The Amateur Championship

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The Amateur Championship

The Amateur Championship Trophy in 2009 at Gardagolf Country Club
Tournament information
Location	United Kingdom
Established	1885
Format	Stroke play and match play
Month played	June
Current champion
Jovan Rebula

The Amateur Championship (sometimes referred to as the British Amateur or British Amateur Championship outside the UK) is a golf tournament which has been held annually in the United Kingdom since 1885 except during the two World Wars, and in 1949 when Ireland hosted the championship. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur. It normally has the widest international representation of any individual amateur event, with 38 golf federations from all six continents represented in the 2018 championship.^[1]

Before World War II it was regarded as one of golf's major championships, but given the modern dominance of the sport by professional golfers, this is no longer the case. Two Amateur Championship winners in the post-World War II era have gone on to win professional major championships: José María Olazábal and Sergio García.

Contents

• 
  1 History
  


• 
  2 Entry, format
  


• 
  3 Most times hosted
  


• 
  4 Winners
  


• 
  5 Multiple winners
  


• 
  6 Future sites
  


• 
  7 References
  


• 
  8 External links
  

History

The inaugural championship was held in 1885 by the Royal Liverpool Golf Club and was, for many years, regarded as an unofficial event. In 1922, the R&A decided that Allan Macfie, the winner of the event, should be added to the list of Amateur Championship winners.^[2]

The tournament was played on 20, 21 and 23 April and was "open to all amateur members of recognised golf clubs". The format was match-play. All players were included in the draw for each round, any extra player receiving a bye. If a match was halved after the 18 holes both players progressed to the next round, playing each other again. There were 49 entries from 12 different clubs, although only 44 were included in the draw and four of these players did not turn up. Of the 22 first-round matches, 2 were halved, meaning that there were 12 matches in the second round.^[3][4] There were no more halved matches in the following rounds which meant that 3 players reached the semi-final stage.^[5][6]John Ball beat his father, also called John, in the third round.^[6]Allan Macfie was the lucky player to receive a bye at the semi-final stage with Horace Hutchinson beating Ball 2 up in the only semi-final match. After his morning round, Hutchinson played badly in the afternoon and Macfie won 7&6.^[7][8]

Each player paid a 1 guinea entry fee. This, together with 25 guineas from the Royal Liverpool club, was used for prizes. The losing finalist received £10 with the remainder being used to buy plate for the winner.^[4] The final amount for the winner was about £60^[7] or £70.^[8] By comparison the winner of the 1885 Open Championship received £10.

Entry, format

Entry to the Championship is now given to the most-qualified 288 applicants from around the world, with perhaps half the places reserved for top players from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Qualifying rounds for all players were first introduced in 1983, when the popularity of the championship led to the number of applicants increasing to unmanageable levels. Major golf nations are allocated entries on what amounts to a quota basis for their top applicants, with each applicant's national federation cooperating with the R&A on selection. For example, the 2010 entry list included players from the British Isles (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland), mainland Europe (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, Switzerland, Austria, Iceland), North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru), Asia (China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore), Australasia (Australia, New Zealand) and Africa (South Africa).^[9]

The first stage of the Championship involves 288 players, each of whom plays two rounds of 18 holes, one on each of two courses, over the first two days. The 64 lowest scores over the 36 holes, and ties for 64th place compete in the match play stage of the Championship, on the event's principal course, and are seeded by qualifying scores. Each match consists of one round of 18 holes, except for the Final, which is over 36 holes. Since there are generally more than 64 qualifiers from the stroke play stage, the first round of the match play involves a small number of matches to reduce the number of qualifiers to exactly 64. Tied matches are broken by sudden death over extra holes. The event is played in June, normally with a Monday to Saturday schedule.

The winner receives invitations to three of the major championships, namely the following month's Open Championship, and the following year's Masters Tournament and U.S. Open provided he remain an amateur prior to each major. The Amateur Championship is open to amateur golfers of any nationality in good standing with their national federations. Briton John Ball won the most career titles, with eight. Ball was still competing in the event as late as 1921 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.^[10] In modern times, Briton Michael Bonallack's five titles lead. The most famous American winner of the competition was Bobby Jones, whose 1930 victory was part of his Grand Slam.

