Defending champion Marcus Svensson will be looking to make it three wins in a row for Sweden when the 90th Boys Amateur Championship is played next week at Muirfield and Renaissance Club.
Svensson, who defeated South Africa’s Keegan De Lange by 4&3 in last year’s 36-hole final at Royal Birkdale, is returning to defend the title. His countryman Oskar Bergqvist won the 2014 championship after a one hole victory over Ireland’s Rowan Lester at Prestwick.
The Championship, which takes place from Tuesday 9 - Sunday 14 August, has an excellent track record of attracting the world’s best boy golfers and nearly two thirds of the 252-strong field will travel to the east coast of Scotland from 23 overseas countries, including nations as far afield as Australia, India, South Africa and the USA.
Portugal’s Pedro Lencart Silva, who won the Junior Open at Kilmarnock (Barassie) last month will feature as will Scottish Boys Stroke Play Champion Rayhan John Thomas from India. Belgium’s Adrien Dumont De Chassart will be among the contenders after winning the European Young Masters in Switzerland last month.
A total of 93 players from Great Britain and Ireland will take part, including many who competed in the Boys Home Internationals this week at Ballyliffin (Glashedy Links). Among them are ten members of the winning English team including Harry Goddard, who won the SE Group Junior Championships last month. Irish Boys Champion Mark Power, who was in the Irish team, will be expected to challenge following his victory at Castle Golf Club last month.
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, "The Boys Amateur Championship is a real highlight in the golf calendar and showcases the talents of leading young golfers from around the world.
"Muirfield and Renaissance Club are both highly regarded links courses and we anticipate a week of top quality golf from a strong international field. The event is an excellent opportunity for the players to gain experience of competing in a high level event and for spectators to come along and see potential stars of the future."
Many of the world’s top players have competed in the Boys Amateur Championship including former champions Jose Maria Olazabal (1983), Sergio Garcia (1997) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (2012), the Champion Golfer of the Year Henrik Stenson and previous Open Champions Rory McIlroy, Sandy Lyle and Padraig Harrington, along with Masters champion Danny Willett and European Ryder Cup players Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood.
The first stage of the Championship comprises two qualifying rounds of stroke play, one on each course, before the 64 players with the lowest scores and ties for 64th place progress to the match play stage at Muirfield. Each match will consist of 18 holes except the final which will be played over 36 holes.
Admission and parking is free at both venues. Full details including the qualifying round draw can be found at championships.randa.org
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
