2nd April 2022

SPAIN (+13) completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Men’s European Nations Championship at RCG Sotogrande. The Team competition was based on the best three scores from each country’s four players.

ENGLAND (+35) finished 2nd 22-shots behind the home team, overtaking DENMARK who had a disastrous +18 final round to fall well down the standings.

WALES will be pleased with their tied 8th finish out of a field of 18 countries. 2021 Men’s Home International champions IRELAND (+50) 10th and SCOTLAND (+65) 13th will be disappointed with their efforts.

Team Results (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

Spain’s Jaime MONTOJO (Ev) won the Individual competition beating teammate Luis MASAVEU (Ev) in a play-off. This was hard on Masaveu as he had finished the final round most impressively out of the leading players with a bogey free 4-under final nine holes.

Jaime Montojo (Photo: RFE Golf)

However, this year it was the turn of Denmark’s Hamish BROWN (+2) to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory at Sotogrande – almost an annual occurrence. With a five shot lead and six holes to play he bogeyed five of his remaining holes to finish on +2 and in 3rd place.

Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG), who finished top of the ‘Most Pars or Better’ table (with 59, including 14 birdies), was GB&I’s leading player in the competition. He recorded a final round of 71 (-1) to finish in 5th on +6.

James ASHFIELD (WAL) +10 was 7th, Olly HUGGINS (ENG) +14 tied 10th, Rob MORAN (IRL)+15 13th, Liam NOLAN (IRL) +18 tied 16th and Matt ROBERTS (WAL) and Lewis IRVINE (SCO) +18 both tied 16th.

Leading Individual Results (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)

Click here to view the – 2022 ENC Men’s Team Results

Click here to view the – 2022 ENC Men’s Individual Results

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1st April 2022

SPAIN (+4) will take a near unassailable 20-shot lead over DENMARK (+24) into the final round of the Men’s European Nations Championship at the challenging RCG Sotogrande.

ENGLAND (+26) remain 3rd and will now be aiming to overtake the Danes tomorrow to secure the silver medal place.

WALES produced a +7 score, the third best of the round, on Day 3 to move up to 9th on +40. IRELAND (+41) fell two places to 10th whilst SCOTLAND (+52) stayed in a disappointing 14th.

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

Spain’s Jaime MONTOJO (-3) continues to lead the Individual competition but his lead over teammate Luis MASAVEU and Denmark’s Hamish BROWN (-1) is now down to just 2-shots.

Olly HUGGINS (ENG), who was 3-over after the first three holes of the competition, continued his fightback in round 3. A 72 saw him finish the day on +6 and in tied 4th place.

The other leading GB&I players in the Individual standings are Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG), who is 6th on +7, James ASHFIELD (WAL) and Rob MORAN (IRL)+11 tied 11th, and Matt ROBERTS (WAL) and Lewis IRVINE (SCO) who are both tied 19th on +11.

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

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31st March 2022

SPAIN (-2) moved into sole possession of the lead in the Men’s European Nations Championship after an impressive -7 Day 2 contribution to their ‘best 3-from-4’ total score. They now enjoy a 10-shot lead over DENMARK (+12).

Sadly the home nations were unable to make much progress in Round 2. ENGLAND (+15) are now 3rd, admittedly up a place, IRELAND (+29) are tied 8th, WALES (+33) 12th and SCOTLAND (+39) 14th.

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

Spain’s Jaime MONTOJO delivered a second 69 to move onto -6 in the Individual competition. He is five shots ahead of his compatriot Luis MASAVEU and Hamish BROWN (DEN).

Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) is 4th on +3 but barring two disasters could have been really challenging. After a 7 (+3) on the 15th yesterday he some how managed a 9 (+5) on the short 9th today.

Olly HUGGINS (ENG) +6 is tied 8th, Rob MORAN (IRL) +7 tied 11th, John GOUGH (ENG) +9 tied 18th and Matt ROBERTS (WAL), Lewis IRVINE (SCO) and James ASHFIELD (WAL) +10 all tied 23rd.

