The Boys Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. The competition is organised and run by The R&A.
History The Boys Amateur Championship was first played at Royal Ascot in 1921. In 1921 boys had to be under-16 but this was raised to under-17 in 1922 and to under-18 in 1923, which is the age limit that has been retained since.
The venue for the competition has been played at many golf courses throughout the United Kingdom and has frequented several golf courses on more than one occasion. Notably the first two completion were both played at Royal Ascot.
The first championship started on 5 September 1921 with nearly 50 boys competing. The first day saw 14-year-old Henry Cotton play the eventual winner, Donald Mathieson, Cotton losing by 2 holes. Cotton was all square after 16 holes but lost the 17th, after being incorrectly penalised for placing his bag in a bunker, and then went out of bounds at the final hole. The Scot, Mathieson, met an English boy, Guy Lintott in the 36-hole final. Lincott won the final three holes to tie the match but Mathieson won the 37th hole to win the championship. Mathieson was the son of Donald MacKay Mathieson, a well-known golf journalist.
Format The current format for the Boys Amateur Championship has been used since 2010 and comprises an initial stroke play stage with all 252 competitors playing two rounds of 18 holes, one on each of the two courses. The 64 lowest scores over the 36 holes then compete in the match play final stage of the Championship. Ties for 64th place are decided by countback. Each round of the knockout is played over 18 holes with the exception of the final which is played over 36 holes. Boys must be under 18 at the start of the year in which the championship is held.
The 2020 event was cancelled, while the 2021 event was run with a reduced field of 144 played at a single venue, Royal Cinque Ports.
Results YearWinnerScoreRunner-upVenueRef.2026 Óliver Elí Björnsson 37 holes Ludwig Libera Gailes Links 2025 Guus Lafeber 37 holes Yago Horno County Louth Golf Club 2024 Viggo Olsson Mörk 4 & 3 Scott Woltering Moortown 2023 Kris Kim 38 holes Alex Papayoanou Ganton 2022 Albert Hansson 2 & 1 Didrik Ringvall Bengtsson Carnoustie 2021 Jack Bigham 37 holes Riccardo Fantinelli Royal Cinque Ports 2020 Cancelled 2019 Tom Gueant 37 holes Wilmer Ederö Saunton 2018 Conor Gough 3 & 1 José Luis Ballester Royal Portrush 2017 Pedro Lencart 5 & 4 Falko Hanisch Nairn 2016 Falko Hanisch 37 holes Alejandro Aguilera Muirfield 2015 Marcus Svensson 4 & 3 Keegan De Lange Royal Birkdale 2014 Oskar Bergqvist 1 up Rowan Lester Prestwick 2013 Ewen Ferguson 10 & 9 Michael Hirmer Royal Liverpool 2012 Matt Fitzpatrick 10 & 8 Henry James Notts 2011 Harrison Greenberry 37 holes Patrick Kelly Burnham & Berrow 2010 Adrián Otaegui 4 & 3 Max Rottluff Kilmarnock (Barassie) 2009 Tom Lewis 5 & 4 Eddie Pepperell Royal St George's 2008 Pedro Figueiredo 39 holes Fraser McKenna Little Aston 2007 Emilio Cuartero 1 up Fraser Fotheringham Royal Porthcawl 2006 Matthew Nixon 38 holes Björn Åkesson Royal Aberdeen 2005 Bernhard Neumann 3 & 2 Jordan Findlay Hunstanton 2004 Jordan Findlay 2 & 1 Tom Sherreard Conwy 2003 Rhys Davies 1 up Pablo Martín Royal Liverpool 2002 Mark Pilling 37 holes Rhys Davies Carnoustie 2001 Pablo Martín 3 & 2 Rafa Cabrera-Bello Ganton 2000 David Inglis 1 up David Skinns Hillside 1999 Alfonso Gutierrez 1 up Michael Skelton Royal St David's 1998 Steven O'Hara 1 up Stefano Reale Ladybank 1997 Sergio García 6 & 5 Richard Jones Saunton 1996 Kenneth Ferrie 2 & 1 Mark Pilkington Littlestone 1995 Steven Young 7 & 6 Sam Walker Dunbar 