The 2022 European Team Championships are officially underway.
Over 500 players are representing their countries at five different tournaments in England, Wales, Germany, Iceland and Bulgaria.
The first of two rounds of stroke play qualifying has been completed.
Teams will be looking to get themselves inside the top-eight in order to qualify for the Flight A match play brackets, and fight for medals on the three match play days.
EUROPEAN AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - ROYAL ST. GEORGE'S, ENGLAND
scoring - amateur (men)
Defending champions, Denmark, lead the way at Royal St. George's after the first round of stroke play qualifying of the European Amateur Team Championship.
The Danish team finished the day on a score of -6, helped by two rounds of 67 (-3) by recent European Amateur Championship silver medallist, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Soren B Lind. The latter reached -5 for the opening round through 15, but dropped shots on two of the final three holes.
Denmark hold pole position with one round of stroke play qualifying left, four shots clear of second place.
Seven other players signed for scores of 67 at Royal St. George's on Day 1, including Finland's Santeri Lehesmaa and Antti-Jussi Lintunen. The pair helped the Finnish team to a total of -2, where they sit in second place with an excellent chance of securing a spot in the top-eight on Wednesday.
Spain (-1), England (par), and Germany (par), are close behind and will have eyes on securing the number-one seed for the match play rounds. France (+1), Italy (+1) and Sweden (+2) currently complete the current top-eight.
Netherlands (+7), Austria (+8), and newly promoted Estonia (+10), who briefly held the lead early in the day, sit in 9th to 11th positions. They'll have to minimize mistakes to have a chance of competing for medals in the match play rounds.
EUROPEAN LADIES' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - CONWY GOLF CLUB, WALES
scoring - ladies
Three teams are tied at the top of the European Ladies' Team Championship after one of two rounds of stroke play qualifying.
Germany, England and Sweden all sit on +7 after a day of difficult scoring at Conwy Golf Club, Wales.
England defeated Sweden in the 2021 final, and it looks like the two teams could be the ones to beat once again this year. The last six titles have gone to either Sweden or England, with both countries having won three times since 2016.
Denmark (+12), France (+12), and Austria (+13), are currently 3rd to 6th, and have an excellent chance of securing a spot in the medal-contention matches with one round of stroke play qualifying to go.
Switzerland (+15) and Italy (+16) complete the top-eight, although only hold a slender advantage over the teams behind them.
Hosts, Wales, Spain and Scotland all also finished the day on +16, setting up a tight battle to qualify for the Flight A bracket on Wednesday.
Sweden's Elsa Svensson carded the round of the day. Seven birdies, five of which came on the back-nine, helped the Swede to a round of 68 (-5). Just six other players managed to complete the round under-par. One of them was the top-ranked player in the field, and reigning European Ladies' Amateur Champion, Ingrid Lindblad, who carded a steady 72 (-1).
EUROPEAN BOYS' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - GC. ST LEON-ROT, GERMANY
scoring - boys
England look like the team to beat after Day 1 at St Leon-Rot. With five scores under par, including a 66 (-6) from Harley Smith, the English team reached -17.
Sweden (-10), Czech Republic (-10) and defending champions, Germany (-8) are all in the top-four and look on track for a spot in the top-eight and the all-important Flight A.
Italy (-6), France (-5), Spain (-5) and Ireland (-3) currently complete the top-eight.
Denmark (-2), Switzerland (+1) and the Netherlands (+2) are within just five shots of making Flight A and will look to climb a few positions in Round 2 on Wednesday.
Three players carded six-under-par rounds of 66 on Day 1. England's Harley Smith, and the Czech Republic's Louis Klein and Matej Baca.
EUROPEAN GIRLS' TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - ODDUR GOLF CLUB, ICELAND
scoring - girls
Following their absence in 2021 due to covid travel restrictions, England has made a strong comeback this year in Iceland by taking the lead after the first stroke play qualification round. The team finished the day on a total of +6 and is leading by three shots over France and Sweden.
Under cloudy weather, the girls struggled to shoot scores under-par on the challenging Oddur Golf Club course. Dutch player Fleur van Beek stood out with a solid first round of three-under-par (68) comprising four birdies and one bogey.
Tied in second position with a score of two-under-par (69) are 2021 Junior Solheim Cup teammates, Andrea Revuelta from Spain and 2021 Junior Vagliano Trophy player, Meja Örtengren from Sweden. Revuelta’s round helped the defending champions to fourth place on the leaderboard with an overall total of (+15).