The 2019 Jacques Léglise Trophy match between the best U18 players of the Continent of Europe and Great Britain & Ireland gets underway on Friday morning.
Aldeburgh Golf Club, situated on the east coast of England, sets the stage for the 43rd edition of the match, where Joachim Fourquet's Continent of Europe team will look to regain the trophy lost to GB&I at Kytäjä Golf, Finland, last year.
The GB&I side have historically dominated the match, with 29 victories to the Continent of Europe's 12. However, in the last nine editions since 2010, GB&I and the Continent of Europe have both won on four occassions, with one match halved.
The Format
The two nine-player teams will play a total of 25 matches on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 August. Four foursomes matches will be contested on both mornings, while eight singles will be played on the afternoon of day one, and nine singles on the afternoon of day two.
GB&I will need 12.5 points to retain the trophy, while the Continent of Europe need 13 to win for a third time in four years.
Players to Watch
Continent of Europe
Spain's Alvaro Mueller-Baumgart is the highest ranked Continent of Europe player on the team this year, currently 26th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). The 16-year-old won both the Spanish Amateur Stroke Play and U18 Championships this season, and also reached the semi-finals in the Copa S.M. El Rey.
Daniel Da Costa Rodrigues returns to the side for a second time this year year. Ranked 2000th in the WAGR when selected prior to last year's match, the 16-year-old has had an impressive season which included wins in both the Portuguese International Amateur and the Portuguese National Championships, helping move him inside the WAGR top-100.
David Puig is another player making his second appearance in the match this week. The Spanish player, currently ranked inside the WAGR top-50, finished top of the stroke play qualifying phase at both the 2018 and 2019 European Boys' Team Championships. This season, Puig finished inside the top-30 at the European Amateur Championship, and has won the Campeonato de Barcelona and Campeonato Abierto de Madrid.
The complete Continent of Europe Team
Great Britain & Ireland
Conor Gough, who went undefeatead in Great Britan & Ireland's victory at Kytäjä Golf last year, returns to the team this week as the highest ranked player in the match. Currently at 3rd in the WAGR, he won the English Men's Amateur Championship earlier this month.
Benjamin Schmidt will make his first appearance in the match. The English started the year outside the top 4500 in the WAGR, but won both the Brabazon and Carris Trophies this season, propelling him up to 13th, and making him the second highest ranked player in this year's match after countryman, Gough.
Barclay Brown will captain the GB&I side for a second consecutive year. The English player showed good form recently, reaching the semi-finals of the Boys Amateur Championship.
Joe Pagdin has also shown good form of late. Appearing in the match for the second time, the U.S-based English player reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, and the round of 16 in the Boys Amateur Championship this summer.
The complete Great Britain & Ireland Team
Recent Results
2018: Continent of Europe 9.5 - 15.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Kytäjä Golf, Finland)
2017: Continent of Europe 15.5 - 9.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Ballybunion, Ireland)
2016: Continent of Europe 13.5 - 11.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Prince's Golf Club, England)
2015: Continent of Europe 12.5 - 12.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Scotland)
2014: Continent of Europe 11.5 - 12.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Barsebäck Golf & Country Club, Sweden)
2013: Continent of Europe 9 - 15 Great Britain & Ireland (Royal St David's Golf Club, Wales)
2012: Continent of Europe 13.5 - 10.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Portmarnock Golf Club, Ireland)
2011: Continent of Europe 9.5 - 14.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Neguri Golf Club, Spain)
2010: Continent of Europe 15.5 - 8.5 Great Britain & Ireland (Castelconturbia Golf Club, Italy)
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