The European Amateur Championship – 2024 Preview & Results

Posted on 21/06/2024 by Golf Bible

29th June 2024

Tommy MORRISON (USA) won the 2024 European Amateur Championship at The Scandinavian G.C. after finishing the three hole aggregate play-off on -2, one better than Ireland’s Max KENNEDY and three better than his compatriot Preston SUMMERHAYS.

Morrison is the first American to win the European Amateur in its 37th playing.

Morrison’s victory comes with an exemption into The Open Championship in a few weeks time at Royal Troon G.C. The USGA also grants the winner exemptions into the U.S. Amateur Championship (which he won’t require based on his existing WAGR) and into Final Qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Open Championship (subject to him remaining an amateur).

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Tommy Morrison (Photo: European Golf Association)

Calum SCOTT (SCO) will join the Texan at The Open in Scotland after winning The Open Championship Amateur Series. Scott finished 2nd in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, reached the Quarter Finals of the Amateur Championship and came 4th in this week’s European Amateur Championship to earn the most WAGR points.

Screenshot 2024-06-29 at 19.14.04

My Unofficial Open Amateur Series Results

Play-Off

Max KENNEDY (IRL), Tommy MORRISON (USA) and Preston SUMMERHAYS (USA) played the 9th, 10th and 18th holes on the New Course in a three hole aggregate play-off to decide the 2024 European Amateur.

Morrison birdied the 10th and 18th to win the Championship. He critically got up and down from a tough lie beside the par 5 18th green.

Kennedy matched Morrison’s birdie on the 10th but missed an 18 foot birdie on 18.

Summerhays bogeyed the 10th, sandwiched between two pars, to effectively fall out of the battle.

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Play-off Results (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Round 4

Max KENNEDY (IRL), Tommy MORRISON (USA) and Preston SUMMERHAYS (USA) all finished on 279 (-9) at The Scandinavian G.C. in Denmark.

Kennedy shot a bogey free 5-under 67 in the final round whilst Morrison also matched this score in typically a more colourful effort. Summerhays birdied the 15th, 16th and 18th holes in regulation to post a 69 and force his way into the shootout.

Max Kennedy’s Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Calum SCOTT (SCO) finished strongly with a 68 to secure 4th place on -7.

Amateur champion Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN) showed no hangover from his exertions last week, finishing tied 5th alongside Santiago de la FUENTE (MEX) and Tim WIEDEMEYER (GER) on -6.

After four consecutive birdies Wiedemeyer had stood on the 18th tee in the lead on -10. However, after putting three balls in the water on his final hole his 4-over nine sent him tumbling back down the leaderboard.

From a GB&I perspective Liam NOLAN (IRL) -4 11th and Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO), Dylan SHAW-RADFORD (ENG) & Charlie FORSTER (ENG) -1 tied 16th also finished in the top 20.

28 of the 69 players who played the final round completed the Championship on even par or better.

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Round 4 Leaderboard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2024 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

ME.

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28th June 2024

Round 3

Preston SUMMERHAYS returned to the top of the European Amateur leaderboard at The Scandinavian G.C after he posted a level par 72 on Day 3.

Summerhays’ 210 (-6) total is one better than Daniel SVÄRD (SWE), Charlie FORSTER (ENG), Alfons BONDESSON (SWE), Santiago De La FUENTE (MEX) and Tim WIEDEMEYER (GER).

Liam NOLAN (IRL) jumped up 47 places on the leaderboard to tied 7th after he recorded a 7-under 67 which included nine birdies; the best round of the week by 2-shots.

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Liam Nolan’s Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Amateur champion Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN), Phoenix CAMPBELL (AUS), Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO), Jaime MONTOJO (ESP), Jonathan NIELSEN (DEN) and Tyler WEAVER (ENG) all shot 5-under 67’s in Round 3 to move up the standings.

15 players are within three shots of the lead and 34 players are on even par or better with 18 holes to play.

69 players made the 60 lowest scores and ties second cut to progress to Saturday’s final round.

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Round 3 Leaderboard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

ME.

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27th June 2024

Round 2

Tim WIEDEMEYER (GER) shot a seven birdie 67 to move into the 36 hole lead at the European Amateur.

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Tim Wiedemeyer’s Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Bastian AMAT (FRA), Gregor GRAHAM (SCO), Tommy MORRISON (USA) and Preston SUMMERHAYS (USA) are all tied for 2nd on -6. Amat rose seven places on the leaderboard with a 4-under 68 today.

Like Wiedemeyer Jerry JI (NED), Marcin BOGUSZ (POL) and Lev GRINBERG (UKR) also shot 67 (-5) in Round 2 to match the low round of the week mark.

Max KENNEDY (IRL) -3 is tied 11th and Calum SCOTT (SCO), Hugh FOLEY (IRL) & Charlie FORSTER (ENG) -2 tied 15th. Scott again finished his round strongly, this time with five consecutive birdies, to record a 68 and move up 39 spots.

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Calum Scott’s Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

On a tight leaderboard 35 players are now on even par or better after 36 holes.

Exactly 96 players made the 36 hole 96 lowest scores and ties cut which fell at 150 (+6).

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Round 2 Leaderboard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

ME.

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26th June 2024

Round 1

2023 USA Walker Cup player Preston SUMMERHAYS leads the European Amateur after a 5-under 67 around The Scandinavian G.C.’s New Course.

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Preston Summerhays’ Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Fellow American Tommy MORRISON is tied for 2nd after a bogey free 68. He was the only player in the field of 144 not to drop a shot on Day 1.

Max KENNEDY (IRL), who played the opening tee shot at 7.00am, Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) and Charlie FORSTER (ENG) also recorded 68’s to join Morrison in the tie for 2nd place.

Dylan SHAW-RADFORD (ENG), who was 4-over after four holes and who had a triple bogey 8 on the par 5 4th, fought back well to finish on -2 and tied 9th.

Reigning Scottish Amateur champion Cameron ADAM, -1 tied 15th, is the only other GB&I player in the top 20.

37 players shot even par or better in the first round.

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Round 1 Leaderboard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

ME.

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21st June 2024 (Last Updated 25th June 2024)

The 37th European Amateur Championship will be played on the New Course at The Scandinavian G.C. in Denmark between 26th-29th June 2024.

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

This will be the fourth occasion that Denmark has hosted the European Amateur. It has previously been staged at Aalborg G.C. (1990), Odense Eventyr Golf (2001) and Esbjerg G.C. (2008).

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The Scandanavian Clubhouse (Photo: The Scandanavian)

Competition Format

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

In a change to previous years there is going be two cuts applied to the field during the Championship. After 36 holes only players with the 96 lowest scores and ties will progress and then after 54 holes only the 60 lowest scores and ties will qualify for the final round.

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.

A card count-back (last 36, then 18, then 9, etc,) is used to resolve ties for 2nd and 3rd place.

Entries

144 players from 40 countries will contest the 2024 Championship.

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, Denmark, competitors in the Bonallack Trophy, St. Andrew’s Trophy and Jacques Léglise Trophy matches, the 2024 South American Amateur champion and the 2024 European Mid-Amateur champion.