Most times hosted

The courses that have hosted the Amateur the most times (as of 2018):

• 18 Royal Liverpool Golf Club
  


• 16 St Andrews Links
  


• 14 Royal St George's Golf Club
  


• 11 Prestwick Golf Club, Muirfield
  

Winners

Year	Venue	Champion	Country	Score	Runner-up
2018	Royal Aberdeen Golf Club	Jovan Rebula	South Africa	3 & 2	Robin Dawson
2017	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Harry Ellis	England	38 holes	Dylan Perry
2016	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club	Scott Gregory	England	2 & 1	Robert MacIntyre
2015	Carnoustie Golf Links	Romain Langasque	France	4 & 2	Grant Forrest
2014	Royal Portrush Golf Club	Bradley Neil	Scotland	2 & 1	Zander Lombard
2013	Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club	Garrick Porteous	England	6 & 5	Toni Hakula
2012	Royal Troon Golf Club	Alan Dunbar	Northern Ireland	1 up	Matthias Schwab
2011	Hillside Golf Club	Bryden Macpherson	Australia	3 & 2	Michael Stewart
2010	Muirfield	Jin Jeong	South Korea	5 & 4	James Byrne
2009	Formby Golf Club	Matteo Manassero	Italy	4 & 3	Sam Hutsby
2008	Turnberry	Reinier Saxton	Netherlands	3 & 2	Tommy Fleetwood
2007	Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club	Drew Weaver	United States	2 & 1	Tim Stewart
2006	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Julien Guerrier	France	4 & 3	Adam Gee
2005	Royal Birkdale Golf Club	Brian McElhinney	Ireland	5 & 4	John Gallagher
2004	St. Andrews Links	Stuart Wilson	Scotland	4 & 3	Lee Corfield
2003	Royal Troon Golf Club	Gary Wolstenholme (2)	England	6 & 5	Raphael De Sousa
2002	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club	Alejandro Larrazábal	Spain	1 up	Martin Sell
2001	Prestwick Golf Club	Michael Hoey	Northern Ireland	1 up	Ian Campbell
2000	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Mikko Ilonen	Finland	2 & 1	Christian Reimbold
1999	Royal County Down Golf Club	Graeme Storm	England	7 & 6	Aran Wainwright
1998	Muirfield	Sergio García	Spain	7 & 6	Craig Williams
1997	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Craig Watson	Scotland	3 & 2	Trevor Immelman
1996	Turnberry	Warren Bladon	England	1 up	Roger Beames
1995	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Gordon Sherry	Scotland	7 & 6	Michael Reynard
1994	Nairn Golf Club	Lee James	England	2 & 1	Gordon Sherry
1993	Royal Portrush Golf Club	Iain Pyman	England	37 holes	Paul Page
1992	Carnoustie Golf Links	Stephen Dundas	Scotland	7 & 6	Bradley Dredge
1991	Ganton Golf Club	Gary Wolstenholme	England	8 & 6	Bob May
1990	Muirfield	Rolf Muntz	Netherlands	7 & 6	Michael Macara
1989	Royal Birkdale Golf Club	Stephen Dodd	Wales	5 & 3	Craig Cassells
1988	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club	Christian Hardin	Sweden	1 up	Ben Fouchee
1987	Prestwick Golf Club	Paul Mayo	Wales	3 & 1	Peter McEvoy
1986	Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club	David Curry	England	11 & 9	Geoff Birtwell
1985	Royal Dornoch Golf Club	Garth McGimpsey	Northern Ireland	8 & 7	Graham Homewood
1984	Formby Golf Club	José María Olazábal	Spain	5 & 4	Colin Montgomerie
1983	Turnberry	Philip Parkin	Wales	5 & 4	Jim Holtgrieve
1982	Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club	Martin Thompson	England	4 & 3	Andrew Stubbs
1981	St. Andrews Links	Phillipe Ploujoux	France	4 & 2	Joel Hirsch
1980	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club	Duncan Evans	Wales	4 & 3	David Suddards
1979	Hillside Golf Club	Jay Sigel	United States	3 & 2	Scott Hoch
1978	Royal Troon Golf Club	Peter McEvoy (2)	England	4 & 3	Paul McKellar
1977	Ganton Golf Club	Peter McEvoy	England	5 & 4	H.M. Campbell
1976	St. Andrews Links	Dick Siderowf (2)	United States	37 holes	J.C. Davies
1975	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Vinny Giles	United States	8 & 7	Mark James
1974	Muirfield	Trevor Homer (2)	England	2 up	Jim Gabrielsen
1973	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club	Dick Siderowf	United States	5 & 3	Peter H. Moody
1972	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Trevor Homer	England	4 & 3	Alan Thirlwell
1971	Carnoustie Golf Links	Steve Melnyk	United States	3 & 2	Jim Simons
1970	Royal County Down Golf Club	Michael Bonallack (5)	England	8 & 7	Bill Hyndman
1969	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Michael Bonallack (4)	England	3 & 2	Bill Hyndman
1968	Royal Troon Golf Club	Michael Bonallack (3)	England	7 & 6	Joe Carr
1967	Formby Golf Club	Bob Dickson	United States	2 & 1	Ron Cerrudo
1966	Carnoustie Golf Links	Bobby Cole	South Africa	3 & 2	Ronnie Shade
1965	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club	Michael Bonallack (2)	England	2 & 1	Clive Clark
1964	Ganton Golf Club	Gordon Clark	England	39 holes	Michael Lunt
1963	St. Andrews Links	Michael Lunt	England	2 & 1	John Blackwell
1962	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Richard Davies	United States	1 up	John Povall
1961	Turnberry	Michael Bonallack	England	6 & 4	James Walker
1960	Royal Portrush Golf Club	Joe Carr (3)	Ireland	8 & 7	Robert Cochran
1959	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Deane Beman	United States	3 & 2	Bill Hyndman
1958	St. Andrews Links	Joe Carr (2)	Ireland	3 & 2	Alan Thirlwell
