Kogl and Ross Win European Mid-Amateur Titles in Portugal

Christoph Kogl (AUT) and Jessica Ross (NIR) have won the 2025 European Mid-Amateur Championship titles.

KOGL CLOSES OUT OVERNIGHT LEAD

Christoph Kogl began the final day with a commanding five-shot lead, having been the only player to record back-to-back rounds in the 60s on Thursday and Friday.

However, the Austrian’s cushion quickly began to shrink after a shaky start saw him drop two shots over the first three holes. Stuart Grehan (IRL) capitalised with birdies at the 4th and 5th, cutting the deficit to just one. Kogl responded with composure, stringing together six consecutive pars before regaining momentum with birdies on the 10th, 12th, and 14th.

With four holes to play and a four-shot lead, the 32-year-old only needed to avoid trouble — and he did just that to close out the win. Kogl finished at five-under-par for the tournament, securing a two-shot victory and becoming the second consecutive Austrian to lift the men’s trophy.

Estonia's Mattias Varjun was the closest challenger on the final day and finished runner-up. Having only become eligible for the tournament on Thursday, his 25th birthday, he finished the tournament two-shots back to become the first Estonian player to win an EGA individual medal.

Stuart Grehan (IRL) finished one shot further back on -2 to take home the bronze medal.

REDEMPTION FOR ROSS IN THE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

After coming agonisingly close in the past two editions, Jessica Ross was determined to go one better. In 2023, she finished on the podium after missing out in a three-way playoff. A year later, Ross was tied for the lead with just two holes to play, only to falter late and miss out on the medals entirely. It’s fair to say the 30-year-old entered the final round with unfinished business.

Starting just one shot behind a tightly packed leading group of three players at +3, Ross faced a final day more about survival than low-scoring, as the technical demands of Quinta do Peru took their toll. A steady, level-par front nine proved enough to shake up the leaderboard — while Ross held firm, the leaders collectively dropped five or more shots, handing her a four-stroke cushion at the turn.

Only Aideen Walsh managed to mount a challenge, reeling off three birdies early on the back nine. By the 15th hole, the two Irish players were tied, and both would remain level through 54 holes to force a playoff.

After matching pars at the 1st, the contest moved to the par-3 8th, where Ross held her nerve to seal the title with a par — finally securing the victory that had narrowly eluded her.

Ross, who earns an invitation to both the European Ladies' Amateur Championship and US Mid-Amateur Women's Championship, becomes the first Irish player to win a European Mid-Amateur Championship title.