There are 32 GB&I entries, namely Cameron ADAM (SCO) WAGR #261 (as at 19th June), James ASHFIELD (WAL) #35, Jack BIGHAM (ENG) #69, Tomi BOWEN (WAL) #243, Oscar CRAIG (ENG) #265, Harry CROCKETT (ENG) #503, Archie DAVIES (WAL) #425, Sam EASTERBROOK (ENG) #647, Hugh FOLEY (IRL) #714, Charlie FORSTER (ENG) #403, Conor GOUGH (ENG) #329, Connor GRAHAM (SCO) #226, Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) #156, Thomas HIGGINS (IRL) #508, Monty HOLCOMBE (ENG) #2,185, Will HOPKINS (ENG) #83, Seán KEELING (IRL) #389, Max KENNEDY (ENG) #68, Kris KIM (ENG) #367, Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) #91, Ollie MUKHERJEE (SCO) #1,029, Jack MURPHY (IRL) #846, Liam NOLAN (IRL) #122, Matt ROBERTS (WAL) #429, Calum SCOTT (SCO) #28, Dylan SHAW-RADFORD (ENG) #655, Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO) #720, Mark STOCKDALE (ENG) #640, Gregor TAIT (SCO) #449, Harry WATKINS (WAL) #3,978, Tyler WEAVER (ENG) #99 and Matthew WILSON (SCO) #671.

Tom OSBORNE (ENG) #624 is currently the 1st Reserve for the Championship.

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The Scandinavian New Course (Photo: The Scandinavian)

The leading international entries are Bastian AMAT (FRA) WAGR #34, Jose BALLESTER (ESP) #7, Albert HANSSON (SWE) #84, Tobias JONSSON (SWE) #41, Algot KLEÉN (FRA) #76, Luis MASAVEU (ESP) #43, Michael MJAASETH (NOR) #67, Tommy MORRISON (USA) #58, the new Amateur champion Jacob Skov OLESEN (DEN) #88, Luke SAMPLE (USA) #121, Bård SKOGEN (NOR) #126, Preston SUMMERHAYS (USA) #7, Daniel SVÅRD (SWE) #74, Richard TEDER (EST) #106 and Lars VAN DER VIGHT (NED) #73.

The Scandinavia Golf Club, Denmark

Located 25 minutes north of Copenhagen in Farum, North Zealand the New Course was designed, through a forest separated by streams and natural ponds, by Bruce Charlton of the Robert Trent Jones II Golf Architects.

Opened in 2010 it has a par of 72 and plays to 7,088 yards (6,481m). Like last year’s course at Pärnu Bay in Estonia it has an unusual configuration of five par 3’s, eight par 4’s and five par 5’s.

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Course Routing (Graphic: EGA)

Weather Forecast (as at 7.00am 25th June)

Conditions are expected to be good, albeit with the some fairly strong winds on the final two days.

Weds 26th June – Sunny. Wind 8 mph SE. Min. 12°C / Max. 25°C.
Thurs 27th June – Sunny. Wind 10 mph SE. Min. 15°C / Max. 27°C.
Fri 28th June – Sunny. Thundery Showers PM. Wind 15 mph SE. Min. 17°C / Max. 24°C.
Sat 29th June – Sunny Intervals. Wind 20 mph SW. Min. 14°C / Max. 20°C.

Prizes

Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers.

The silver Championship Trophy, shown below, is held by the winning player’s national golf authority.

The European Amateur Championship Trophy (Photo: EGA)

The Open Championship

The champion earns an exemption into The Open Championship in a few weeks time, this year being played at Royal Troon G.C. in Scotland.

The Open Championship Amateur Series Winner – the player who gains the most WAGR points in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, the Amateur Championship and the European Amateur Championship – (as long as they don’t win either the Amateur or European Amateur) will also earn a spot at Royal Troon.

The players finishing 2nd to 4th in this year’s European Amateur will be offered a place in Final Qualifying which takes place on Tuesday 2nd July.

Other Championships

The USGA also grants exemptions to the winner into the U.S. Amateur Championship, the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship (if U19) and into Final Qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Open Championship (subject to remaining an amateur).

Further Information

Click here to view the – EGA European Amateur Championship Website

2023 European Amateur Championship

Jose BALLESTER (ESP) won the 2023 European Amateur Championship with a 267 (-21) total over 72 holes at Pärnu Bay Golf Links in Estonia.

Mads Laage, Jose Ballester and James Ashfield (Photo: European Golf Association)

Jose Ballester’s Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Mads LAAGE (DEN) finished 2nd and James ASHFIELD (WAL) 3rd on 36 hole count back after they both finished on -19.

The other leading GB&I players were Jack BIGHAM (ENG) and Hugh FOLEY (IRL) -18, who tied 4th, James CLARIDGE (ENG), Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) & Mark POWER (IRL) -15, who tied 13th, and Calum SCOTT (SCO) & Will HOPKINS (ENG) -14, who tied 21st.

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2023 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

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.

Former winners who have gone on to enjoy successful professional careers include Stephen GALLACHER (1994), Sergio GARCIA (1995), Gregory HAVRET (1999), Carl PETTERSSON (2000), Rory MCILROY (2006), Victor DUBUISSON (2009), Nicolai HØJGÅRD (2018) and Matthias SCHMID (2019 & 2020).

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 and Matthias Schmid are the only two-time winners and the only players 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)

ME.

Irish Amateur Open Championship – 2024 Preview & Results

Posted on 07/05/2024 by Golf Bible

12th May 2024

Round 4

Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) won the Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship at County Sligo G.C.

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Matt McClean (Photo: Golf Ireland)

The famous Rosses Point links were bathed in sunshine all week and the cream certainly came to the top.

McClean’s 2-under par 69 in the final round was ultimately good enough for a 273 (-11) total and a 2-shot victory over Liam NOLAN (IRL). After bogeying the 10th he managed two birdies on 12 and 15 to produce a nerveless finish.

Speaking afterwards the champion from Malone G.C. said “It’s my first Irish Championship, I came close quite a few times, too many too think about, specifically two years ago when I lost in a play-off. I always felt like I was still chasing which is the easier position. I only had to hold on coming down the last which was the first time I was ahead and I managed to get that par in at the last.”

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Matt McClean’s Championship Scorecard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

Heading into the final round with a 4-shot lead Nolan got off to a nightmare start dropping three shots in his opening three holes. Whilst he fought back well to still be in contention late on two finishing bogeys, where both of his approaches ran through the green, allowed McClean to see out the Championship with some ease. Perhaps Nolan’s lack of competitive play in 2024 finally caught up with him but nevertheless this was still an encouraging performance for him to move forward from.

TJ FORD (IRL) produced a superb 65, which included an eagle and four birdies, to finish in 3rd place on -6.

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TJ Ford’s Round 4 Scorecard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

Oswestry’s Tom MATTHEWS (WAL) -5 will travel back across the Irish Sea pleased with his 4th place finish.

Hugh FOLEY (IRL) also finished strongly; his final round 66 lifting him up to 5th place.

Matthew WILSON (SCO), Joe O’NEILL (IRL) and Gavin TIERNAN (IRL) all finished tied 6th on -3.

