The stage is set at The Scandinavian for one of the biggest events on the amateur golfing calendar. 144 of the world’s best amateur players have gathered in Denmark this week to compete for the European Amateur Championship title, and with it an invitation to The 152nd Open Championship.
Here’s everything you need to know before the 37th edition of the tournament gets underway on Wednesday:
FORMAT
The championship is played in a classical 72-hole stroke play format over four days.
Previously, a 60 and ties cut was made after three rounds but a second-round intermediary cut will be introduced this year. Following Round 2, the field will be cut to 96 and ties with the usual 60 and ties cut also happening after Round 3.
HISTORY
The championship, first played in 1986, is consistently ranked amongst the strongest amateur events in the world for strength of field (WAGR) and regularly attracts the top talent in the amateur game.
Virtually all European Ryder Cup stars and major champions have participated in the European Amateur Championship in the past. Rory McIlroy (2006) and Sergio Garcia (1995) both won the event before turning pro, while Lee Westwood (1993), Paul Casey (1999), Danny Willet (2007) and Tommy Fleetwood (2010) have all previously medaled in the tournament.
More recently, Ryder Cup stars Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland narrowly missed out on the title, finishing runners-up in 2021 and 2018 respectively, Many other big names including Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Francesco Molinari also competed in the event but finishing outside the top-three.
The European Amateur returns to Denmark for the first time since 2008, when players such as Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Eddie Pepperell and Matteo Manassero competed at Esbjerg Golf Club. That year, German player Stephan Gross lifted the trophy.
INVITATIONS TO THE 152ND OPEN UP FOR GRABS
Having their name engraved on a trophy alongside European greats is not the only prize on offer for the competitors this week.
The winner will be invited to compete at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon in three weeks' time.
Filippo Celli (ITA) earned the Silver Medal at The 150th Open after qualifying thanks to his European Amateur Championship victory
For the second year, the Open Amateur Series will offer an additional exemption into The Open. The player scoring the most World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points across the St Andrews Links Trophy, The Amateur and European Amateur Championships will also be invited to compete at Royal Troon in mid-July.
England's Seb cave leads the series after winning the St Andrews Links Trophy and a last-32 performance at The Amateur. The English player is not on the starting list this week however, meaning Calum Scott (SCO) is the best placed to earn the additional invite this week. Jack Bigham (ENG) and James Ashfield (WAL) are also well positioned on The Open Amateur Series ranking and competing in Denmark, although would have to significanlty outperform Calum Scott this week to earn the exemption.
A FITTING VENUE
Located 25 minutes north of the Danish capital, The Scandinavian will provide a picturesque but challenging test to the players this week.
The club, which opened its doors in 2010, boasts two Robert Trent Jones II courses which are regularly ranked among the top-50 in Continental Europe. All four rounds will be played on the more recently opened layout, aptly named ‘The New Course’.
Measuring close to 6500 metres on the scorecard, the par-72 is charachterised by tight tree-lined fairways. In addition to its general parkland-style, the course has water come into play on close to half of the 18 holes. The par-5 18th, which bends around a large lake with an effectively island-green, could provoke drama and an exciting finish come Saturday evening.
THE FIELD & PLAYERS TO WATCH
144 players representing 41 different countries will tee it up on Wednesday.
Among them is Jose Luis Ballester (ESP) who enters the week as the defending champion, the only former winner, and the highest ranked European. The Spaniard triumphed at Pärnu Bay Golf Links, Estonia in 2023, after a blistering opening 62 (-10) and a steady finish in gale-force winds in the final round. The win ended a 28-year wait for a Spanish winner in the event which dated back to to Sergio Garcia’s triumph in 1995.
The man of the moment, Jacob Skov Olesen, became the first Danish player to win The Amateur Championship on Saturday. Despite nine competitive rounds of golf last week on his way to a historic victory, Olesen will tee off for another four on Wednesday. The Dane is a member of the host venue, and will hope to use home-advantage to try and become the first ever player to win The Amateur and European Amateur Championships back-to-back this week.
