Scottish Men’s Open Championship – 2025 Preview & Results

1st June 2025

ROUND 4

Eliot BAKER (ENG) won the Scottish Men’s Open Championship at North Berwick by 7-shots, continuing the recent English dominance in this competition.

Three consecutive bogeys from the 2nd hole by Billy DOWLING (AUS) no doubt helped to settle leader Eliot BAKER (ENG) into the final round. Baker would go on to make four birdies himself on the front nine, going out in 33 shots, and when he eagled the 11th the Championship was effectively over as a contest. To his credit Baker, who also won the Portuguese International Amateur Championship earlier this year, saw out the remaining holes with ease.

Emil RIEGGER (USA) and Marian LUDWIG (GER) both finished with 67’s to secure 4th and 5th place respectively. Daniel HAYES (ENG) finished 6th on -8 after posting a 70 and 69 on the final day.

Tom OSBORNE (ENG), Timothy CHAN (HKG), Dian KRUGER (RSA), Ben BROWN (ENG), Mike GRAY (SCO), Morgan BLYTHE (ENG) and George CANNON (SCO) all finished the 72 holes on -7 to make up the top 13.

Final Results (Graphic: Scottish Golf)

Click here to view the – 2025 Scottish Men’s Open Championship Leaderboard

ROUND 3

Eliot BAKER (ENG) moved into a 1-shot lead at the Scottish Men’s Open Championship with a 7-under 64. He started the final round on -16.

Eliot Baker’s Round 3 Scorecard (Graphic: Scottish Golf)

Billy DOWLING (AUS) came home in 31 shots for a 67 to remain firmly in the mix on -15.

Dowling’s compatriot Kayun MUDADANA posted a 68 to start the final circuit on -11.

George CANNON -9 is 4th after a 69 and Emil RIEGGER (USA) -7 5th after a 70.

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31st May 2025

ROUND 2

Billy DOWLING (AUS) backed up his opening 64 with a solid 4-under 67 to take a 2-shot lead into the final round of the Scottish Men’s Open Championship.

Eliot BAKER (ENG) -9 is 2nd and Kayun MUDADANA (AUS) -8 3rd after they impressed on Saturday with a 66 and 64 respectively at North Berwick.

Scottish trio George CANNON -7 4th and Gregor TAIT -6 & Andrew DAVIDSON -6 tied 5th are nicely in the mix heading into the final day.

43 players made the top 40 and ties cut which fell at 143 (+1).

Round 2 Leaderboard (Graphic: Scottish Golf)

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30th May 2025

ROUND 1

Billy DOWLING (AUS) took the early lead in the Scottish Men’s Open Championship with a nine birdie 64 (-7) around North Berwick’s West Links.

Billy Dowling’s Round 1 Scorecard (Graphic: Scottish Golf)

Morgan BLYTHE (ENG) -6 and George CANNON (SCO) -5 played their way into 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Blythe enjoyed eight birdies in his round whilst Cannon delivered a bogey-free 66.

Eliot BAKER (ENG), Herman HUUS (NOR) and Harry THOMAS (ENG) are all tied 4th on -4.

On a good scoring day 31 players finished their rounds with an under par score with a further 22 shooting even par 71’s.

Round 1 Leaderboard (Graphic: Scottish Golf)

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27th May 2025

The 58th Scottish Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship starts on Friday 30th May at North Berwick Golf Club.

North Berwick G.C. (Photo: North Berwick G.C. Website)

Format

This open scratch amateur competition consists of 72 holes of stroke play.

18 holes will be played on both Friday 30th May and Saturday 31st May.

A 36 hole cut will then take place with only the leading 40 competitors and ties qualifying for the final two rounds which will be played on Sunday 1st June.

In the event of a tie for the Championship there will be a sudden death play off. All other ties will be resolved via card count back.

Field

144 competitors will start the 2025 Championship.

The field will be made up of (1) the 55 entrants with the highest WAGRs, (2) the next 55 players with the lowest WHS Handicap Index, (3) up to 12 Scottish Golf nominations and (4) a minimum of 24 players via the Pre-Qualifying event (see below).