They were the only 8 players to finish under par with eight more completing the Championship on Even par.

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Final Results (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

Click here to view the – 2024 Irish Amateur Open Championship Results

ME.

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11th May 2024

Round 3

Liam NOLAN (IRL) shot his second 66 of the Championship on Saturday, the low round of the day, to build a 4-shot lead at the top of the scoreboard.

After a double bogey on the 1st the Galway man produced a stunning 10 birdies, including three consecutively to close, over his remaining holes.

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Liam Nolan’s Scorecard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) -9 is 2nd but his 1-under 70, normally a very acceptable score at County Sligo, was made to look a little pedestrian by the scoring of his Walker Cup teammate and playing partner today.

Gavin TIERNAN (IRL) -6 and Tom MATTHEWS (WAL) -4 matched McClean’s 70 and are 3rd and 4th respectively. Joe O’NEILL‘s (IRL) 74 on Day 3 saw him slip to 5th.

Daniel BENNETT (RSA) and Seán KEELING (IRL) -2 both moved up 11 places with well timed 68’s. They sit alongside David TOMI (CZK) 70, Matthew WILSON (SCO) 71 and Keith EGAN (IRL) 71 with 18 holes to play.

52 players made the top 50 and ties cut which fell at 221 (+8).

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Round 3 Leaderboard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

ME.

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10th May 2024

Round 2

Liam NOLAN (IRL) and Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) moved to the top of the leaderboard on 134 (-8) after they both shot 68’s on Day 2 of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship.

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Liam Nolan’s Scorecard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

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Matt McClean’s Scorecard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

After another beautiful day for golf at County Sligo Joe O’NEILL (IRL) -6 is 3rd, Gavin TIERNAN (IRL) -5 4th and TJ FORD (IRL) & Tom MATTHEWS (WAL) -3 tied 5th.

Luke KELLY (IRL), Gregor TAIT (SCO), Welsh Amateur champion Max WEAVER, Matthew WILSON (SCO) and Shane MCDERMOTT (IRL) all remain in contention on -2.

Round of the day went to Wilson who posted a 67 (-4) to move up 34 places on the leaderboard.

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Matthew Wilson’s Round 2 Scorecard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

15 players are under par and 1 on even after 36 holes.

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Round 2 Leaderboard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

ME.

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9th May 2024

Round 1

18 year old Gavin TIERNAN (IRL), who will be taking up a golf scholarship at East Tennessee State in August, took the Day 1 lead at the Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship after shooting a 6-under 65 around County Sligo G.C.

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Gavin Tiernan’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

Paired together Liam NOLAN (IRL), playing his first competitive round of the year, and fellow GB&I 2023 Walker Cupper Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) also started strongly with 66’s (-5).

Joe O’NEILL (IRL) -4 is 4th with 2016 & 2022 champion Colm CAMPBELL (IRL), TJ FORD (IRL) and Ruairi O’CONNOR (IRL) one shot further back in tied 5th.

Scottish internationals Gregor GRAHAM and Gregor TAIT (-2) are well placed amongst the tied 8th six man group.

With Sligo bathed in sunshine and with only a modest breeze blowing 22 players broke par around the normally challenging links.

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Round 1 Leaderboard (Graphic: Golf Ireland / Golf Genius)

ME.

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7th May 2024

The Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship, sponsored by Flogas, starts on Thursday 9th May 2024 at County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point in the north-west corner of Ireland.

It will be the 86th playing of this prestigious Championship. It was last played at County Sligo in 2019 when Englishman James Newton was the surprise winner.

I will be updating this article in due course with daily reports on play.

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County Sligo Golf Club

Format

Organised by Golf Ireland the Irish Amateur Open is a 72-hole stroke play event played over four days.

18 holes will be played on each of the first three days before a top 50 and ties cut is made. A final 18 holes will then be played by the leading competitors on the final day.

A tie for the Championship will be resolved by a sudden death play-off. All other ties will be resolved by a last eighteen and then last nine countback.

The Irish Amateur Open Champion Golfer is awarded a superb silver trophy (see photo below). Irish winners are allowed to take the trophy back to their Club for the year whereas overseas winners must return it to the organisers after the prize presentation.

Players

138 golfers will contest the 2024 Championship.

105 players are from Ireland with 33 travelling from overseas to compete.

The field quality has been impacted by the large number of players now playing on the U.S. college circuit, the England v. France International match which is being played this weekend and the relatively remote location of County Sligo.

The players who I expect to do well include (in alphabetical order) Daniel BENNETT (RSA), Caolan BURFORD (WAL), Colm CAMPBELL (IRL), Quentin CAREW (IRL), Paul COUGHLAN (IRL), Keith EGAN (IRL), Hugh FOLEY (IRL), TJ FORD (IRL), Gregor GRAHAM (SCO), Jack HEARN (IRL), Seán KEELING (IRL), Matt MCCLEAN (IRL), Jack MCDONNELL (IRL), Liam NOLAN (IRL), Peter O’KEEFFE (IRL) Caolan RAFFERTY (IRL), Gregor TAIT (SCO) and Gavin TIERNAN (IRL).

Egan beat David BRADY (IRL) in the final of this year’s West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at County Sligo on 2nd April.

Tee Times

Click here to view the – 2024 Irish Amateur Open Tee Times

Players will tee off, all from the 1st tee, between 7.00am and 3.25pm on each of the first three days so changes in the weather and wind speeds could play a big part in scoring.

Course

County Sligo G.C. was established in 1894 with the first nine holes designed by George Combe before Willie Campbell added a further nine a few years later. Harry Colt and Charles Allison remodelled the links in 1927 and more recently Pat Ruddy extended it to ensure it remained of Championship standard.

Famous as the home of the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship it offers panoramic views, dramatic undulations, dunes and burns, plateau greens with run offs and challenging bunkering.

The course plays to 7,139 yards off the Blue Championship tees. It has a par of 71, a Slope of 146 and Rating of 75.9.

Weather Forecast (as at Tuesday 7th May)

The weather forecast for this week looks generally good for all four competition days – mainly sunny with only light winds expected.

Thu 9th May – Cloudy / Wind 6 mph S / Temp. Min. 11°C / Max. 18°C.
Fri 10th May – Sunny Intervals / Wind 10 mph S / Temp. Min. 10°C / Max. 20°C.
Sat 11th May – Sunny Intervals / Wind 14 mph SE / Temp. Min. 11°C / Max. 20°C.
Sun 12th May – Light Rain Showers / Wind 13 mph SW / Temp. Min. 10°C / Max. 18°C.

The 2023 Irish Amateur Open Championship

John GOUGH (ENG) won the 2023 Irish Amateur Open Championship at The Island G.C. with a 280 (-8) total.

Rounds of 75, 69, 69 and, after starting the final round six shots back, 67 saw him move through the field to take the title.

Dylan SHAW-RADFORD (ENG) -7 finished 2nd, Tomi BOWEN (WAL) -6, which included a 10-under 62 in Round 3, 3rd, Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) -5 4th, Matt ROBERTS (WAL) -4 5th and James CLARIDGE (ENG) -3 6th.

