Latest news with #TheR&A
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Gavin Tiernan on cusp of glory after semi-final win at Amateur Championship
Gavin Tiernan from the County Louth club in Baltray is just one match away from the Amateur Championship title at Royal St Georges in Kent. The 19-year old Tiernan is ranked outside the top 1000 male amateur golfers in the world at 1340th. This afternoon, in breezy conditions, Tiernan easily defeated Riccardo Fantinelli of Italy (ranked more than 1000 places above him) in the semi final by 4&3. The second Finalist of the 130th Amateur Championship, Gavin Tiernan 🏌️♂️ — The R&A (@RandA) June 20, 2025 The winner tomorrow gets invitation to the Open next month in Royal Portrush and also the 2026 Masters and US Open along with one of the most coveted titles in men's amateur golf worldwide. Tiernan will play the World No 7 ranked player Ethan Fang of the United States in a 36-hole final starting just after 8.30 tomorrow morning. The last Irish winner was James Sugrue of Mallow in 2019. He won the title at Portmarnock when ranked 232nd in the world. Tiernan is seeking to become the ninth Irish winner of the Amateur Championship, with Jimmy Bruen the first back in 1946.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Connor Graham comes through 'stressful' match in Amateur Championship
Leading qualifier wins at 21st hole after delay to his opening match in Kent Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Blairgowrie's Connor Graham, the leading qualifier for the second year in a row, survived a 'stressful' opening contest in the match-play phase of the 130th Amateur Championship at Royal St George's in Kent. The 19-year-old, who shot a six-under-par 64 at The Open venue on Tuesday to secure the top seeding once again in The R&A event, shook off Dane Mads Viemose Larsen at the 21st after what could have been an unsettling start to his day. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Graham, the 2022 Junior Open champion and a member of Europe's winning side in the Junior Ryder Cup in Rome the following year, had been due to tee-off at 9.30am but didn't step on the first tee until 10.40am after having to wait to find out who he would actually be up against in the round of 64. Leading qualifier Connor Graham won at the 21st in the round of 64 at Royal St George's in Kent | The R&A That's because no less than 24 players found themselves in a play-off on Wednesday morning for the final five spots, with Larsen eventually prevailing along with Filippo Ponzano, Gaven Lane, Stijn Egging and Rintaro Nakano. Once finally underway, Graham found himself behind early on before getting his nose in front on the back nine only to then find himself playing extra holes after losing the par-4 18th. 'Yeah, it was a very stressful round out there,' admitted the youngest-ever player to compete in a Walker Cup. 'It was pretty tight the whole way and, thankfully, I birdied the third extra hole to win it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I didn't feel too much extra pressure, but I knew he was going to come out and try and beat me, so I needed to kind of bring some good golf.' He'll need that, too, when he faces American Ethan Fang, who sits seventh in the World Amateur Golf Ranking while his opponent is 48th, in the last 32 on Thursday morning. 'Nothing too major,' said Graham, who has just completed his freshman year at Texas Tech, of what he can learn from being in the same position as 12 months ago but failing to make it to the latter stages of the knock-out phase. 'Just knowing I'm playing good golf and I can beat anyone on my day.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad No matter what happens for the rest of the summer, Graham now looks an absolute certainty for Dean Robeertson's Great Britain & Ireland team for the Walker Cup at Cypress Point in September. Nonetheless, the Scot will be giving it his all to try and become the first Scot to land this title since his fellow Blairgowrie man, Bradley Neil, did the trick, at Royal Portrush in 2014. 'It would mean a lot,' admitted Graham with a smile. 'It is such a big event, and I always look forward to this event, so it would definitely be a bonus having a good week.'