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

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30th March 2022

FRANCE, SPAIN and DENMARK share the lead in the Men’s European Nations Championship after the opening round at RGC Sotogrande with a 221 (+5) ‘best 3-from-4’ total.

With 54-holes still to play ENGLAND (+7) are 4th, IRELAND (+11) 5th, WALES (+18) tied 12th and SCOTLAND (+24) 16th.

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

Spain’s Jaime MONTOJO shot a best of the day 69 (-3) to take the early lead in the Individual competition.

Robert MORAN (IRL) and Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) are the best placed GB&I players in tied 4th having posted 73’s (+1). Jack BIGHAM (ENG), Olly HUGGINS (ENG) and James ASHFIELD (WAL) are two-shots further back in tied 10th after recording 75s (+3).

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

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28th March 2022

The Men’s European Nations Championship (ENC) starts on Wednesday 30th March at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Southern Spain.

RCG Sotogrande is the permanent home of the ENC and this will be the 14th playing of the event. It was cancelled due to COVID-19 in both 2020 and 2021.

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

Field
This year 17 four-man teams and 1 three-man team, Austria, will play for the Team prize (71 players). An additional eight players invited by both RCG Sotogrande and the Spanish Golf Federation will contest the Individual competition (79).

The following players have been selected to represent the four competing home nations in 2022: –

England – Sam BAIRSTOW, Jack BIGHAM, John GOUGH, Olly HUGGINS

Ireland – Hugh FOLEY, Robert MORAN, Liam NOLAN, Peter O’KEEFFE

Scotland – Jack BROUN, George BURNS, Rory FRANSSEN, Lewis IRVINE

Wales – James ASHFIELD, Aled GREVILLE, Tom MATTHEWS, Matt ROBERTS

A Women’s ENC also takes place alongside the Men’s competition. Teams of three from Ireland, Scotland and Wales are competing this year.

Tee Times / Scores
Click here to view the – 2022 ENC Tee Times

Click here to view the – 2022 ENC Men’s Team Scores

Click here to view the – 2022 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, 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 in the afternoon. This can cause problems given the numerous water hazards on the course.

Wednesday 30th – Sunny Intervals Min. 13°C / Max. 18°C; NW 15mph
Thursday 31st – Sunny Min. 13°C / Max. 17°C; W 13mph
Friday 1st – Sunny Min. 11°C / Max. 18°C; NW 10mph
Saturday 2nd – Sunny Min. 11°C / Max. 18°C; NE 15mph

Past ENC Winners

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

Team Competition

2021  Cancelled
2020  Cancelled

2019  England     2019 ENC Team Results

Defending champions England (+14) retained the European Nations Championship in Spain. Their 878 total was 8 shots better than The Netherlands (+22).

Ireland (+23) were third and Wales (+29), who recorded the lowest final day score (213), were an encouraging 4th. Scotland (+37) had a poor final day and fell away into 8th.

Gareth Jenkins (Manager), Tom Plumb, Tom Sloman, Bailey Gill and Ben Jones
(Photos: @EnglandGolf)

2018  England     2018 ENC Team Results

England – l-r Gareth Jenkins (Manager), David Hague, Gian-Marco Petrozzi, Todd Clements, Graham Walker (Coach) and Matthew Jordan (Photo: Graham Walker)

2017  Wales    2017 ENC Team Results

Wales – l-r Josh Davies, David Boote, Jack Davidson and Owen Edwards (Photo: GUW)

2016  Ireland    2016 ENC Team Results

Ireland – l-r Stuart Grehan, Alex Gleeson, Jack Hume and Dermot McElroy (Photo: GUI)

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

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.

Tom Sloman (Photos: @Golfing4Life_)

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)

Rory McIlroy (Photo: RCG Sotogrande)

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)

Sergio Gracia (Photo: RCG Sotogrande)

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)

ME.

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