Click here to view the – 2023 Irish Amateur Open Results

History, Past Winners and Records

The Irish Amateur Open Championship was first played in 1892 with early winners including the English amateur greats John Ball and Harold Hilton.

Between 1894 and 1901 (6 years) the competition was played as part of the Irish Championship Meeting alongside a professional tournament.

The Championship was not played during both World Wars.

It was also not played between 1960 and 1994 due to a lack of interest from overseas players amidst concerns over safety.

Prior to 1958 it was a match play event but since returning to the amateur calendar in 1995 it has been 72 holes of stroke play.

To view a list of past winners click here – Irish Amateur Open Past Champions

ME.

Men’s European Nations Championship – 2024 Preview & Results

Posted on 15/04/2024 by Golf Bible

20th April 2024

Round 4

IRELAND (+4) held off a fast finishing SWITZERLAND (+5) to win the 2024 Men’s European Nations Championship at R.C.G. Sotogrande.

It was Ireland’s second victory in the competition following with their previous win which came in 2016.

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Ireland Team (Photo: Golf Ireland)

WALES (+6) finished 3rd, SCOTLAND (+7) 4th and ENGLAND (+16) tied 7th.

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Round 4 Team Results (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

James ASHFIELD (WAL) -5 won the Individual title at the European Nations Championship helped by a classy 69 in the final round.

Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) -3 finished 2nd and Lars VAN DER VIGHT (NED), Will HOPKINS (ENG) and Jack HEARN (IRL) -2 tied 3rd.

Tomi BOWEN (WAL) +5 tied 13th, Seán KEELING (IRL) +6 tied 17th and Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) +7 tied 19th all finished in the top 20 from the GB&I contingent.

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James Ashfield (Photo: Golf Wales)

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Round 4 Individual Results (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

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19th April 2024

Round 3

IRELAND (+1) for the second day running delivered the best team score with a +3 total to move into the overall European Nations Championship lead.

WALES (+5) are four shots behind them in 2nd but SCOTLAND (+10), hampered by the withdrawal of Connor GRAHAM due to injury, tumbled down the rankings to 5th with a +17 score on Day 3. The defending champions ENGLAND (+16) continue to disappoint, remaining tied 9th.

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Round 3 Team Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

Jack HEARN (IRL) -5 moved to the top of the Individual leaderboard as he added a 71 (-1) to his consistent body of work in Sotogrande. Will HOPKINS (ENG) -3 moved up to 3rd whilst Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) & James ASHFIELD (WAL) -2 fell to tied 4th.

Spanish U18 Boys’ champion, Sebastian DESOISA +1 tied 11th, who is from Gibraltar and therefore British qualified continued to move up the leaderboard. He is one of the players invited to compete by R.C.G. Sotogrande. Seán KEELING (IRL) sits alongside Desoisa.

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Round 3 Individual Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

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18th April 2024

Round 2

SCOTLAND (-7) moved to the top of the leaderboard with a -2 team score. WALES (-6) are now tied 2nd, IRELAND (-2), who enjoyed a best of the day -7 team score, rose to 4th place whilst ENGLAND (+7) slipped to tied 9th.

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Round 2 Team Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

Michele FERRERO (ITA) shot a 68 in Round 2 to move into 1st place in the Individual standings. James ASHFIELD (WAL) -6 2nd, Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) -5 3rd, Jack HEARN (IRL) -4 4th and Seán KEATING (IRL) & Will HOPKINS (ENG) -3 tied 5th are all within striking distance.

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Round 2 Individual Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

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17th April 2024

Round 1

At the end of Day 1 WALES (-6) led SCOTLAND (-5) at the top of the 2024 Men’s European Nations Championship leaderboard. ENGLAND (+4) were 5th and IRELAND (+5) tied 6th.

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Round 1 Team Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

James ASHFIELD (WAL) and Gregor TAIT (SCO) shared the Round 1 Individual lead after opening with 5-under 67’s.

Tomi BOWEN (WAL) & Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) -3 tied 3rd and Jack HEARN (IRL) -2 7th were also in the top 10.

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Round 1 Individual Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

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15th April 2024

The Men’s European Nations Championship (ENC) starts on Wednesday 17th April at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Southern Spain.

R.C.G. Sotogrande is the permanent home of the ENC and this will be the 16th playing of the event.

It is a 72 hole stroke play Team and Individual competition.

I will be providing daily reports once the Championship commences.

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

Field
21 four-man teams (84 players) will play for the Team prize.

An additional seven players invited by both RCG Sotogrande and the Spanish Golf Federation will contest the Individual competition, making a total field of 91 players.

The following players have been selected to represent the four competing home nations in 2024: –

England – Will HOPKINS, Kris KIM, Dylan SHAW-RADFORD, Harley SMITH

Ireland – Hugh FOLEY, Jack HEARN, Seán KEELING, Matt MCCLEAN

Scotland – Connor GRAHAM, Gregor GRAHAM, James MORGAN, Gregor TAIT

Wales – James ASHFIELD, Tom BASTOW, Tomi BOWEN, Matt ROBERTS

A Women’s ENC, made up of three player teams, also takes place alongside the Men’s competition. Only England from the four home nations is among the ten team field this year.

Tee Times / Scores
Click here to view the – 2024 ENC Men’s Tee Times

Click here to view the – 2024 ENC Men’s Team Scores

Click here to view the – 2024 ENC Men’s Individual Scores

Format and Prizes
72 holes of stroke play, with 18 holes played daily, will be contested by all of the players. There is no cut.

In the Team event the best three 18-hole scores from the four players count towards the overall total.

In the case of a tie for 1st place a team member will be nominated and a sudden death play-off will be contested on the 9th hole. Other ties will be determined by a count back of the team score for the last 18, 27, 36, etc. holes.

The Individual prize is awarded to the lowest scoring player. Ties will be broken in line with the Team approach outlined above.

Winning Team members each receive a replica of the Nations Trophy. The Individual champion receives a trophy and a bright yellow jacket.

Venue and Course
Real Club de Golf Sotogrande was opened in 1964 and was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones. One of the best courses in Continental Europe it first held the Spanish Open in 1966, won that year by Roberto de Vicenzo.

In 1970 The Sherry Cup, the precursor of the European Nations Cup / Championship, was established. Former Individual winners of this include Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia. (see below for the full list of past Individual winners).

In 1973 a Women’s event started to be played alongside the Men’s.

In 1983 Sotogrande hosted the Spanish Amateur Championship with Jose Maria Olazabel victorious.

Sotogrande was awarded royal patronage by HM King Juan Carlos I in 1994.

Between 1996 and 2001, in tandem with nearby San Roque GC, the course hosted the European Tour’s Qualifying School.

In 2006 The Sherry Cup was rebranded as the European Nations Cup and in 2017 become known as the European Nations Championship played for the Sotogrande Cup.

In 2011, ahead of it’s 50th anniversary, the Club decided to embark upon a major course renovation appointing Roger Rulewich and David Fleury. With the work on greens, bunkering and drainage taking place in 2015 and early 2016 the ENC moved temporarily to the nearby La Reserva Club de Golf for two years. Since 2017 the competition has been played on the renovated course.

