- Six final selections confirmed for the Bonallack & Patsy Hankins Trophies
- The three men and three women complete two strong 12-player European teams
- Team Europe will look to win back the Bonallack and Patsy Hankins Trophies from Asia-Pacific at La Manga, Spain from 3 to 5 August
The EGA is delighted to confirm the final six players of the 2023 European Bonallack and Patsy Hankins Trophy teams that will represent their continent at La Manga Resort, Spain from 3 to 5 August.
The Bonallack and Patsy Hankins Trophies are two separate three-day matches, played simultaneously, between the best male and female amateur players from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The contests, which parallel the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup formats, will take place for the first time in five years after the previous edition was cancelled due to Covid restrictions.
The three men and three women join nine players that were previously announced for both the Bonallack and Patsy Hankins Trophy teams.
The Men’s Selections :
Tiger Christensen (GER)
Nicola Gerhardsen (SUI)
Luis Masaveu (ESP)
Join :
James Ashfield (WAL)
Barclay Brown (ENG)
John Gough (ENG)
Albert Hansson (SWE)
Tobias Jonsson (SWE)
Frederik Kjettrup (DEN)
Alex Maguire (IRL)
Michael Alexander Mjaaseth (NOR)
Herman Wibe Sekne (NOR)
All three additions to the team have shown excellent form in the past year. Tiger Christensen (GER) recently co-led the European Amateur Championship at the halfway stage and qualified for The Open at Royal Liverpool.
Ranked inside the WAGR top-70, Nicola Gerhardsen (SUI) has had many strong results in European events this year. One of the highlights of his season came at the Spanish Amateur Championship (Copa SM El Rey), where he defeated Bonallack Trophy teammate, Albert Hansson (SWE), in the final to claim the prestigious title.
Tobias Jonsson (SWE) famously won the individual honours at the World Amateur Team Championship in Paris last year, and the Swede has continued his good form this season. Jonsson reached the quarterfinals of The Amateur Championship last month and has moved into WAGR’s top-50.
The men will be led by non-playing captain, Yves Hofstetter in this year’s match. The former Swiss international, who has represented his country countless times in international tournaments, previously captained the Continent of Europe St Andrews Trophy team three times and is the active chairman of the EGA’s Championship Committee.
The European men’s team will be eager to win back the trophy after the Asia-Pacific side won by the narrowest of margins in the last edition in 2018. A 16.5 to 15.5 win at Doha Golf Club, Qatar, which was decided by the final putt, ended a five-match winning streak by the Europeans.
Three highly talented players have also been selected for the European women’s team.
Women's Selections
Kajsa Arwefjäll (SWE)
Patricie Mackova (CZE)
Celina Rosa Sattelkau (GER)
Join:
Helen Briem (GER)
Beth Coulter (NIR)
Savannah De Bock (BEL)
Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio (ESP)
Francesca Fiorellini (ITA)
Meja Örtengren (SWE)
Rocio Tejedo (ESP)
Lottie Woad (ENG)
Kajsa Arwefjäll is currently ranked 32nd in the women’s WAGR. The Swedish player recently reached the quarter-finals of The Women’s Amateur, adding to numerous top-10 finishes this year.
Patricie Mackova (CZE) and Celina Rosa Sattelkau (GER) are both ranked inside the WAGR top-70 and also have a number of top-10 finishes to their names this season.
All three players will make their first appearances for a European team at La Manga next week.
Patience Rhodes (ENG) will also represent Team Europe. The English player will replace Charlotte Heath who was forced to withdraw.
Myrte Eikenaar (NED) will captain the women’s team after standing in for Anna Roscio, who unfortunately had to withdraw her captaincy due to personal reasons. Eikenaar is a two-time European Mid-Amateur Ladies’ Champion and has previous experience with European teams, having captained the Continent of Europe Junior Vagliano Trophy team three times.
About the Bonallack Trophy
The Bonallack Trophy is a biennial match played between 12-player teams from Europe and Asia-Pacific. The EGA selects the European team, while the Asia-Pacific side is fielded by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC).
The contest and trophy are named after Sir Michael Bonallack, one of the most decorated amateur players of all time. The Englishman won The Amateur Championship five times and the Brabazon Trophy four times. He also represented Great Britain & Ireland in nine Walker Cup teams and helped England to the European Amateur Team Championship title on three occasions.
Sir Michael also made significant contributions to the game off-course, including 16 years as Secretary of The R&A, six years as Chairman of the European Tour and as President of the English Golf Union amongst many other roles.
The match takes place over three days. Five foursomes matches in the morning and five fourball matches in the afternoon are played on both of the first two days. On the final day, all 12 players complete singles matches. With 32 total points on offer (1 for a win, 0.5 for a half and 0 for a loss), 16.5 points are needed to secure victory. The format mirrors the Ryder Cup, with one additional match in each of the four sessions over the first two days.
This year’s match will be the 11th edition between the two sides since the match was inaugurated in 1998.
The contest is played in parallel with the equivalent match for ladies, the Patsy Hankins Trophy.
About the Patsy Hankins Trophy
The Patsy Hankins Trophy is a biennial match played between 12-player female teams from Europe and Asia-Pacific. The EGA selects the European team, while the Asia-Pacific side is fielded by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC).
The contest and trophy are named in memory of Patsy Hankins, a former golf administrator from New Zealand. Her legacy as a trailblazer in golf administration grew due to her long list of achievements and kind and gentle approach. From fostering the development of the women’s game to playing a key role in the joining of men’s and women’s golf, Patsy was incredibly influential and will leave a long lasting legacy in the game not only in New Zealand but around the world.
The match takes place over three days. Five foursomes matches in the morning and five fourball matches in the afternoon are played on both of the first two days. On the final day, all 12 players complete singles matches. With 32 total points on offer (1 for a win, 0.5 for a half and 0 for a loss), 16.5 points are needed to secure victory. The format mirrors the Solheim Cup, except for one additional match in each of the four sessions over the first two days.
This year’s match will be the 3rd edition between the two sides since the match was inaugurated in 2016. In the last match, at Doha Golf Club in Qatar, the Asia-Pacific side dominated against a European team missing several highly ranked players.
The contest is played in parallel with the equivalent match for men, the Bonallack Trophy.