1994 Christopher Smith 2 & 1 Chris Rodgers Little Aston 1993 David Howell 3 & 1 Viktor Gustavsson Glenbervie 1992 Leif Westerberg 3 & 2 Freddie Jacobson Royal Mid-Surrey 1991 Francisco Valera 4 & 3 Robert Walton Montrose 1990 Michael Welch 3 & 1 Matthew Ellis Hunstanton 1989 Carl Watts 5 & 3 Colin Fraser Nairn 1988 Simon Pardoe 3 & 2 David Haines Formby 1987 Calvin O'Carroll 3 & 1 Per Olsson Kilmarnock (Barassie) 1986 Leslie Walker 5 & 4 Graham King Seaton Carew 1985 James Cook 5 & 4 Wayne Henry Royal Burgess 1984 Lee Vannet 2 & 1 Adam Mednick Royal Porthcawl 1983 José María Olazábal 6 & 5 Marc Pendariès Glenbervie 1982 Mark Grieve 37 holes Giles Hickman Burnham & Berrow 1981 Jesús López 4 & 3 Reeves Weedon Gullane 1980 Duncan Muscroft 7 & 6 Aled Llyr Formby 1979 Ronan Rafferty 6 & 5 David Ray Kilmarnock-Barassie 1978 Stephen Keppler 3 & 2 Mark Stokes Seaton Carew 1977 Ian Ford 1 up Colin Dalgleish Downfield 1976 Mark Mouland 6 & 5 Graham Hargreaves Sunningdale 1975 Brian Marchbank 1 up Sandy Lyle Bruntsfield Links 1974 Toby Shannon 10 & 9 Sandy Lyle Royal Liverpool 1973 David Robertson 5 & 3 Stefano Betti Blairgowrie 1972 Garry Harvey 7 & 5 Robert Newsome Moortown 1971 Howard Clark 6 & 5 Garry Harvey Kilmarnock-Barassie 1970 Ian Gradwell 1 up Ewen Murray Hillside 1969 Martin Foster 37 holes Martin Gray Dunbar 1968 Stephen Evans 3 & 2 Kim Dabson Royal Lytham & St Anne's 1967 Peter Tupling 4 & 2 Stephen Evans Western Galies 1966 Andrew Phillips 12 & 11 Alan Muller Moortown 1965 Graham Milne 4 & 2 David Midgley Gullane 1964 Peter Townsend 9 & 8 Roddy Gray Formby 1963 Alex Soutar 2 & 1 David Rigby Prestwick 1962 Peter Townsend 1 up Cameron Penman Royal Mid-Surrey 1961 Finlay Morris 3 & 2 Clive Clark Dalmahoy 1960 Patrick Cros 5 & 3 Peter Green Olton 1959 Alan Murphy 3 & 1 Eddie Shamash Pollok 1958 Richard Braddon 4 & 3 Ian Stungo Moortown 1957 David Ball 2 & 1 John Wilson Carnoustie 1956 John Ferguson 2 & 1 Clive Cole Sunningdale 1955 Stewart Wilson 39 holes Brian Aitken Kilmarnock (Barassie) 1954 Alan Bussell 38 holes Keith Warren Royal Liverpool 1953 Alec Shepperson 6 & 4 Tom Booth Dunbar 1952 Michael Bonallack 37 holes Alec Shepperson Formby 1951 Neville Dunn 6 & 5 Michael Lunt Prestwick 1950 John Glover 2 & 1 Ian Young Royal Lytham & St Anne's 1949 Harry MacAnespie 3 & 2 Norman Drew St Andrews 1948 John Pritchett 37 holes David Reid Kilmarnock (Barassie) 1947 James Armour 5 & 4 Ian Caldwell Royal Liverpool 1946 Alan MacGregor 7 & 5 Donald Dunstan Bruntsfield Links 1940–1945: No tournament due to World War II1939 Sandy Williamson 4 & 2 Ken Thom Carnoustie 1938 Willie Smeaton 3 & 2 Thomas Snowball Moor Park 1937 Ian Roberts 8 & 7 James Stewart Bruntsfield Links 1936 Jimmy Bruen 11 & 9 William Innes Royal Birkdale 1935 John Langley 6 & 5 Ralph Norris Royal Aberdeen 1934 Robert Burles 12 & 10 Frederick Allpass Moortown 1933 Laddie Lucas 3 & 2 William McLachlan Carnoustie 1932 Ian MacDonald 2 & 1 Leslie Hardie Royal Lytham & St Anne's 1931 Hector Thomson 5 & 4 Francis McGloin Glasgow 1930 James Lindsay 9 & 8 James Todd Fulwell 1929 James Lindsay 6 & 4 John Scott-Riddell Royal Burgess 1928 Stuart Scheftel 6 & 5 Archibald Dobbie Formby 1927 Eric Fiddian 4 & 2 Ken Forbes Royal Burgess 1926 Eric McRuvie 1 up Charles Timmis Coombe Hill 1925 Robert Peattie 4 & 3 Andrew McNair Royal Burgess 1924 Robert Peattie 2 up Pierre Maneuvrier Coombe Hill 1923 Donald Mathieson 3 & 1 Hugh Mitchell Dunbar 1922 Hugh Mitchell 4 & 2 William Greenfield Royal Ascot 1921 Donald Mathieson 37 holes Guy Lintott Royal Ascot
Source:
Future venues 2027 - Prince's Golf Club
References
External links