Last year’s Amateur Championship winner James Sugrue. The R&A will hold the 2020 event at Royal Birkdale in August if COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed by then. Picture by R&A

THE R&A has published a rearranged schedule for its 2020 amateur championships – but all of its international matches between Europe and Great Britain and Ireland, and the Home Internationals have been cancelled.

The R&A’s two biggest junior events – the Boys’ and Girls’ Amateur Championships – will go ahead as planned in August, while three of its biggest adult competitions have been moved from earlier in the summer to late August

The R&A Seniors Championship – which traditionally attracts a strong entry from the USA and Europe has been put back to late September from its traditional slot in late July.

With the exception of the Curtis Cup clash between the USA and Great Britain and Ireland’s elite women amateurs – which has been postponed until 2021 – all other international matches scheduled in 2020 have been cancelled.

All six major championships will be played at their original venues – and are dependent on the COVID-19 situation, the R&A stressed.

The full list is as follows:–

• The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship Southport & Ainsdale, Lancs, will be played from August 11-15 as scheduled
• The R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship at Moortown and Alwoodley, Yorks, will be played from August 11-16 as scheduled
• The R&A Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Ashridge, Herts, will be played from August 19-21 as scheduled
• The Women’s Amateur Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie) has been rescheduled from June 23-27 to August 25-29
• The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale and West Lancashire has been rescheduled from June 15-20 to August 25-30
• The R&A Senior Amateur Championship at Royal Cinque Ports, Deal, has been rescheduled from July 29-31 to September 23-25

The revised schedule for the championships will only go ahead if the restrictions introduced to combat the coronavirus pandemic allow.

An R&A spokesman said: “We will continue to follow the guidance from the UK Government, health authorities and our own medical consultants.”

The R&A Junior Open, which was due to be played from 13-15 July at Kent’s Littlestone GC, from July 13-15 – in the build up to the 149th Open at Royal St George’s – has been cancelled along with The Open Championship at nearby Sandwich (July 16-19).

The following amateur international matches have all been cancelled:–

• St Andrews Trophy – GB&I v Europe – Royal Porthcawl (July 23-24)
• R&A Boys’ Home Internationals, Killarney (Aug 4-6)
• R&A Women’s and Girls’ Home Internationals, Royal St David’s (Aug 5&7)
• Junior Vagliano Trophy and Jacques Leglise Trophy – GB&I v Europe – Blairgowrie (Lansdowne), Aug 28-29
• R&A Men’s and Women’s Senior Home Internationals West Kilbride, (Sept 29-Oct 1)

St Andrews Trophy has produced 26 Ryder Cup since first GB&I v Europe match at Wentworth in 1956

The winning Continent of Europe team that won the St Andrews Trophy at Finland’s Linna Golf in 2018. Picture by JAN KRUGER R&A / GETTY IMAGES

THE biennial St Andrews Trophy – jointly arranged with the European Golf Association – between the GB&I men’s team and Continental Europe was called off last month.

The match has seen many GB&I players go on to feature in the Walker Cup against the USA. It was due to be played at Royal Porthcawl, from July 23-24.

And 26 members from both St Andrews’ teams have featured in Ryder Cups over the past 60 years.

That list includes the likes of Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinairi and his brother Edoardo, Darren Clarke, Jose Maria Olazabal, Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomery, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer, Sandy Lyle and Thomas Bjørn.

It dates back to 1956 and GB&I won 19 of the first 22 matches. Since 2000, GB&I have won the match six times with Europe claiming three of the last matches.

The first match was played at Wentworth’s West Course with Gerald Micklem captaining the GB&I team.

The current Walker Cup captain has traditionally led the GB&I team as part of their preparations to play against the USA the following year.

In 2018, Finland’s Sami Valimaki, who won the Oman Open in February, was on the winning Continental Europe team

The first tie in the event’s history – at Prince’s in 2016 – saw GB&I retain the trophy. GB&I now lead 25-6 overall.

The 2022 St Andrews Trophy is set to be played at Penati, in Slovakia.