Matt MCCLEAN (SCO) #149, Marian LUDWIG (GER) #263, Eliot BAKER (ENG) #289, Daniel HAYES (ENG) #308, Atin WADE ARTHUR (RSA) #320, Andrew DAVIDSON (SCO) #333, Aidan LAWSON (SCO) #384, Scott WOLTERING (NED) #390, Kayun MUDADANA (AUS) #405, Billy DOWLING (AUS) #406, Guus LAFEBER (NED) #442, Declan O’DONOVAN (AUS) #483, Ivan VERSTER (RSA) #518 and Jack BUCHANAN (AUS) #534 are the highest WAGR ranked players in the field.

The busy amateur schedule means that the Championship continues to struggle to attract a top class field despite often hosting it on some of the world’s best courses. The Scottish Open is being played adjacent to the U.S. NCAA Division I National Championship and East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, after the Brabazon Trophy and before the St. Andrews Links Trophy and Amateur Championship.

The drvn.golf WAGR Power Estimator is suggesting a field strength number of c.285.0000* for the 2025 event. By way of comparison the Championship’s Power was 306.7519 in 2024 (Muirfield), 252.0597 in 2023 (Meldrum House) and 601.8878 in 2022 (Cruden Bay).

* Actual WAGR Event Power confirmed as 291.9717

Pre-Qualifying

Scottish Golf, for the fourth time, held an 18 hole Pre-Qualifying event. This year it took place on Tuesday 27th May at Haddington G.C.

Kenneth GLEN (SCO), Mason ROLOFF (USA) and Adam GILES (SCO), who all posted 69’s (-2), were the co-medalists leading 28 players into the main event. The cut fell at +2 with 6 of the 11 players on that number progressing after count back. The players who missed out will now have to make do with places on the reserve list.

Click here to view the – 2025 Scottish Men’s Open Championship Pre-Qualifying Results

Tee Times

Play on Friday and Saturday will commence at 7.00am with the final three-ball setting out at 3.20pm.

Click here to view the – 2025 Scottish Men’s Open Championship Tee Times

North Berwick

The Championship is being played on North Berwick’s West Links course.

The North Berwick Golf Club was formed in 1832 which led to organised golf first being played over this unique piece of land.

The Championship tees can stretch the course to 6,579 yards with a par of 71. The par 4 13th “Pit”, which plays to a green behind a wall, the 14th “Perfection”, the par 3 15th “Redan” and the 16th “Gate” with it’s deep gully in the green are the signature holes.

Between 1935 and 1975 the annual Scottish Boys’ Championship, inaugurated by North Berwick G.C. and later taken over by Scottish Golf, took place over the West Links. Many other major events have been staged here since, including Final Qualifying for The Open Championship on six occasions (last 2013), The Ladies’ British Amatuer Stroke Play Championship (2017), The Seniors’ Amateur StrokePlay Championship (2019) and The Scottish Boys Open Championship (2020).

Prizes

The Winner receives the distinctive silver Championship Trophy and a Crystal Award.

Crystal Awards are also given to the runner-up and third place finisher.

Weather Forecast (as at Tuesday 27th May)

The weather forecast suggests the Championship will be played largely in sunny conditions, albeit with dome rain expected on the all-important final day.

Fri 30th May – Sunny Intervals / Wind 18 mph W / Temp. Min. 10°C / Max. 17°C,
Sat 31st May – Sunny Intervals / Wind 15 mph S / Temp. Min. 10°C / Max. 18°C
Sun 1st June – Rain Showers / Wind 19 mph SW / Temp. Min. 9°C / Max. 16°C

2024 Results

Dominic CLEMONS (ENG) won the 2024 Scottish Men’s Open Championship with a 260 (-24) total.

His final day 65 (-6) and 62 (-9) saw him take the title at Muirfield by an astonishing 17 shots.

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Dominic Clemons (Photo: Scottish Golf)

Jordan BURNAND (RSA) -7 finished 2nd on last round count back, Kai KOMULAINEN (AUS) -7 3rd, Jamie NIELSEN (DEN) -6 4th and Matteo CRISTONI (ITA), who had a final round hole-in-one on the 16th, -4 5th.

Jack MCDONALD -1 8th was the highest finishing Scot with Charlie FORSTER (ENG) Ev also finishing in the top 10.

Just eight of the 44 players who made the cut finished under par after 72 holes.