The Black Tee Championship Course at Sotogrande plays 6,492m with a par of 72. The front nine measures 3,163m and the back 3,329m.

Weather Forecast
The forecast looks good albeit as always the winds will be a factor, particularly during the afternoons. This can cause problems given the numerous water hazards on the course.

Wednesday 17th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 23°C; Wind E 15mph
Thursday 18th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 21°C; Wind E 15mph
Friday 19th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 20°C; Wind E 30mph
Saturday 20th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 19°C; Wind SE 40mph

Past ENC Winners

The home nations have an excellent record, particularly in recent years, in this event.

Team Competition

2023 England 2023 ENC Team Results

Dylan Shaw-Radford, Josh Berry, John Gough & Arron Hill-Edwards (Photo: Josh Berry)

2022 Spain 2022 ENC Team Results
2021 Cancelled
2020 Cancelled
2019 England 2019 ENC Team Results
2018 England 2018 ENC Team Results
2017 Wales 2017 ENC Team Results
2016 Ireland 2016 ENC Team Results
2015 England
2014 Scotland
2013 England
2012 France
2011 England
2010 England
2009 England
2008 Scotland
2007 Denmark

Past Sherry Cup Team Winners (started 1998)

2006 Spain
2005 Spain
2004 England
2003 England
2002 Wales
2001 England
2000 England
1999 Germany
1998 Spain

Individual Competition

2023 Albert Hansson (SWE) 2023 ENC Men’s Individual Results

Hansson beat England’s John Gough in a sudden death play-off-to win the Individual title after both players finished on 286 (-2).

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Albert Hansson (Photo: Swedish Golf Federation)

2022 Jaime Montojo (ESP) 2022 ENC Men’s Individual Result

Montojo won the Individual competition beating teammate Luis Masaveu in a play-off after both finished on 288 (Ev).

2021 Cancelled
2020 Cancelled
2019 Tom Sloman (England) 2019 ENC Individual Results

Tom won the Individual competition with a 294 (+6) total. His final round 77 looked like it would cost him the title but an eagle on 14 and three closing pars ended up being sufficient as is nearest challengers faltered on the demanding Sotogrande course.

2018 Todd Clements (England) 2018 ENC Individual Results

Todd secured the Individual title with rounds of 69 73 71 and 70 for a 283 total (-5).

2017 Jack Davidson (Wales) 2017 ENC Individual Results

Jack won the Individual European Nations Cup title by 4-shots last year. Rounds of 70, 70, 70 and 73 (-5), which included 20 birdies and 2 eagles, gave him his second major title in less than a month. He had won the Spanish International Amateur a few weeks before.

2016 Jack Hume (Ireland) 2016 ENC Individual Results

In winning the Individual Jack Hume played one of the best rounds of amateur golf in the world in 2016 at La Reserva. His 64 in Round 2 was an astonishing 8 shots better than any other player in the field.

2015 Mario Galliano (Spain)
2014 Guido Migliori (Italy)
2013 Adrien Saddier (France)
2012 Robin Kind (The Netherlands)
2011 Julien Brun (France)
2010 Nino Bertasio (Italy)
2009 Sam Hutsby (England)
2008 Shane Lowry (Ireland)
2007 Rory McIlroy (Ireland)

Past Sherry Cup Individual Winners

2006 Nigel Edwards (Wales)
2005 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
2004 Francesco Molinari (Italy)
2003 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
2002 Lee Harpin (Wales)
2001 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
2000 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
1999 Marcel Siem (Germany)
1998 Sergio Garcia (Spain)
1997 Sergio Garcia (Spain)
1996 Alvaro Salto (Spain)
1995 José María Zamora (Spain)
1994 Francisco Cea (Spain)
1993 Francisco Valera (Spain)
1992 Frederic Cupillar (France)
1991 Padraig Harrington (Ireland)
1990 Alvaro Prat (Spain)
1989 Diego Borrego (Spain)
1988 Yago Beamonte (Spain)
1987 Yago Beamonte (Spain)
1986 Borja Queipo de Llano (Spain)
1985 José L. Padila (Spain)
1984 John Marks (England)
1983 José L. de Bernardo (Spain)
1982 Borja Queipo de Llano (Spain)
1981 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1980 Jesús López (Spain)
1979 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1978 José L. de Bernardo (Spain)
1977 F. Jiménez (Spain)
1976 Alberto Croze (Italy)
1975 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1974 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1973 Alberto Croze (Italy)
1972 E. de la Riva and J. Gancedo (Spain)
1971 Alberto Croze (Italy)
1970 Henric Adam (England)

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The European Amateur Championship – 2023 Preview & Results

Posted on 26/06/2023 by Golf Bible

Saturday 30th June 2023

Jose BALLESTER (ESP) won the 2023 European Amateur Championship with a 267 (-21) total over 72 holes at Pärnu Bay Golf Links in Estonia.

With his wire-to-wire victory Ballester secured an exemption into the forthcoming 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool G.C.

Mads Laage, Jose Ballester and James Ashfield (Photo: European Golf Association)

Alex MAGUIRE (IRL), who took this week off, won the 2023 Open Championship Amateur Series. This new exemption into The Open from The R&A was given to the player who gained the most WAGR points in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, the Amateur Championship and the European Amateur Championship events.

Round 4

After starting with an eagle 3 on the opening hole Jose BALLESTER (ESP) ultimately had to settle for a final round 1-over 73 and a two shot win.

Jose Ballester’s Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Mads LAAGE (DEN) finished 2nd and James ASHFIELD (WAL) 3rd on 36 hole count back after they both finished on -19.

James Ashfield’s Scorecard (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Beyond Ashfield the other leading GB&I players were Jack BIGHAM (ENG) and Hugh FOLEY (IRL) -18, who tied 4th, James CLARIDGE (ENG), Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) & Mark POWER (IRL) -15, who tied 13th, and Calum SCOTT (SCO) & Will HOPKINS (ENG) -14, who tied 21st.

Here are the final results:-

Round 4 Results (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

The Round 4 average score was 72.73 (+0.73), the first day that par had collectively not been broken by the field. The wind was at its strongest on Saturday with some tricky hole locations adding to the challenge. There were 7 eagles and 703 birdies in Round 4.

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2023 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

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Friday 30th June 2023

Round 3

Jose BALLESTER (ESP) pulled away from the field with a Round 3 66 which took him on to -22. He will now head into tomorrow’s final round with a two shot lead.

Jose Ballester’s Rounds 1, 2 & 3 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Michael MJAASETH (NOR) 67 and Jack INGHAM (NED) 65 are the Spaniard’s nearest challengers on -20.

Zach CHEGWIIDEN (ENG) 68, Jack BIGHAM (ENG) 68, Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) 66 and James ASHFIELD (SCO) 71 are all tied 7th on -17 and collectively are the leading GB&I players.

Hugh FOLEY (IRL) -16 tied 13th, Will HOPKINS (ENG) -15 tied 16th and Mark POWER (IRL) -14 tied 18th are also in the top 20.

The 54 hole top 60 and ties cut fell at -9 with 65 players advancing to the final day.

