

Preliminary Round 1 Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

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Wednesday 26th August 2020

In form 16 year old Ruben LINDSAY (SCO), the reigning Scottish Boys’ Amateur champion, shot a 67 (-4) to win the 18 hole Stroke Play Qualifying competition.

Play started at 7.30am this morning with the original Round 2 tee times being used by the 120 players contesting this year’s Amateur Championship.

36 hole Stroke Play Qualifying was introduced in 1983 and this was the first time in 37 years that The R&A have been unable to complete it in full.

Ruben Lindsay’s Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Four other players broke par at the challenging Lancashire links today. Mason ESSAM (ENG), 21, finished 2nd on -3 with Sam BROADHURST (ENG), 23, and Ben SCHMIDT (ENG), 18, a shot further back in tied 3rd with Jack DYER (ENG), 22, securing the 5th seed on -1.

The decision to reduce the Stroke Play Qualifying competition to just 18 holes saw The R&A extend qualifying to the leading 64 players and ties. The original competition rules had stated that a card count back approach would be adopted for the first time in the Men’s event this year.

As a result 68 players progressed to the Match Play Stage with the cut coming at scores of 76 (+5) or better.

The qualifiers comprise 29 English players, 7 Scottish, 6 Irish, 6 Danish, 5 German, 5 Italian, 4 Swiss, 2 Finnish and 1 each from Estonia, France, Norway and Wales.

The Leading Stroke Play Qualifying Results (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

Amongst the more notable players to narrowly miss out were England Internationals Harry GODDARD +6, Robin WILLIAMS +6, Max MARTIN +6 and Conor GOUGH +7.

Click here to view the – 2020 Amateur Championship Stroke Play Qualifying Results

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Tuesday 25th August 2020

Round 1 of the Stroke Play Qualifying competition at the 2020 Amateur Championship was abandoned at 4.00pm. All of the scores that had been posted today, and there were some very good completed rounds in atrocious conditions, were cancelled.

Play had started on time at 7.30am but was quickly suspended at 7.50pm due to heavy rain and strong winds. It re-commenced at 9.50am before again having to be suspended at 2.50pm. No resumption in play was possible.

The R&A has decided to reduce the Stroke Play Qualifying to 18 holes which will now be played tomorrow. The top 64 players and ties will now go through to the Match Play Stage.

Assuming no time extension was possible I would have retained the 36 holes of stroke play and reduced the qualifiers to the top 32. The proposed one round of stroke play and six rounds of match play is now too lopsided a format for my liking.

18 holes of stroke play turns qualifying into a shootout and may not see all of the best players progress.

I would also have retained the new card count back rule that had been introduced to The Amateur this year. This is primarily because The R&A have historically not conducted the match play draw correctly when trying to accommodate a Preliminary Round, i.e. the medalist hasn’t played the 64th seed (or higher), etc. [These latter concerns proved to be unfounded on Wednesday evening as The R&A made the draw correctly this year – see above.]

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24th August 2020

The 125th Amateur Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale G.C. in Southport, England on 25th – 30th August 2020.

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.

The 2020 Championship was originally due to be co-hosted by Royal Birkdale and West Lancashire G.C.’s in England from 15th – 20th June 2020 but was re-scheduled as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

West Lancs. is now hosting The Women’s Amateur Championship, being staged concurrently with the men’s event, having replaced Kilmarnock (Barassie) G.C. for logistical reasons.

In order to receive Government and Local Authority approval to proceed The R&A have agreed that the Championship will be played behind closed doors with no spectators and only essential / authorised personnel on-site.

Format

The normal field of 288 players has been reduced to 120 this year.

Two stroke play qualifying rounds will be completed on Tuesday 25th August and Wednesday 26th August.

English Amateur champion Jack COPE (ENG) will hit the first shot of the Championship at 7.30am. With an 11 minute gap between tee times the final group will go out at 2.54pm on each of the opening days.

Click here to view the – 2020 Amateur Championship SP Qualifying Tee Times

The 64 players with the lowest 36 hole scores will advance to the match play stage.