Screenshot 2024-06-02 at 19.08.36

Final Results (Graphic: Scottish Golf)

Click here to view the – 2024 Scottish Men’s Open Championship Results

Past Winners

The Scottish Men’s Open Amateur was first contested in 1967 and has an impressive list of past winners. Here are some of them: –

2011 – Andy Sullivan (ENG)
2009 – Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
2004 – Richie Ramsay (SCO)
2003 – Gary Wolstenholme (ENG)
1997 – Barclay Howard (SCO)
1996 – Alastair Forsyth (SCO)
1995 – Stephen Gallacher (SCO)
1992 – Dean Robertson (SCO)
1991 – Andrew Coltart (SCO)
1985 – Colin Montgomerie (SCO)
1981 – Philip Walton (IRE)
1980 – Gordon Brand Jr (ENG)
1975 and 1984 – Charlie Green (SCO)
1971, 1974 and 1979 – Ian Hutcheon (SCO)
1970 – Dale Hayes (RSA)
1968 – Ronnie Shade (SCO)
1967 – Bernard Gallacher (SCO)

A full list of the past winners can be viewed here – Scottish Open Amateur Winners

ME.

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

The Jacques Léglise Trophy – 2024 Preview & Results

24th August 2024

Continent of Europe won the 47th Jacques Léglise Trophy match against Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) by 12.0 points to 10.0 at West Lancashire G.C. in England.

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Continent of Europe (Photo: The R&A)

In a worrying trend for the home side it was the Continent’s fifth consecutive victory and sixth in the last eight contests.

“You just have to take your hat off to Pierre (Relecom) and the Continent of Europe – they played cracking golf” said GB&I captain Chris King.

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Viggo OLSSON MÖRK (EUR) was Europe’s star performer winning all three of his games. Neo BERG (SWE), Nils-LEVI BOCK (GER) and Hugo LE GOFF (FRA) were also unbeaten for the victors.

Henry STYLES (ENG) won both of his Singles for GB&I.

Screenshot 2024-08-26 at 08.38.23

Click here to view the – R&A Jacques Léglise Trophy Results

Saturday Singles 

GB&I won the Day 2 Singles 5.5-3.5 but the damage had been done for the home team in the morning Foursomes.

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Saturday Singles Results (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox)

Saturday Foursomes

Continent of Europe took control of the Jacques Léglise Trophy match by winning all four Foursomes games this morning. GB&I were only able to take one of the games to the 18th in a disappointing performance.

Arthur CARLIER (FRA) and Dominic MCGLINCHEY (SCO) were rested for Europe and GB&I respectively by their captains.

Now leading GB&I 8.5-4.5 Europe need to win just three of the 11 Singles this afternoon to win the Trophy outright, with 2.5 points being good enough for them to retain it via a tie as the holders.

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Saturday Foursomes Results (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox)

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23rd August 2024

Friday Singles

Due to strong winds from Storm Lilian and a four hour delay in play the Day 1 Foursomes were cancelled and the decision was taken to play nine Singles during the afternoon.

Europe and GB&I earned 4.5 points each to hopefully set up an exciting finale to the 2024 Jacques Léglise Trophy at West Lancashire G.C. tomorrow.

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Last week’s Boys’ Amateur champion Viggo OLSSON MÖRK (SWE), Neo BERG (SWE) and Nils-Levi BOCK (GER) all picked up wins for Continent of Europe.

For GB&I Sebastian DESOISA (GIB), Henry STYLES (ENG) and Oscar LENT (ENG) picked up full points.

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Friday Singles Results (Graphic: The R&A / Golfbox)

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19th August 2024

The 47th Jacques Léglise Trophy match between Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) and Continent of Europe will take place at West Lancashire Golf Club in England on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th August. 

This annual match is contested by two nine-player under 18 boys’ teams. It is essentially a junior equivalent of the biennial men’s St. Andrews Trophy match also played between these two regions.

Having been dominated in the early years by GB&I the Continent of Europe have now won six of the last seven matches played since 2016.

Following consecutive wins at Aldeburgh G.C. in England (2019), Falsterbo G.C. in Sweden (2021), Blairgowrie G.C. in Scotland (2022) and Golf de Chantilly in France (2023) Europe will start as strong favourites to make it five wins-in-a-row. The 2020 match, which was due to be played at Blairgowrie, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I will be updating this article with daily match reports once play begins.