Here is the Round 3 leaderboard showing all the players who made the cut and a few that just missed out: –

Leading Round 3 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

The Round 3 average score was 70.28 (-1.72), a reflection of the stronger winds the blew across the links on Day 3. There were 22 eagles and 658 birdies in Round 3.

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2023 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

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Thursday 29th June 2023 & Friday 30th June 2023

Round 2

A four hour rain and lightening delay in the afternoon meant that despite play continuing until 10.30pm local time the second round had to be completed early on Friday morning.

Tiger CHRISTENSEN (GER), James ASHFIELD (WAL) and Jose BALLESTER (ESP) share the 36 hole lead on 128 (-16).

Ashfield is the leading GB&I player after two rounds of 64 with only one bogey seen.

James Ashfield’s Rounds 1 & 2 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Daniel RODRIGUES (POR) and Michael MJAASETH (DEN) are 1-shot further back from the leaders on -15.

Hugh FOLEY (IRL) is in 6th place after shooting a 9-under 63 in Round 2.

Hugh Foley’s Rounds 1 & 2 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Zach CHEGWIDDEN (ENG) and Jack BIGHAM (ENG) are tied 7th after recording a 65 and 66 respectively on Thursday.

Will HOPKINS (ENG) is now tied 10th, alongside Mark POWER (IRL) and Matty WILSON (SCO), after matching Foley’s 63 in Round 2.

Will Hopkins’ Rounds 1 & 2 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Sam EASTERBROOK (ENG) 66 and Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) 69 are tied 16th, meaning there are nine GB&I players in the top 20.

The low round of the day belonged to James CLARIDGE (ENG) who shot a bogey-free 62 to bounce back strongly from his opening 72 and move up 83 places on the leaderboard to tied 21st.

James Claridge’s Rounds 1 & 2 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Here are the leading players after Round 2: –

Leading Round 2 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

The Round 2 average score was slightly lower than Round 1 at 69.41 (-2.59). There were 36 eagles and 673 birdies.

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2023 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

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Wednesday 28th June 2023

Round 1

Alejandro AGUILERA (ESP), Paul BEAUVY (FRA), Jose BALLESTER (ESP) and Jack INGHAM (NED) all shot bogey-free 62’s (-10) to share the Round 1 lead.

Alejandro Aguilera, Paul Beauty, Jose Ballester & Jack Ingham Round 1 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

As expected the 6,717 yards par 72 Pärnu Bay Golf Links proved to be far from a Championship test with 103 players from a starting field of 144 breaking par in the opening round. 58 players achieved -4 or better.

There was a two hour rain delay for the afternoon starters but thankfully the EGA were still able to complete the round. However, there were some concerns amongst the players affected that the re-start was scheduled too soon with thunder and lightening still evident in the area.

Michael MJAASETH (NOR) -9 is 5th and Quentin DEBOVE (FRA), Daniel RODRIGUES (POR), Gregor GRAHAM (SCO), Tiger CHRISTENSEN (GER) and James ASHFIELD (WAL) -8 tied 6th.

Jack BIGHAM (ENG) & Matty WILSON (SCO) -7 tied 11th, Zach CHEGWIDDEN (ENG) -6 tied 17th and Angus CARRICK (SCO), Sam EASTERBROOK (ENG), Mark POWER (IRL) & Hugh FOLEY (IRL) -5 tied 27th are the other leading GB&I players at the end of Day 1.

Here are the leading players after Round 1: –

Leading Round 1 Scores (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

The Round 1 average score was 69.63 (-2.36). There were 32 eagles and 674 birdies.

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2023 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

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26th June 2023

The 36th European Amateur Championship will be played at Pärnu Bay Golf Links in Estonia between 28th June and 1st July 2023.

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

This will be the second occasion that Estonia has hosted the European Amateur. The Estonian Golf & Country Club staged the event in 2016.

Pärnu Bay Golf Links (Photo: Pärnu Bay Golf Links)

Competition Format

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

A cut takes place after 54 holes with the 60 lowest scores and ties qualifying for the final round.

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.

A card count-back (last 36, then 18, then 9, etc,) is used to resolve ties for 2nd and 3rd place.

Entries

144 players from 37 countries will contest the 2023 Championship.

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, Estonia, competitors in the Bonallack Trophy, St. Andrew’s Trophy and Jacques Léglise Trophy matches, the 2023 South American Amateur champion and the 2023 European Mid-Amateur champion.

There are 32 GB&I entries, namely James ASHFIELD (WAL), Josh BERRY (ENG), Jack BIGHAM (ENG), Tomi BOWEN (WAL), Jack BROOKS (ENG), Angus CARRICK (SCO), Zach CHEGWIDDEN (ENG), James CLARIDGE (ENG), Paul CONROY (IRL), Will COXON (ENG), Enrique DIMAYUGA (ENG/PHI), Sam EASTERBROOK (ENG), Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG), Hugh FOLEY (IRL), Connor GRAHAM (SCO), Gregor GRAHAM (SCO), Jack HEARN (IRL), Joshua HILL (IRL), Will HOPKINS (ENG), Seán KEELING (IRL), Max KENNEDY (ENG), Matt MCCLEAN (IRL), Robert MORAN (IRL), Ollie MUKHERJEE (SCO), Liam NOLAN (IRL), Mark POWER (IRL), Calum SCOTT (SCO), Dylan SHAW-RADFORD (ENG), Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO), Harley SMITH (ENG), Gregor TAIT (SCO) and Matthew WILSON (SCO).

Europe’s highest WAGR-ranked player John GOUGH (ENG) is playing in the British Masters at The Belfry this week.

Noteworthy overseas entries include Jose Luis BALLESTER BARRIO (ESP), Jonas BAUMGARTNER (GER), Pietro BOVARI (ITA), Mats EGE (NOR), Nicola GERHARDSEN (SUI), Albert HANSSON (SWE), Tobias JONSSON (SWE), Frederik KJETTRUP (DEN), Luis MASAVEU (ESP), Michael MJAASETH (NOR), Daniel DA COSTA RODRIGUES (POR), Bard SKOGEN (NOR) and Richard TEDER (EST).

Pärnu Bay Golf Links, Estonia

Pärnu Bay is a links style course designed by Finnish architect Lassi Pekka Tillander which opened for play in 2015.

As you can see from the photos it is located on a narrow coastal site and features wide fairways, expansive sandy waste areas and undulating greens.

The course is a relatively short 6,720 yards long and plays to a par of 72. It has five par 3’s, eight par 4’s and five par 5’s.

Pärnu Bay Golf Links (Photo: Pärnu Bay Golf Links)

Weather Forecast

Weather conditions are generally expected to be good, albeit with the risk of afternoon showers.

Weds 28th June – Sunny / PM Showers. Wind 7 mph SE. Min. 13°C / Max. 24°C.
Thurs 29th June – Sunny / PM Showers. Wind 8 mph W. Min. 12°C / Max. 25°C.
Fri 30th June – Sunny. Wind 10 mph W. Min. 12°C / Max. 25°C.
Sat 1st July – Sunny / PM Showers. Wind 10 mph SW. Min. 12°C / Max. 22°C.

Prizes

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

The silver Championship Trophy, shown below, is held by the winning player’s national golf authority.

