The 34th edition of the European Amateur Championship takes place this week.
144 competitors, representing 32 different European countries, will tee it up at Golf du Médoc Resort on Wednesday for four rounds of stroke play competition.
The championship, first played in 1986, is consistently ranked amongst the strongest amateur events in the world for strength of field and regularly attracts the top talent in the amateur game.
Several Ryder Cup stars and major champions have featured 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.
Rory McIlroy after winning the 2006 European Amateur Championship
More recently in 2018, Nicloai Hojgaard, who has started making a name for himself on the European Tour alongside twin brother Rasmus, won the title.
Two-time PGA Tour winner, Viktor Hovland also finished runner-up in the championship in 2016 and 2018.
19 French players are on the starting list this week and will look to give France their first European Amateur Championship title since 2009. The last time there was a French winner was also the last time the event was held in France. Victor Dubuisson (FRA) claimed the title at Golf de Chantilly 12 years ago.
Matthias Schmid, the 2019 and 2020 champion will not defend his title at Golf du Médoc this week. The German player qualified for last week’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines but was unable to make the cut.
Schmid will play in a second successive major championship this summer, having also earning a spot in The 149th Open with his 2020 European Amateur Championship victory. Schmid will be joined by this year’s European Amateur champion at Royal St. George’s.
Ludvig Åberg is the top ranked player heading into the championship. The Swede helped his country to victory in the 2019 European Amateur Team Championship and is currently ranked third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and number-one in Europe. Åberg will be joined by five other Swedish players who will look to give Sweden a first win the event for over 20 years.
The last Spanish player to win the event was none other than Sergio Garcia 26 years ago, although a very strong Spanish contingent will fight for this year’s title.
Sergio Garcia at the 1995 European Amateur Championship
David Puig, a two-time Jacques Léglise Trophy player, is the highest-ranked Spaniard on the starting list. Puig will play alongside several Spanish players including Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, Alvaro Mueller-Baumgart, and Jose Luis Ballester Barrio, who are all also currently ranked inside the world’s amateur top-60.
The Châteuax Course at Golf du Médoc Resort will present the challenge to the players this year. The par 71 course, located just outside of Bordeaux in France, is regularly ranked amongst the top-50 on the continent.
Golf du Médoc Resort, France
The course previously hosted the European Amateur Championship in 1998, when Paddy Gribben claimed the title. Luke Donald, Henrik Stenson, Jamie Donaldson and Gregory Havret were all in the field that year.
Draws and livescoring can be followed throughout the week on the European Amateur Championship event page, while updates and highlight videos can be found on our social channels @ega_golf.