In a welcome change by The R&A a Round 2 card countback will be used to ensure a clean 64 players advance. Ties for 64th place will not advance as they have done in previous years and as a result there will be no preliminary round and a standard match play draw will be made made.

The Match Play stage will then be played between Thursday 27th and Sunday 30th August.

Matches will be played over 18 holes except for Sunday’s Final which will be contested over 36 holes. Extra sudden death holes will be used in all games if necessary.

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Royal Birkdale G.C.’s 18th Hole and Clubhouse (Photo: thetravellinggolfer.com)

Players

The 120 players have been firstly drawn from a number of exempt categories covering various historic Championship performances and representative team selections.

Thereafter places have been allocated to those players ranked 1st – 2,000th in the WAGR as at Week 30 2020, i.e. the Wednesday 29th July release.

Players from 13 different countries will contest the 2020 Amateur Championship. 34 countries were represented in 2019 highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 travel restrictions and the 60% reduction in the field size.

England have 44 players in the field (37%), Scotland 17, Ireland 10 and Wales 4.

The COVID-19 travel restrictions mean that James SUGRUE (IRL) is unable to defend his title ahead of appearing in the 2020 U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot G.C. on 17-20th September.

Outside of the home nations the best represented countries are Italy (10), Germany (9), Switzerland (9) and Denmark (8).

Notably there are no players this year from Australia, South Africa and USA.

Current circumstances mean this is probably the weakest field ever assembled for an Amateur Championship. There are just 9 players in the WAGR top 100 competing (as at 29th July). These are Ben SCHMIDT (ENG) #27, Ben JONES (ENG) #30, Conor GOUGH (ENG) #37, David RAVETTO (FRA) #52, Jannik DE BRUYN (GER) #62, Jake BOLTON (ENG) #77, Mark POWER (IRL) #81, Matty LAMB (ENG) #87 and Tom MCKIBBIN (IRL) #93. The picture isn’t improved by looking further down WAGR either; there are 23 players starting the event in the top 200 and 31 in the top 300.

France’s David RAVETTO and Denmark’s Christoffer BRING, winner and runner-up in this week’s Brabazon Trophy at Sherwood Forest, will arrive in Southport full of confidence.

Host Course

Royal Birkdale G.C. is one of the most famous golf courses in GB&I staging numerous Championships and International Matches since coming to prominence after World War II.

Birkdale G.C. was formed in 1889 with the club moving to the current site in 1897.

Hawtree and former Open Champion J.H. Taylor set about routing the course between the sandhills in the 1930s. Major changes were subsequently made in the 1960s and 1990s to ensure the layout remained at the forefront of the game.

The Club received it’s royal patronage from King George VI in 1951.

Birkdale has previously hosted the Amateur Championship in 1946, 1989 and 2005.

Royal Birkdale Scorecard (Photo: The R&A / Golfbox Scoring)

The course will play to around 7,100 yards during the Championship and a par of 71.

The formidable final six holes will no doubt come into play during the match play stage.

Royal Birkdale Course Map (Photo: Royal Birkdale G.C.)

Weather Forecast (as at Monday 24th August)

The weather forecast looks generally wet for the week with scoring unlikely to be helped by moderate to strong breezes throughout: –

Tues 25th – Heavy Rain. Wind 45 mph SE. Temp. Max. 19°C / Min 15°C.
Wed 26th – Sunny Intervals. Wind 26 mph NW. Temp. Max. 18°C / Min 12°C.
Thurs 27th – Light Rain Showers. Wind 8 mph S. Temp. Max. 16°C / Min 12°C.
Fri 28th – Light Rain Showers. Wind 16 mph NE. Temp. Max. 16°C / Min 9°C.
Sat 29th – Sunny Intervals. Wind 16 mph NW. Temp. Max. 16°C / Min 9°C.
Sun 30th – Sunny Intervals. Wind 11 mph NW. Temp. Max. 16°C / Min 9°C.

Click here to view the – Latest BBC Weather Forecast For Southport

Tee times between 7.30am and 2.54pm mean changes in the weather can have a material impact on the stroke play qualifying scoring.