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Connor Graham tops Amateur Championship qualifying for second year in a row
Only two Scots progress to match-play phase at Royal St George's Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Blairgowrie's Connor Graham topped the stroke-play qualifying for the second year in a row in The R&A's Amateur Championship after showing his class with an eye-catching effort at Royal St George's. The 18-year-old shot a six-under-par 64 at The Open venue in Kent to add to an opening three-under-par 69 at Royal Cinque Ports in Monday's opening round. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The splendid effort over 36 holes earned him a one-shot victory over Italian Matteo Cristoni (67-67) in the battle for 64 spots in the match-play phase. Blairgowrie's Connor Graham in action during the stroke-play qualifying for The R&A Amateur Championship | The R&A 'It's nice to be back in the UK playing some links golf and I'm happy to come up with two good rounds the last two days,' said Graham, who is playing in his first event since returning home at the end of his freshman year at Texas Tech. 'I just need to kind of reset and then prepare for tomorrow's game as best I can.' Out in two under after picking up birdies at the fifth and seventh, the 2022 R&A Junior Open champion then added gains at the 12th, 13th, 14th and 16th on the inward journey. The world No 47, who looks a stick on for Dean Robertson's Great Britain & Ireland side for the Walker Cup at Cypress Point in September, is now hoping to progress further in the event than 12 months ago, when he bowed out in the round of 32 at Ballyliffin. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I played the European Amateur Team Championship a few years ago now, so I knew the course fairly well before coming here,' he added. 'I've been playing links golf a while now, so I definitely know how to play it and I'm kind of used to it, which will be a big advantage. 'I'll just try to keep on doing what I'm doing, just try and keep on hitting good shots and play as much good golf as I can.' Disappointingly, the only other player flying the Saltire in the knock-out phase will be California-based Niall Shiels Donegan, who made it through on two under after scores of 69-71. Other notable qualifiers included world No 5 Tommy Morrison, last year's runner-up Dominic Clemons and Kris Kim, winner of The R&A Boys' Amateur Championship in 2023. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, recent St Andrews Links Trophy winner Cameron Adam came up short, as did Luke Poulter, son of Ryder Cup star Ian.
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scottish golfer's GB&I appearance likely to be last hurrah as amateur
Hannah Darling set for Curtis Cup reunion in Vagliano Trophy in Netherlands Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hannah Darling is set to join forces with four of her Curtis Cup-winning team-mates at Sunningdale last year in what could well be the Scot's last hurrah in the amateur ranks. Darling, who is expected to turn professional at some point this summer, has been selected in the Great Britain & Ireland side for the Vagliano Trophy against the Continent of Europe. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Her team-mates at Royal Hague Golf & Country Club in the Netherlands on 27-28 June will include world No 1 Lottie Woad, Beth Coulter, Aine Donegan and Patience Rhodes. Broomieknowe's Hannah Darling will be among five players from the winning 2024 Curtis Cup team lining up for Great Britain & Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy | The R&A They were all part of the GB&I team captained by Catriona Matthew that pulled off a stunning victory in the Curtis Cup last year. Isla McDonald-O'Brien, who reached the quarter-finals of last week's R&A Women's Amateur Championship at Nairn, has also been included in the Vagliano Trophy team along with Sophia Fullbrook and Nellie Ong. Darling and Lorna McClymont both played in the 2023 match at Royal Dornoch, where the Continent of Europe ran out 13.5-10-5 winners. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ireland's Maria Dunne is the non-playing captain for the biennial event, which was first played in 1959 at Wentworth and is now organised by The R&A and the European Golf Association.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Spanish success in 121st Women's Amateur Championship at Nairn
Win in Highlands secure spots for champion in Evian Championship and AIG Women's Open Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Paula Martin Sampedro landed the second big Spanish success of the season in the women's amateur game by winning the 122nd Women's Amateur Championship at Nairn. The 19-year-old from Madrid claimed the coveted title after beating American Farah O'Keefe by 2&1 in the 36-hole final, becoming the sixth Spaniard to land the prize and the first since Azahara Muñoz in 2009. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Her victory also came just over two months after her compatriot, Carla Bernat Escuder, came out on top in the 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur. Spaniard Paula Martin Sampedro shows off the trophy at Nairn | The R&A 'It honestly doesn't feel real yet,' admitted the new champion. 'I feel like I played pretty solid golf today, but the match was super tight all the way. I knew it was going to come down to the last few holes, so I stayed patient and it went my way.' The win secured spots for Martin Sampedro in this summer's Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women's Open, as well as the Chevron Championship and the US Women's Open in 2026. Martin Sampedro will also receive an invitation to compete in next year's Augusta National Women's Amateur and will be given the opportunity to play in a Ladies' European Tour event as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I feel like we both played great to the level of a final of The Women's Amateur,' she added. 'I think we both need to be super happy, but I'm definitely excited to call myself a champion. I think it's going to take a while to just sink in.' Elsewhere, Marc Warren recorded a second successive top-ten finish on the Hotel Planner Tour by securing a tie for ninth in the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic. The former World Cup winner signed off with a 66 for an 11-under-par total at Golf Resort Kaskáda in Brno, where American Palmer Jackson landed his maiden win in style by finishing six shots clear of the field on 21 under. On his professional debut, 2024 Open Silver Medal winner Calum Scott finished outside the top 60 on three over. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile, Laura Beveridge pipped compatriot Lorna McClymont by a shot to finish as the leading Scot in the LET's Hulencourt Women's Open in Belgium.