1957	Formby Golf Club	Reid Jack	Scotland	2 & 1	Harold Ridgley
1956	Royal Troon Golf Club	John Beharrell	England	5 & 4	Leslie Taylor
1955	Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club	Joe Conrad	United States	3 & 2	Alan Slater
1954	Muirfield	Doug Bachli	Australia	2 & 1	William C. Campbell
1953	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Joe Carr	Ireland	2 up	Harvie Ward
1952	Prestwick Golf Club	Harvie Ward	United States	6 & 5	Frank Stranahan
1951	Royal Porthcawl Golf Club	Dick Chapman	United States	5 & 4	Charles Coe
1950	St. Andrews Links	Frank Stranahan (2)	United States	8 & 6	Dick Chapman
1949	Portmarnock Golf Club	Max McCready	Ireland	2 & 1	Willie Turnesa
1948	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Frank Stranahan	United States	5 & 4	Charles Stowe
1947	Carnoustie Golf Links	Willie Turnesa	United States	3 & 2	Dick Chapman
1946	Royal Birkdale Golf Club	Jimmy Bruen	Ireland	4 & 3	Robert Sweeny Jr.
1940–1945: Not played due to World War II
1939	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Alex Kyle	Scotland	2 & 1	Tony Duncan
1938	Royal Troon Golf Club	Charlie Yates	United States	3 & 2	Cecil Ewing
1937	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Robert Sweeny Jr.	United States	3 & 2	Lionel Munn
1936	St. Andrews Links	Hector Thomson	Scotland	2 up	Jim Ferrier
1935	Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club	Lawson Little (2)	United States	1 up	William Tweddell
1934	Prestwick Golf Club	Lawson Little	United States	14 & 13	James Wallace
1933	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Michael Scott	England	4 & 3	Dale Bourn
1932	Muirfield	John de Forest	England	3 & 1	Eric Fiddian
1931	Royal North Devon Golf Club	Eric Martin Smith	England	1 up	John de Forest
1930	St. Andrews Links	Bobby Jones	United States	7 & 6	Roger Wethered
1929	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Cyril Tolley (2)	England	4 & 3	John Nelson Smith
1928	Prestwick Golf Club	Philip Perkins	England	6 & 4	Roger Wethered
1927	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	William Tweddell	England	7 & 6	Eustace Landale
1926	Muirfield	Jess Sweetser	United States	6 & 5	Fred Simpson
1925	Royal North Devon Golf Club	Robert Harris	Scotland	13 & 12	Kenneth Fradgley
1924	St. Andrews Links	Ernest Holderness (2)	England	3 & 2	Eustace Storey
1923	Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club	Roger Wethered	England	7 & 6	Robert Harris
1922	Prestwick Golf Club	Ernest Holderness	England	1 up	John Caven
1921	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Willie Hunter	Scotland	12 & 11	Allan Graham
1920	Muirfield	Cyril Tolley	England	37 holes	Robert A. Gardner
1915–1919: Not played due to World War I
1914	Royal St. George's Golf Club	James Jenkins	Scotland	3 & 2	Charles Hezlet
1913	St. Andrews Links	Harold Hilton (4)	England	6 & 5	Robert Harris
1912	Royal North Devon Golf Club	John Ball (8)	England	38 holes	Abe Mitchell
1911	Prestwick Golf Club	Harold Hilton (3)	England	4 & 3	Edward Lassen
1910	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	John Ball (7)	England	10 & 9	Colin Aylmer
1909	Muirfield	Robert Maxwell (2)	Scotland	1 up	Cecil Hutchison
1908	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Edward Lassen	England	7 & 6	Herbert Taylor
1907	St. Andrews Links	John Ball (6)	England	6 & 4	Charles Palmer
1906	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	James Robb	Scotland	4 & 3	Clifford Lingen
1905	Prestwick Golf Club	Gordon Barry	England	3 & 2	Osmund Scott
1904	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Walter Travis	United States	4 & 3	Edward Blackwell
1903	Muirfield	Robert Maxwell	Scotland	7 & 5	Horace Hutchinson
1902	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Charles Hutchings	England	1 up	Sidney Fry
1901	St. Andrews Links	Harold Hilton (2)	England	1 up	John L. Low
1900	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Harold Hilton	England	8 & 7	James Robb
1899	Prestwick Golf Club	John Ball (5)	England	37 holes	Freddie Tait
1898	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Freddie Tait (2)	Scotland	7 & 5	S. Mure Fergusson
1897	Muirfield	Jack Allan	Scotland	4 & 2	James Robb
1896	Royal St. George's Golf Club	Freddie Tait	Scotland	8 & 7	Harold Hilton
1895	St. Andrews Links	Leslie Balfour-Melville	Scotland	19 holes	John Ball
1894	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	John Ball (4)	England	1 up	S. Mure Fergusson
1893	Prestwick Golf Club	P.C. Anderson	Scotland	1 up	Johnny Laidlay
1892	Royal St. George's Golf Club	John Ball (3)	England	3 & 1	Harold Hilton
1891	St. Andrews Links	Johnny Laidlay (2)	Scotland	20 holes	Harold Hilton
1890	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	John Ball (2)	England	4 & 3	Johnny Laidlay
1889	St. Andrews Links	Johnny Laidlay	Scotland	2 & 1	Leslie Balfour-Melville
1888	Prestwick Golf Club	John Ball	England	5 & 4	Johnny Laidlay
1887	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Horace Hutchinson (2)	England	1 up	John Ball
1886	St. Andrews Links	Horace Hutchinson	England	7 & 6	Henry Lamb
1885	Royal Liverpool Golf Club	Allan Macfie	Scotland	7 & 6	Horace Hutchinson