Royal Birkdale G.C.’s 12th Hole (Photo: visitliverpool.com)

Prizes / Exemptions

A momento is presented by The R&A to the leading player in the stroke play qualifying competition, with any ties decided on the lowest second round score (or final nine, six or three or one if necessary).

The winner of the match play stage will become the 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 will be exempt into the 149th Open Championship being staged at Royal St. George’s G.C. in Kent, England in July 2021.

Traditionally, the champion is also invited to compete in the following year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National G.C. and also exempted into the 2021 U.S. Open Championship which is being held at Torrey Pines G.C. in San Diego, California.

Finally, given the May 2021 staging of the next Walker Cup match any GB&I player who wins this Amateur Championship will be assured of a place in our team.

2019 Amateur Championship

James SUGRUE (IRE) won the 124th Amateur Championship at Portmarnock G.C. beating Euan WALKER (SCO) by 2 Holes in a competitive Final which went the full 36 holes.

James from Mallow G.C. was the 8th Irish winner of the title following in the footsteps of Jimmy Bruen, Max McCready, Joe Carr, Garth McGimpsey, Michael Hoey, Brian McElhinney and most recently Alan Dunbar in 2012.

James Sugrue (Photo: The R&A / Sam Barnes / Getty Images)

Click here to view the – 2019 Amateur Championship Match Play Results

Tom PLUMB (ENG) secured Stroke Play medalist honours at the 2019 Amateur after posting an aggregate 36 hole score of 139 (-4). Plumb shot a 68 at The Island in Round 1 and a 71 (-1) on Day 2 at Portmarnock. John AXELSEN (DEN) also recorded a 139 (-4) total but lost out by 4-shots on combined back nine count back.

Click here to view the – 2019 Amateur Championship Stroke Play Qualifying Results

The top 64 and ties Match Play cut fell at 147 (+4) with a total of 76 players progressing. The 24 lowest scoring qualifiers participated in a Preliminary Round to establish the final 64 players.

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 huge rewards on offer.

The Amateur Championship Trophy (Photo: Dominik Holyer)

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 James Sugrue’s win in 2019 the previous 10 winners of The Amateur Championship were: –

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 (IRE) – Royal Troon G.C.
2011 Bryden Macpherson (AUS) – Hillside G.C.
2010 Jin Jeong (KOR) – Muirfield
2009 Matteo Manassero (ITA) – Formby G.C.

A great achievement and honour for all of the players listed above. However, it’s also another reminder of how incredibly tough golf is and that wins in the biggest events are no guarantee of success in the professional game.

Click here to view a complete list of – Past Amateur Championship Winners

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The Brabazon Trophy – 2020 Preview, Reports & Results

Posted on 13/08/2020 by Golf Bible

21st August 2020

David RAVETTO (FRA) won the 74^thEnglish Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Sherwood Forest G.C.

David Ravetto (Photo: Leaderboard Photography / FFGolf)

It was clear from today’s weather forecast that the conclusion of the Brabazon Trophy was likely to be far from straight forward and so it proved. Anything can happen when the wind is gusting up to 50mph.

Mark POWER, who had started the day tied for 12th, produced one of the best rounds seen for some time by a GB&I amateur to ask the question of the leaders playing behind him. His 66 (-5) included two eagles and three birdies. To put his score into context just 6 of the 68 players broke par today with the other five all recording 70’s (-1).

Power’s 274 (-11) total initially looked like it would be a little short of the necessary mark but as time passed by it became clear that his work may not be done for the day.

Mark Power’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

David RAVETTO, playing in the penultimate three ball, looked to have stood up to the conditions and Power’s clubhouse pressure when he birdied the 16th to move to -11. However, a bogey on 17 saw him fall back into a tie with the Irishman on -10 with both players left to nervously wait to see how leader Christoffer BRING would finish.

David Ravetto’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

Bring was on -13 after 12 holes when Power completed his round. With a three shot lead and six holes to play the Championship was the Dane’s to win. However, an untidy double bogey on the par 3 15th and a bogey on 17 saw him come back to the two chasers.