The highest ranked player in the field is recent Walker Cup Player for the USA, Preston Summerhays. The American is ranked inside the global top-10 in WAGR, and will look to become the first non-European player to win the event this week.
James Ashfield (WAL), who finished in a tie for second in 2023 will also be one to watch as he looks to go one better this year. The Welshman represented Europe in the Bonallack Trophy last summer, and has already shown strong form so far this season with a win at the Copa Sotogrande, a runner-up finish at the Lytham Trophy, and top-10s in the Brabazon and St Andrews Links Trophies.
Fresh from major championship golf, two Mexican players are among the highest ranked in the field this year. Santiago De la Fuente, ranked 25th in WAGR, won the Latin American Amateur Championship (LAAC) in January which earned him exemptions into The Masters and the US Open. Omar Morales, who finished second in the LAAC and also played in the US Open after earning a spot through qualifying, is ranked inside WAGR’s top-30.
Spain’s Luis Masaveu has been one of the strongest performers in Europe so far this year with victory at the Portuguese International and a runner-up finish at the Spanish Amateur. Having represented Europe at the Bonallack Trophy in 2023, Masaveu will play in European colours again in the St Andrews Trophy next month.
Lars Van Der Vight (NED) is another player with an international win this year. The Dutchman beat Masaveu to the Spanish Amateur title in March and also has top-10s in the Copa Sotogrande and St Andrews Links Trophy.
Michael Mjaaseth (NOR), another Arizona State Sun Devil in the field, led the event with just 10 holes to play last year. The Norwegian, who represented Europe in the Bonallack Trophy last year, is the only other player in the field with a European individual title to his name having won the European Young Masters in 2019.
In total 21 players are ranked inside the top-100 of WAGR. Among them is Tobias Jonsson (SWE), who won individual honours at the 2022 Eisenhower Trophy and represented Europe in the Bonallack Trophy last year, Calum Scott (SCO) who finished third in 2022, Matt McClean (IRL), a former US Mid-Amateur Champion, and Albert Hansson (SWE) a former Boys’ Amateur and Spanish Amateur champion.
THE ’OUTSIDE PICKS’ AND JUNIORS TO WATCH
Scotland’s Gregor Graham (SCO) started the year 449th in WAGR, and is a player outside the top-100 to keep an eye on. An impressive run since January, which includes victory in the Brabzon Trophy, the South African Amateur, and top-10s in the Spanish Amateur, Copa Sotogrande and Irish Men’s Amateur, has seen him climb over 300 spots in the world rankings.
Jasper Stubbs (AUS) is also outside the top-100 in WAGR, but has one of the biggest global amateur titles to his name. The Australian won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October, earning an invitation to The Masters.
Aforementioned Gregor Graham's younger brother, Connor, is one of the more junior players to keep an eye on this week. Yet to reach his 18th birthday, Connor became one of the youngest ever players to represent GB&I in the Walker Cup last year and earned medalist honours in The Amateur Championship stroke play qualifying last week for the lowest two-round score ahead of 287 other players.
Other U18s to watch this week include Louis Klein (CZE), the youngest player in the field. At the age of just 14, Klein is already ranked just outside the WAGR top-250 and finished in the top-10 of the Copa Sotogrande in April.
Hugo Le Goff (FRA), who went undefeated for the Continent of Europe in the 2023 Jacques Léglise Trophy is another junior player to watch. The 16-year-old was one of the youngest players to get a call up for his country in the 2023 World Amateur Team Championship and is ranked inside the WAGR top-300.
Le Goff’s foursomes partner at the Jacques Léglise Trophy last year, Lev Grinberg (UKR) became the first player from Ukraine to represent the Continent of Europe at the event. Grinberg famously became one of the youngest players to make the cut in a DP World Tour Event at his home club, Rinkven, in 2022.
KEEP UP WITH THE ACTION
Draws and livescoring can be followed throughout the week on the European Amateur Championship event page, while videos and updates from inside the ropes can be found on our social channels @ega_golf.