The European Amateur Championship Trophy (Photo: EGA)

The Open Championship

The champion earns an exemption into the Open Championship in a few weeks time, this year being played at Royal Liverpool G.C. in England.

The Open Championship Amateur Series Winner – the player who gains the most WAGR points in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, the Amateur Championship and the European Amateur Championship – (as long as they don’t win the Amateur or European Amateur) will also earn a spot at Royal Liverpool.

The players finishing 2nd to 5th in this year’s European Amateur will be invited to compete in Final Qualifying.

Further Information

Click here to view the – EGA European Amateur Championship Website

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2023 European Amateur Championship Tee Times

Click here to view the – EGA / Golfbox 2023 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

2022 European Amateur Championship

Filippo CELLI (ITA) won the 2022 European Amateur Championship at El Saler Golf Club in Spain after rounds of 64, 74, 73 and 69. His 280 (-8) total gave him a 1-shot victory.

He became the fourth Italian winner of this prestigious trophy following in the footsteps of Massimo Scarpa (1992), Stafano Mazzoli (2015) and Luca Cianchetti (2016).

Rasmus NEERGAARD-PETERSEN (DEN) finished 2nd on 281 (-7), Calum SCOTT 3rd on 282 (-6) 3rd and Javier BARCOS GARBAYO (ESP) 4th on 283 (-5).

Calum Scott, Filippo Celli and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Photo: European Golf Association)

The other GB&I players to finish in the top 50 in 2022 were Harley SMITH (ENG) -1 tied 9th, Rob MORAN (IRL) Ev tied 18th, Callum BRUCE (SCO) +1 T23, James ASHFIELD (WAL) +2 tied 23rd and Josh HILL (ENG), Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) & Frank KENNEDY (ENG) +5 tied 44th.

Leading Results (Graphic: EGA / Golfbox)

Click here to view the full – EGA / Golfbox 2022 European Amateur Championship Leaderboard

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.

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), Victor DUBUISSON (2009) and Nicolai HØJGÅRD (2018).

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)

ME.

South Beach International Amateur – 2022 Preview & Results

Posted on 14/12/2022 by Golf Bible

Thursday 22nd December 2022

Luke CLANTON (USA) beat Henry GUAN (USA) on the first sudden death play-off hole, the par 5 15th, with a par after 14 year old Guan found the water that borders the right side of the fairway.

Both players had finished on 266 (-17) in regulation play. This was after a dramatic conclusion to the 72nd hole at Miami Beach G.C. where Clanton holed a 15 footer for par before Guan birdied from 8 feet to take us into extra time.

Clanton produced a great final round 66 (-5) which included six birdies to force the play off with Guan who had started the day with a 3-shot lead. 14 year old Guan should be proud of his performance and his 69 was hugely impressive given the pressure he would have been feeling.

Screenshot 2022-12-22 at 22.16.09

Luke Clanton’s Round 3 Scorecard (Graphic: SBIA)

Clanton, who is a freshman at Florida State University, added the South Beach International Amateur title to the Azalea Invitational and North and South Amateur wins he had already earned earlier this year.

Luke Clanton (Photo: SBIA)

The final scoreboard was understandably dominated by players from the USA.

The Final Results (Graphic: SBIA)

Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) was the leading GB&I player; a 67 on the final day lifting him to tied 10th on -9.

Luke POULTER (ENG) backed up his win in last week’s Willow Cup by finishing tied 14th on -8. This was a real break-out performance for him in a high class field.

Gregor TAIT (SCO) -4 finished a creditable tied 33rd after a final round 68 with Archie DAVIES (WAL) and Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) -3 41st our only other players to complete the tournament with under par scores.

The Final GB&I Results (Graphic: SBIA)

The average score in the final round was 71.58 (+0.58). With the course dried out there were no preferred lies in the fourth round.

Click here to view the – SBIA 2022 Results

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Wednesday 21st December 2022

86 players made the cut and following heavy overnight rain benefitted from ‘lift, clean and place’ rules for the third round.

Young Henry GUAN (USA) from Texas showed few signs of nerves as he produced a 4-under 67 to extend his lead to three shots in the South Beach International. Seven birdies were partially erased by a bogey on the 6th and a double on the par 5 10th.

Screenshot 2022-12-22 at 09.31.18

Henry Guan’s Round 3 Scorecard (Graphic: SBIA)

Luke CLANTON (USA), the reigning North & South Amateur champion, -12 moved up to 2nd place with a 65 whilst George DUANGAMANEE (USA) and Deven PATEL (USA) -11, in tied 3rd, remain in striking distance.

Luke POULTER (ENG) and Nels SURTANI (USA) produced the best two rounds of the day with superb 7-under 64’s.

The average score from the reduced field in Round 3 was 70.17 (-0.83) with 44 of the 86 players breaking par.

The Round 3 Leaderboard (Graphic: SBIA)

Luke POULTER (ENG) stole the GB&I headlines with his blemish free 64 (-7) lifting him 35 places to tied 9th.

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Luke Poulter’s Round 3 Scorecard (Graphic: SBIA)

Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG), now up to tied 33rd, continued his comeback from a lacklustre opening round with a 67 in the third round.

Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) was the only other home player to produce an under par round on Wednesday. His 70 leaves him in tied 39th.

The Round 3 GB&I Player Scores (Graphic: SBIA)

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Tuesday 20th December 2022

Henry GUAN (USA) posted a second consecutive 65, this time at Normandy Shores, to move into the lead on -11. Guan, who like yesterday’s co-leader Oscar COUILLEAU (FRA), is only 14 years old was bogey free and as you can see below has only one blemish on his two cards after 36 holes.

Screenshot 2022-12-21 at 08.19.50

Henry Guan’s Round 1 & 2 Scorecards (Graphic: SBIA)

Guan is one shot better off than John M. BUTLER (USA) who recorded a 67 at Miami Beach whilst the other co-overnight leader George DUANGAMANEE (USA) finished the second day in 3rd on -9.

The Round 2 Leaderboard (Graphic: SBIA)

Jack HEARN (IRL) leads the GB&I group of 16 players on -4.

Archie DAVIES (WAL) -3, Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) -3, Gregor TAIT (SCO) -3, Luke POULTER (ENG) -2, Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) -1 and Joe PAGDIN (ENG) -1 were also amongst the 86 players who made the top 72 and ties 36 hole cut. This was the second highest number of players to make the cut in SBIA history.

Nine GB&I players missed the cut. Most upset will be James CLARIDGE (ENG), who having gone out in 33 (-2) at Normandy Shores to sit nicely in the top 20, came home in 40 (+5) to miss out by 1-shot on +1.

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The Round 2 GB&I Player Scores (Graphic: SBIA)

The average score at Miami Beach on Day 2 was 72.60 (+1.60 over par) whilst it was slightly lower at Normandy Shores 71.39 (+1.39 over par). The windier conditions led to lower number of under par rounds – 61 v. 82 yesterday.

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Monday 19th December 2022

Oscar COUILLEAU (FRA), who is just 14 years old, and George DUANGAMANEE (USA) both recorded opening 64’s (-7) at Miami Beach to take the early lead in the South Beach International Amateur.