Christoffer Bring’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

English pair Barclay BROWN and Jack DYER -8 finished tied for 4th with compatriots Enrique DIMAYUGA and Sam BAIRSTOW one shot further back in tied 6th.

Barclay Brown won The George Henriques Salver, awarded to the leading GB&I player under the age of 20.

Northern Ireland’s Tom MCKIBBIN -6 finished 8th after a consistent tournament, Joe LONG -5 9th delivered another strong result and Jack COPE -4 backed up his recent English Amateur victory with a tied 10th place alongside Josh BRISTOW from Kent.

Leading Results (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

Click here to view the full – 2020 Brabazon Trophy Results

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20th August 2020

Christoffer BRING (DEN) shot a joint best of the day 65 (-6) to move into a share of the lead on Day 3 of the Brabazon Trophy. Two late bogeys, including one on his final hole, shows how good his round could have been. Nevertheless to record just five bogeys in the Championship to date is impressive stuff – just Sam Bairstow has less to his name (4).

Christoffer Bring’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

England’s Enrique DIMAYUGA (-11) continues to enjoy himself at Sherwood Forest. The promising youngster from Walton Heath posted a 66, helped by an eagle and a birdie on the 16th and 17th holes, to join Bring out front.

Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) posted a 67 to move into 3rd place on -10 whilst first round leader David RAVETTO (FRA) matched his opening round 66 to move back into contention alongside Jack DYER (ENG) in tied 4th on -9.

Barclay BROWN‘s (ENG) 66 included two eagles, one on the par 5 5th followed by a hole-in-one on the 7th. Having pared every hole coming home after his 1 the Stanford University student from Sheffield stands well placed in tied 6th (-7) to make a run at the title tomorrow.

English Amateur champion Jack COPE (ENG) took advantage of making the cut on the +1 mark in Round 3. His blemish free 65 (-6) lifted him up to tied 12th on -5.

Jack Cope’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

Harry BUTLER (ENG) joined Cope in tied 12th after producing the other 65 of round 3. His eagle 2 on the 9th the standout in what appears to have been an exciting round of golf.

Harry Butler’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

Here are the leading scores after 54 holes: –

Leading Rd 3 Scores (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

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19th August 2020

Rain arrived in Nottinghamshire in the late morning and stayed until the end of play. Players with an early morning Round 2 tee time clearly had a major advantage over the later starters today.

Jack DYER (ENG) produced the best round of the week this morning to take the 36-hole lead on 134 (-8). His 64 (-7), which included eight birdies, equalled the course record at Sherwood Forest G.C.

Jack Dyer’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

Other morning starters Mark POWER (-7) and Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) (-6) are on hot on Jack’s heels. Enrique DIMAYUGA (ENG) did very well to join Sam on -6 given his afternoon tee time where he played in the worst of the weather.

Andrew NI (SCO) matched David Revatto’s 66 (-5) from yesterday to march up the leaderboard on Day 2.

Experienced performers Tom PLUMB (ENG), Joe LONG (ENG), Tom MCKIBBIN (IRL) -4 and Jake BOLTON (ENG) -4 are all nicely placed to mount an attack on the leaders in the coming days.

Here are the leading scores after 36 holes: –

Leading Rd 2 Scores (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

68 players made the 60th and ties 36 hole cut which drifted out to 143 (+1) as the wet conditions took their toll later on.

Playing together English Amateur champion, Jack COPE (ENG), and the defending Brabazon champion, Ben SCHMIDT (ENG), both fought back after disappointing opening rounds with 69’s (-2) this morning to made it in on the +1 mark.

Conor GOUGH (ENG) +2, Matty LAMB (ENG) +3, Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) +3 and Olly HUGGINS (ENG) +3 were amongst the players to miss the cut.

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18th August 2020

David RAVETTO (FRA), Matt McCLEAN (IRL) and Josh BRISTOW (ENG) all shot opening rounds of 66 (-5) to share the Round 1 lead at Sherwood Forest G.C.

Here are the details of the three leading rounds:-

Ravetto, McClean and Bristow Scorecards (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

At the end of Round 1 there were 68 players on 71 (Ev) or better.