Multiple winners

Sixteen players have won more than one Amateur Championship, as of 2018:

• 8 wins: John Ball
  


• 5 wins: Michael Bonallack
  


• 4 wins: Harold Hilton
  


• 3 wins: Joe Carr
  


• 2 wins: Horace Hutchinson, Johnny Laidlay, Freddie Tait, Robert Maxwell, Ernest Holderness, Cyril Tolley, Lawson Little, Frank Stranahan, Trevor Homer, Dick Siderowf, Peter McEvoy, Gary Wolstenholme
  

Three players have won both the Amateur and the Open Championship:

• 
  John Ball – 1888, 1890, 1892, 1894, 1899, 1907, 1910, 1912 Amateurs; 1890 Open


• 
  Harold Hilton – 1900, 1901, 1911, 1913 Amateurs; 1892, 1897 Opens


• 
  Bobby Jones – 1930 Amateur; 1926, 1927, 1930 Opens

Future sites

• 2019 - Portmarnock Golf Club & The Island Golf Club.^[11]


• 2020 - Royal Birkdale Golf Club & West Lancashire Golf Club.^[12]

References

1. 
   ^ "International field assembles for The Amateur". The R&A. 14 June 2018. 
   


2. 
   ^ "Golf – Meeting of the Championship Committee". The Times. 3 March 1922. p. 8. 
   


3. 
   ^ "Golf tournament at Hoylake". The Glasgow Herald. 21 April 1885. p. 7. 
   


4. 
   ^ ^ab "Golf tournament at Hoylake". Dundee Courier. 21 April 1885. Retrieved 15 July 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)). 
   


5. 
   ^ "The golf tournament at Hoylake". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1885. p. 9. 
   


6. 
   ^ ^ab "The golf tournament at Hoylake". Dundee Courier. 22 April 1885. Retrieved 15 July 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)). 
   


7. 
   ^ ^ab "The golf tournament at Hoylake – Victory of a Scottish player". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1885. p. 8. 
   


8. 
   ^ ^ab "Golf – The tournament at Hoylake". Dundee Courier. 24 April 1885. Retrieved 15 July 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)). 
   


9. 
   ^ randa.org, the 2010 Amateur Championship entry list
   


10. 
    ^ Rice, Grantland (25 May 1921). "Wright Only U.S. Golfer Left in Play". The New York Tribune. Retrieved 12 April 2015. 
    


11. 
    ^ Reid, Philip (8 September 2016). "Portmarnock to host Amateur Championship despite men-only policy". Irish Times. 
    


12. 
    ^ "Venues announced for 2020 championships". The R&A. 25 July 2018. 
    

External links

• Official website

v t e Major golf championships
Current	Masters Tournament U.S. Open The Open Championship PGA Championship
Past	British Amateur U.S. Amateur
See also	Most wins Chronological Grand Slam