Screenshot 2022-12-20 at 11.59.53

Oscar Couilleau’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: SBIA)

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George Duangamanee’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: SBIA)

John BUTLER (USA) recorded the lowest Round 1 score at Normandy Shores. His 64 (-6) left him tied 3rd and was one better than Ryan DUPUY (USA) and Cameron TANKERSLEY (USA) who are tied 5th.

82 players from the field of 210 posted under par scores in Round 1. The average score at Miami Beach was 71.50 (+0.50 over par) whilst it was slightly higher at Normandy Shores 71.10 (+1.10 over par).

The Round 1 Leaderboard (Graphic: SBIA)

Joe PAGDIN (ENG) and Gregor TAIT (SCO), tied 10th, are the leading GB&I players on -4. Joe shot a 67 at Miami Beach whilst Gregor took 66 at Normandy Shores.

Frank KENNEDY (ENG) and Oliver MUKHERJEE (SCO) -3 were just a shot further back with an encouraging overall total of 11 out of our 16 players under par after their first 18 holes.

The Round 1 GB&I Player Scores (Graphic: SBIA)

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14th December 2022

The 12th South Beach International Amateur (SBIA) will be played between 19th-22nd December 2022 in Miami Beach, Florida (GMT -5 hours).

First played in 2011 the SBIA has quickly become one of the world’s leading amateur golf competitions. The SPWAR continues to rate it as having the 5th best field on the world amateur calendar.

Format

The SBIA is a 72 hole stroke play competition played over four days.

18 holes are played at both Miami Beach G.C. and the nearby Normandy Shores G.C. by the full field over the first two days.

After a top 72 and ties cut the final 36 holes are played exclusively at Miami Beach over the remaining two days.

Miami Beach Golf Club

Players

210 players have paid the $420 entry fee and will contest the 2022 SBIA.

16 golfers from Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) are in this year’s starting field, a number of whom are studying at U.S. colleges. There was 17 last year with the highest entry being 19 in 2018.

Given 2023 is a Walker Cup year a top 10 finish in an event of this magnitude would be a real selection fillip for any of our players.

I’ve listed all of this year’s GB&I entries below (in alphabetical order) along with their current SPWAR (as at 14th December): –

James CLARIDGE (ENG) #463
Paul CONROY (IRL) #162
Archie DAVIES (WAL) #64
Arron EDWARDS-HILL (ENG) #37
Charlie FORSTER (ENG) #378
Alfie FOX (ENG) #966
Jack HEARN (IRL) #302
Jake HIBBERT (ENG) #1,372
Seán KEELING (IRL) #673
Frank KENNEDY (ENG) #274
Alex MAGUIRE (IRL) #137
Oliver MUKHERJEE (SCO) #360
Joe PAGDIN (ENG) #1,126
Luke POULTER (ENG) #1,278
Harley SMITH (ENG) #156
Gregor TAIT (SCO) #182

Other players in the SPWAR Top 150 competing include (in rank order): –

Ben JAMES (USA) #32
Tommy KUHL (USA) #38
Tobias JONSSON (SWE) #44
Connor JONES (USA) #52
Luke CLANTON (USA) #59
Ramus NEERGAARD-PETERSEN (DEN) #68
Brett ROBERTS (USA) #73
Luis MASAVEU (ESP) #75
Garrett BARBER (USA) #76
Martin COUVRA (FRA) #84
Marco FLORIOLI (ITA) #86
Ty GINGERICH (USA) #87
Jack WALL (USA) #96
Drew DOYLE (USA) #105
David NYFJÄLL (SWE) #108
Bastien AMAT (FRA) #112
Mats EGE (USA) #115
Jack LUNDIN (USA) #121
Jackson BUCHANAN (USA) #130
Alex PRICE (USA) #141
Lucas CARPER (USA) #148
Luke GUTSCHEWSKI (USA) #149

Courses

Both courses were designed by Arthur Hills and play to around 6,800 yards.

They are typical Florida layouts with numerous lakes coming into play throughout the 18 holes. As a result scores can be high if the wind blows – which it frequently does here.

Normandy Shores plays to a par of 70 and Miami Beach a par of 71 during the tournament.

DCIM100MEDIA

Normandy Shores Golf Club

Weather Forecast (as at 14th December)

The weather generally looks good for the duration of the event albeit the wind shouldn’t be under-estimated as it normally proves to be a factor on both of these flat exposed seaside courses.

Mon 19th Dec. – Sunny Intervals / Wind 14 mph NE / Temp. Min. 17°C, Max. 25°C.
Tue 20th Dec – Sunny with PM Showers / Wind 14 mph E / Temp. Min. 19°C, Max. 26°C.
Wed 21st Dec – Sunny Intervals / Wind 12 mph N / Temp. Min. 17°C, Min 26°C.
Thu 22nd Dec – Sunny Intervals / Wind 11 mph SW / Temp. Min. 18°C, Max. 28°C.

SBIA Website Links

Click here to view the – SBIA 2022 Leaderboard

Click here to view the – SBIA 2022 Pairings

Click here to view the – SBIA Website

2021 South Beach International Amateur

Finigan TILLY (USA), who was born in London but is now based in California, completed a surprise wire-to-wire victory at the 11th South Beach International Amateur (SBIA). Tilly started the week ranked #318 in the SPWAR. His 268 (-15) total was one shot off Cole Hammer’s 2020 scoring record.

Finigan Tilly (Photo: SBIA)

Clay AMLUNG (USA) -13 finished 2nd and Jose BALLESTER (ESP) -12, after closing with two bogeys, 3rd.

SBIA 2021 Final Top 20 Results (Photo: southbeachinternationalamateur.com)

English left hander Sam BAIRSTOW finished 4th on -9 after a joint best final round of 67.

Callan BARROW (ENG), John GOUGH (ENG) and Jake HIBBERT (ENG) -5 also finished in the top 20.

Of the other GB&I players who made the cut Callum BRUCE (SCO) -2 finished tied 36th, Josef HACKER (ENG) +2 tied 59th and Frank KENNEDY (ENG) +4 tied 69th.

SBIA 2021 GB&I Final Results (Photo: southbeachinternationalamateur.com)

Click here to view the full – SBIA 2021 Results

Historic Results

Here is a list of past winners, provided with their winning scores and the 36 hole cut marks for each year: –

2021 – Finigan TILLY (USA) -15 / Cut -1
2020 – Cole HAMMER (USA) -16 / Cut Ev
2019 – Ben SHIPP (USA) -2 / Cut +8
2018 – Pierceson COODY (USA) -11 / Cut +3
2017 – Jacob BERGERON (USA) -3 / Cut Ev
2016 – Danny WALKER (USA) -4 / Cut +1
2015 – Jorge GARCIA (VEN) -5 / Cut +6
2014 – Gabriel LENCH (USA) -4 / Cut +3
2013 – Greg EASON (ENG) -5 / Cut +6
2012 – Juan Pablo HERNANDEZ (MEX) -10 / Cut +3
2011 – Kelly KRAFT (USA) -4 / Cut +11

ME.

Golf Bible

The Home of Great British & Irish Amateur Golf

Tag Archives: Jack Hearn

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