Here are the leading scores after Round 1: –

Leading Rd 1 Scores (Photo: England Golf / Golf Genius Scoring)

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13th August 2020

The 74^thEnglish Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship for the Brabazon Trophy will be played at Sherwood Forest Golf Club between Tuesday 18th and Friday 21st August.

Sherwood Forest Golf Club (Photo: Sherwood Forest G.C.)

Format

The competition consists of 72 holes of stroke play golf with 18 holes being played each day.

A 36 hole cut will take place with only the leading 60 competitors and ties progressing to the two remaining rounds.

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

Click here to view the full – 2020 Brabazon Trophy Terms of Competition

Field

A 144 competitors will start the 2020 Championship.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic no regional qualifying tournaments have been staged this year. The field has therefore been determined by exemptions and a handicap ballot.

With the exception of those players who have been competing in the U.S. Amateur all of Great Britain and Ireland’s leading amateurs will be on show. A number of players from the Continent of Europe have also made the effort to travel over to Nottinghamshire.

Last year’s Brabazon Trophy was ranked as the 20th best amateur event by the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking (SPWAR) based on the strength of its field. This represented a jump from 41st in 2018 but a fall from 17^thin 2017.

Tee Times

Click here to view the – 2020 Brabazon Trophy Rounds 1 and 2 Drawsheet – use Menu filter

Play will start at 7.00am on the opening two days with the final tee time being 3.30pm.

Prizes

The Winner receives the magnificent gold Brabazon Trophy shown in the photo below.

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

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

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 Scruton Jug is normally awarded to the player returning the best aggregate scores in The Brabazon Trophy and The Berkshire Trophy. However, this year it won’t be presented as the latter event has been cancelled.

Sherwood Forest Golf Club

Sherwood Forest G.C. is located on heathland to the east of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire.

The Club can trace its roots back to 1895 and moved to its current location in 1911. The course was designed by Harry Colt and revised by James Braid in the 1920s. Further changes to the greens and tees were made in the 1980s by Cotton, Pennink, Steel and Hawtree.

Sherwood Forest G.C. Course Map (Photo: Sherwood Forest G.C.)

The course can be stretched to 6,800 yards with the front nine situated on more open land and the longer back nine tree lined.

Sherwood Forest G.C. Scorecard (Photo: Sherwood Forest G.C.)

Whilst the back nine is a little shorter it delivers a good finish with six strong finishing holes. The inward nine has the lower par of 35 and generally plays into the prevailing westerly wind.

Weather Forecast

The weather is looking a little mixed at the moment (as at 17th August) with fresh breezes expected to pick up throughout each day.

Tues 18th Aug – Light Showers / Wind 12 mph SW / Temp. Min. 21°C, Max. 14°C.
Wed 19th Aug – Thundery Showers / Wind 15 mph SE / Temp. Min. 21°C, Max. 16°C.
Thur 20th Aug – Sunny Intervals / Wind 15 mph S / Temp. Min. 23°C / Min 15°C.
Fri 21st Aug – Sunny Intervals / Wind 20 mph SW / Temp. Min. 21°C / Max. 13°C.

2019 Brabazon Trophy

Rotherham’s Ben SCHMIDT (ENG), just 16 at the time, won the 2019 English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship by 5-shots with a 271 (-13) finishing total.

Ben was the youngest ever winner of the Brabazon Trophy which was being played for the 73rd time at Alwoodley G.C.

The Schmidt Family (Photo: Yorkshire Golf / Jonathan Plaxton)

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Ben Schmidt’s Scorecard (Photo: England Golf / GolfBox)

Harry HALL (ENG) -8 finished second, Euan WALKER (SCO) -7 third and Ben FIRTH (ENG) -4 fourth

Click here to view the full – 2019 Brabazon Trophy Results

Click these links to view other recent results: –

Frilford Heath – 2018 Brabazon Trophy Results

Woodhall Spa – 2017 Brabazon Trophy Results

London G.C. – 2016 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 European winners include well known pros Ignacio GARRIDO (1992) and Peter HANSON (1998).

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Tag Archives: David Ravetto

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