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Wentworth member Harry Ellis, from Hampshire, who won the Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s in 2017. The 2020 Amateur Championship has been put back two months. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

THE R&A have announced that both of its major amateur championships – and the women’s Curtis Cup clash with America – are being put back to later dates because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Amateur Championship – due to be held at Royal Birkdale and West Lancashire from June 15-20 – and the Women’s Amateur Championship, which was set for a week later at Kilmarnock (Barassie), are now scheduled to be played in the week commencing August 24.

The biennial Curtis Cup clash between the USA and Great Britain and Ireland – which was set to be played at Conwy Golf Club, in North Wales, from June 12-14, has been put back until 2021 after talks with the United States Golf Association (USGA).

The winner of the Amateur Championship earns a place in The Open Championship – but the 2020 winner at Royal Birkdale may miss out unless the R&A subsequently postpone the 149^th Open Championship, which is due to be played at Royal St George’s in July.

The R&A are currently considering whether its plans for The Open at Sandwich, can go ahead because of the threat from COVID-19 which has led to more than 2,300 deaths in the UK in the past month.

An R&A spokesman said: “Following advice provided by the UK Government, health authorities and our own medical consultants in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have postponed the amateur championships and international match due to be played in June.”

Duncan Weir, the R&A’s director of amateur championships, said: “We have a responsibility to protect the health and well-being of the players and everyone involved in our events so it is the right course of action to take.

“We are grateful to all of the venues for their continuing support in these challenging circumstances and will update everyone involved with our plans.”

“We continue to review our 2020 professional championships and the remainder of our domestic amateur season.

“Further information will be issued in due course.”

A date for the 2021 Curtis Cup will be announced in due course, the R&A spokesman added.

The victorious USA team at the 2018 Curtis Cup, played at New York’s Quaker Ridge.
Picture by STEVE GIBBONS / USGA

Curtis Cup dates back to 1932

The Curtis Cup will now be played at Conwy Golf Club in 2021

THE Curtis Cup dates back to 1932 – the Americans currently lead with 30 wins to GB&I’s 10 victories – and since 2008 the match has been played over three days.

The United States won the last Curtis Cup at Quaker Ridge, in New York, with the hosts having won the last five.

GB&I broke a losing sequence dating back to their win at Ireland’s Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in 1996 when they beat the USA at Nairn Golf Club, in 2012 under the captaincy of Wales’ Tegwen Matthews.

Hampshire’s 2016 Amateur Champion Scott Gregory, from Corhampton GC.
Picture by ANDREW GRIFIFN / AMG PICTURES

Hampshire pair won Amateur Championship back-to-back

THE Amateur Championship was won in 2019 by Ireland’s James Sugrue, from Mallow GC, who went on to play for GB&I against America in the Walker Cup, at Hoylake, in September.

The Irishman featured alongside Stoke Park’s English Amateur Champion Conor Gough at Royal Liverpool GC, where the USA ran out winners by 151/2-101/2.

The Buckinghamshire teenager was just 17 when he made his Walker Cup debut, having won the English crown at Hankley Common, six weeks earlier when he was still 16.

Harry Ellis, who holds the record as the youngest English Amateur Champion at 16, won the Amateur Championship when it was held at Royal St George’s in 2017.

The Florida State University graduate from Meon Valley G&CC, who is now a member at Wentworth, was the second Hampshire player to win in a row after Corhampton’s Scott Gregory claimed the historic prize at Royal Porthcawl.

Gregory, who is now playing on the Challenge Tour, beat Scotland’s Robert McIntyre at Royal Porthcawl in 2016, with the pair playing with Ellis in the 2017 Walker Cup at Los Angeles Country Club.

Other recent winners of the men’s title include South Africa’s Jovan Rebula, who beat Ireland’s Robin Dawson at Royal Aberdeen two years ago, and France’s Romain Langasque, who beat Scot Grant Forrest at Carnoustie, five years ago.

Mattias Schwab, who lost to Rathmore’s Alan Dunbar, at Royal Troon in 2012, and Zander Lombard – beaten in the final by Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil at Royal Portrush in 2014, have both gone on to play on the European Tour.

Meanwhile the winners of those two Amateur Championships have not translated their wins into success in the pro ranks. Although Neil has played on the European Challenge Tour.

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO NAIRN IN 2021

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