The Amateur Championship, one of golf’s oldest and most prestigious events, has been taking place this week at Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis year marks the 130th staging of the championship, which was last held at Royal St George’s in 2017, when England’s Harry Ellis claimed victory. A record-breaking 612 entries were received—27 more than the previous high in 2022.
From that number, 288 players made up the final field. The opening two rounds followed a stroke play format, with all competitors battling for a place in the match play stages. Only 64 could progress, resulting in a dramatic 24-man play-off for the final five spots.
The five players who managed to advance through the play-off were Mads Viemose Larsen, Filippo Ponzano, Gaven Lane, Stijn Egging, and Rintaro Nakano.
It’s no easy feat to win the Amateur Championship. Two rounds of stroke play are required to make the match play stages, which then involves at least five rounds to make the final, whilst the final is contested over 36 holes on Saturday.
The quarter-final draw
The following players and matches for the quarter final are as follows:
| Ethan Fang (USA) | v | Callixte Alzas (France) |
| Matthis Lefevre (France) | v | Veikka Viskari (Finland) |
| Billy Dowling (Australia) | v | Ricardo Fantinelli (Italy) |
| Richard Teder (Estonia) | v | Gavin Tiernan (Ireland) |
On paper, Ethan Fang stands out as the favourite heading into the quarter-finals. The American is currently ranked 7th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), making him the highest-ranked player left in the field.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe next closest challenger in terms of ranking is Richard Teder, who sits 138th. The Estonian finished fifth in the 2023 Amateur Championship and has since claimed titles in Latvia and, more recently, the Estonian Match Play.
France has emerged as the strongest nation so far, with both Matthis Lefevre and Callixte Alzas still in the hunt. They’ll be hoping to become the first French winner of the Amateur Championship since Romain Langasque triumphed in 2015.
Embed from Getty ImagesAustralia’s Billy Dowling has been quietly making his move around the iconic Royal St George’s layout and believes his game is peaking at just the right time. The 20-year-old was in superb form in his morning tie, making four birdies and an eagle in a commanding 5&3 win over Mexico’s Rodrigo Vazques. He then dropped just two shots in a 3&2 triumph over Italy’s Filippo Ponzano.
Dowling now faces another Italian in the last eight — Riccardo Fantinelli — who secured his place with victories against Canadian Isaiah Ibit, 3&2 and Germany’s Tim Wiedemeyer, 3&1.
Finland’s Veikka Viskari maintained his strong form, comfortably dispatching Germany’s Laurenz Schiergen 5&4 in the morning before overcoming Japan’s Rintaro Nakano 3&2 to reach the quarter-finals.
Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan, meanwhile, has enjoyed a longer road than most, having come through Pre-Qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports last week. The Irishman’s fine run continued with a birdie at the 18th to see off Belgium’s Jarno Tollenaire this morning, followed by a 3&2 victory over Frenchman Gaspar Glaudas in the afternoon.
Embed from Getty ImagesSurprises so far.
Some big names have already bowed out of this year’s Amateur Championship. South Africa’s Christian Maas, the highest-ranked player in the field according to the WAGR, was eliminated after the stroke play stage, finishing four-over-par, five shots outside the cut mark.
Interestingly, Maas has twice featured in the final of the Amateur Championship, though not as a player. He previously caddied for back-to-back winners Aldrich Potgieter in 2022 and Christo Lamprecht in 2023.
Embed from Getty ImagesLuke Poulter, son of Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, also failed to progress, finishing two-over-par in stroke play. Despite the disappointment, Poulter can be proud of his recent form. Earlier this month, he narrowly missed out on qualifying for the U.S. Open after losing a play-off to Austen Truslow for the final spot at a qualifier in Florida—despite firing an impressive second-round 65 in his attempt to make a major debut.
The stroke play stages highlight just how quickly fortunes can change. A player might feel confident after a strong showing to comfortably make the cut, but match play has a way of levelling the field—form can shift in an instant, and every hole becomes a fresh challenge.
Scotland’s Connor Graham has made history repeat itself by claiming top qualifying honours at the Amateur Championship for the second consecutive year. The 18-year-old from Blairgowrie finished one shot clear of the field at nine under par after 36 holes of stroke play qualifying.
Embed from Getty ImagesRanked 47th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Graham produced exemplary golf in benign conditions along the sunny Sandwich Bay coast. He followed up a three-under-par 69 at Royal Cinque Ports with a flawless six-under-par 64 at the famed links of Royal St George’s.
Fast forward to the match play stage of The Amateur, and Connor Graham found it difficult to carry his impressive stroke play form into his opening match. Facing Mads Viemose Larsen — one of the 24 players involved in the play-off — Graham narrowly edged past the Dane on the 21st hole, sealing victory with a birdie at the 198-yard par-3 3rd to book his place in the next round.
However, his campaign came to an end in the last 32 against American Ethan Fang. Despite racing to a three-up lead through four holes, Graham was pegged back as Fang mounted a superb comeback, birdieing the 17th and 18th before clinching victory on the 20th hole.
Other notable absentees who left the tournament at the match play stages include last year’s runner-up, Dominic Clemons, who lost 3&2 to Japan’s Rintaro Nakano. Nakano another player who only just made the match play stage after the 24-man playoff.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe closing stretch
The Amateur Championship offers something truly special — the chance to witness golf’s future stars up close. History is made just inches away, as spectators walk the fairways of some of the finest courses in the country.
First played at Hoylake in 1885, the Championship boasts an illustrious list of former winners, including Sir Michael Bonallack, José María Olazábal, Sergio García, and, more recently, Aldrich Potgieter.
The stakes are high: the 2025 champion will earn a place in The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, the U.S. Open, and, by tradition, receive an invitation to the Masters Tournament. In addition to three major appearances, the winner will also gain entry to the Betfred British Masters, hosted by Sir Nick Faldo on the DP World Tour.
I’ll be providing coverage and content over on my socials of the final two days of the Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s on Friday and Saturday.
Swing and Hope 
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