The EGA is delighted to announce a talented line-up of players for the 2024 Continent of Europe St Andrews Trophy Team.
The seven players, to be joined by two final selections following the European Amateur Championship next week, will look to win the trophy back from Great Britain & Ireland at Royal Porthcawl, Wales on 25 and 26 July.
Selection to play in the biennial match, for male amateur golfers, recognizes the players’ outstanding achievements in the amateur game.
THE SELECTIONS:
Bastien Amat (FRA)
Pablo Ereño Perez (ESP)
Filip Jacubčík (CZE)
Luis Masaveu (ESP)
Jacob Skov Olesen (DEN)
Richard Teder (EST)
Lars Van Der Vight (NED)
All seven players are ranked inside the top-110 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and with multiple international wins this season as a group already, will certainly mount a strong challenge to win back the trophy from GB&I in Wales.
Luis Masaveu (ESP) is the only player in the team to have formerly competed in the match, with the other six being rookies. The Spaniard not only represented the Continent of Europe in Slovakia in 2022, but also got a call-up to represent Europe in the Bonallack Trophy in his home country last year.
Among the players representing the Continent of Europe for the first time is Richard Teder, who will become the first Estonian to ever compete in the match.
Two more players, to be selected after the European Amateur Championship, will be announced at the end of the month.
The team will follow in the footsteps of the likes of José María Olazábal, Francesco Molinari, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia who have all formerly represented the Continent of Europe in the match.
The event also boasts a strong history of former participants on the GB&I side including Rory McIlroy, Robert Macintyre, Shane Lowry, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington and many other big names.
A NEW CAPTAIN
The Continent of Europe team will be led by non-playing captain, Carlos de Corral (ESP). The Spaniard has represented his country in all age categories as a player and more recently as a captain. De Corral has led his country’s teams multiple times, including at the World Amateur Team Championship and at the European Boys’ Team Championship, where he’s earned gold and silver medals.
The current sports’ director of the Madrid Golf Federation is a two-time European Mid-Amateur Champion having won the event back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.
“To be the Captain of the St Andrews Trophy is a dream come true for me” said De Corral.
“To have the opportunity to spend the week with the future stars of golf is something very special and to do it in GB&I, where the game of golf started, is even more special.”
“We will have a very strong team and we know that we can win anywhere but the most important thing for all of us is to spend an unforgettable week together and create life-long friendships.”
De Corral takes over the reins from former team captain, Yves Hofstetter (SUI), who led the side in the last three editions of the match, and will have the task of winning back the trophy from GB&I after a defeat at Penati Golf Resort, Slovakia in 2022.
A FITTING VENUE
Royal Porthcawl will become the first Welsh club to host the match and add its name to a long list of prestigious former venues of the event which includes Royal St. George’s, Kingsbarns, Chantilly, St Andrews, Rosendaelsche, Wentworth, Woodhall Spa, El Saler and many more.
The classic links layout is regularly ranked as the best in Wales with many holes just a stone’s throw from the coastline. The club has hosted its fair share of prestigious events in the past including The Amateur Championship, the Walker Cup, Curtis Cup and Senior Open.
ABOUT THE ST ANDREWS TROPHY
The St Andrews Trophy is a biennial match played between nine-player teams of amateur male golfers from the Continent of Europe and Great Britain & Ireland.
The match takes place over two days, with four foursomes matches on both mornings, eight singles matches on the afternoon of the first day, and nine singles matches on the afternoon of the second day. With 25 total points on offer, 13 points are needed to secure victory.
The contest is jointly organized by the European Golf Association and The R&A. The EGA selects the Continent of Europe team, while the GB&I team is chosen by The R&A. Identical matches between the two regions also exist for women (Vagliano Trophy), boys (Jacques Léglise Trophy), and girls (Junior Vagliano Trophy). The latter two of which will be contested at West Lancashire Golf Club in England at the end of August.
The match was first played in 1956, with this year’s edition being the 34th between the two teams. Despite a general GB&I dominance in the match since its inauguration, the last three editions have seen one win from either team and one match halved, suggesting a tight encounter in Wales at the end of next month.
A number of high-profile players have represented both sides in the match, including Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Robert Macintyre, José María Olazábal, Shane Lowry, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and many more.
Typically played in even years, the match will be played again in 2025 at Puerta de Hierro in Spain as part of a move to odd years.