Teams

The R&A have selected the following players to represent GB&I (WAGR’s at 14th August): –

Ben BOLTON 17 – England (WAGR #510)
Sebastian DESOISA 17 – Gibraltor (WAGR #549)
Daniel HAYES 17 – England (WAGR #526)
Monty HOLCOMBE 17 – England (WAGR #1,840)
Oscar LENT 15 – England (WAGR #472)
Dominic MCGLINCHEY 18 – Scotland (WAGR #1,970)
Dion REGAN 16 – Wales (WAGR N/R)
Charlie RUSBRIDGE 16 – England (WAGR #639)
Henry STYLES 18 – England (WAGR #986)

Reserve: Harry COX 17 – England (WAGR #1,819)

Monty Holcombe played for GB&I last year at Golf de Chantilly.

Wales’ Chris KING, Chairman of The R&A’s GB&I Boys’ Selection Committee & Captain, will take charge of the team for the fourth time.

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Great Britain & Ireland Team (Photo: The R&A)

The 2024 Continent of Europe team, selected by the European Golf Association, consists of: –

Neo BERG – Sweden (WAGR #1,348)
Giovanni BINAGHI – Italy (WAGR #446)
Nils-Levi BOCK – Germany (WAGR #1,072)
Arthur CARLIER – France (WAGR #)
Oscar COUILLEAU – France (WAGR #302)
Lev GRINBERG – Ukraine (WAGR #195)
Hugo LE GOFF – France (WAGR #201)
Viggo OLSSON MÖRK – Sweden (WAGR #1,963) – 2024 Boy’s R&A Amateur champion
Scott WOLTERING – Netherlands (WAGR #945) – 2024 Boy’s R&A Amateur runner-up

Lev Grinberg and Hugo Le Goff returns for the Europeans having played last year.

Louis Klein from Czech Republic (WAGR #243) was originally selected but has had to withdraw due to injury.

Europe will be led for the first time by Non-Playing Captain Pierre RELECOM of Belgium. He has big shoes to fill as his predecessor Joachim FOURQUET of France won all four of the Jaques Léglise Trophy matches that he captained.

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Continent of Europe Team (Photo: The R&A)

Format

The Jacques Léglise Trophy match is played over two days.

Four foursomes games are played each morning.

Singles are then played in the afternoon; eight on Day 1 and nine on Day 2.

As there will be 25.0 points to play for each team will require 13.0 points to claim an outright victory.

Venue

The match is being played at West Lancashire Golf Club, near Liverpool in England.

The championship course plays to 6,973 yards and a par of 72.

West Lancashire was founded in 1873 and has hosted the Women’s Amateur Championship, SP Qualifying for The Amateur Championship, the Girls’ Amateur Championship, the U18 Boys’ Carris Trophy, the  R&A Junior Open and Regional and Final Qualifying for The Open over the years.

This will be the 15th time that England has hosted the Jacques Léglise Trophy match.

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The Jacques Léglise Trophy (Photo: European Golf Association) 

Weather

The forecast suggests the weather will be largely dry with only light breezes expected.

Friday 23rd August – Light Rain / Wind 15 mph SW / Temp. Min. 11°C, Max. 18°C.
Saturday 24th August – Sunny Intervals / Wind 14 mph SW / Temp. Min. 10°C, Max. 18°C.

The 2023 Jacques Léglise Trophy Match

Continent of Europe won all four sessions of the match to secure a 17.0-8.0 victory in the 46th Jacques Léglise Trophy at Golf de Chantilly.

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Continent of Europe (Photo: European Golf Association)

Lev GRINBERG (UKR) and Niall SHIELS DONEGAN (SCO) were the star men for Europe and GB&I in the match.

Click here to view the – 2023 Jacques Léglise Trophy Results 

Previous Matches

An international junior match was first played between 1958 and 1966 with GB&I winning all nine of them.

After a break it was re-instated to the amateur calendar in 1977 as the Jacques Léglise Trophy. Jean-Louis Dupont donated the new trophy in memory of Jacques Léglise, a former President of both the French Golf Association and the European Golf Association. Léglise was also a past French amateur champion and national team captain.

Since becoming the Jacques Léglise Trophy GB&I have won 29 of the matches with the Continent of Europe claiming 16 victories with the 2015 match tied. Eleven of Europe’s wins have been in away matches.

Originally played in a single day the match moved to two in 1996.

Click here to view all of the – Jaques Léglise Trophy Historic Results

ME.

Copyright © 2014-2024, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.