Amateur Championship begins in Northern Ireland

The Amateur Championship begins on 16 June at Royal Portrush and Portstewart golf clubs in Northern Ireland. There is a total of 288 competitors including 15 from Ireland and Northern Ireland, 29 from Scotland, 63 from England and six from Wales. They are joined by 13 players from the USA and other competitors from as far afield as Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and New Zealand.

The first two days of the Championship comprise stroke play qualifying over both courses before the field is cut to 64 and ties and the match play format finds the champion over the final four days’ play at Royal Portrush.

A lot is at stake as The Amateur Champion takes a place in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake and the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay in Washington State. Traditionally, an invitation is also extended to play in the Masters Tournament at Augusta. Television highlights will be broadcast from 19 to 21 June on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.

Euan Mordaunt, The R&A’s director of amateur events, stated, “The support for amateur golf has always been strong in Ireland and Northern Ireland and The Amateur Championship is a wonderful opportunity for spectators to watch amateur golf at the highest level played at two of the finest links courses in the UK. We have an excellent international field and it promises to be a great week of golf.”

Full details including the championship draw can be found at: www.RandA.org