Strong International Field Heads to Wales for Amateur Championship

The Amateur Championship in Wales offers the winner a spot at this year's Open as well as next year's US Open and Masters

Strong International Field Heads to Wales for Amateur Championship

288 players from 30 countries will contest The 121st Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl and Pyle & Kenfig from 13-18 June.

The winner of The Amateur Championship will earn places at both The 145th Open at Royal Troon and the 2017 US Open.

Royal Porthcawl Course Review

Traditionally, the Amateur Champion is also invited to compete in the Masters Tournament.

The Amateur Championship attracts the most international field in the amateur game, including 184 players from overseas.

Almost two thirds of the field, from 26 countries, will travel to the south coast of Wales from as far afield as Argentina and Australia, China and the USA.

104 players from Great Britain and Ireland will compete, including eight from host nation Wales.

Seven players within the top 30 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings will feature next week, including; Jack Hume (10), Ivan Cantero Gutierrez (11), Matthias Schwab (13), Cameron Davis (20), last year’s runner-up Grant Forrest (22), Harrison Endycott (27) and Adrian Meronk (28).

2016 Latin America Amateur Championship winner Paul Chaplet of Costa Rica will also take part. The 16 year-old recently made his debut at the Masters after his victory at Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director of Championships at The R&A, said, "It will be fascinating to see so many leading players from all over the world competing on two of the finest links courses in Great Britain and Ireland next week.

"I’m sure there will be some fantastic golf on display from potential stars of the future so I would urge people to come along and enjoy this great championship.”

Several Champion Golfers of the Year have played in The Amateur Championship over the years including Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.

The first stage of the Championship comprises two qualifying rounds of stroke play, with one round on each course, before the 64 players with the lowest scores and ties for 64th place progress to the match play stage at Royal Porthcawl.

Each match will consist of one round of 18 holes except the Final which will be over 36 holes.

Consistently ranked as one of the top courses in the world, Royal Porthcawl will host The Amateur Championship for the seventh time.

It sits at number 22 in Golf Monthly's Top 100 Courses in UK & Ireland for 2015/16.

The course has hosted many prestigious championships, including the Senior Open, the Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup, the European Team Championship, the Home Internationals, the Vagliano Trophy, and the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship.

Pyle & Kenfig is regarded as one of the best golf courses in Wales and it has co-hosted The Amateur along with Royal Porthcawl on two previous occasions, 1988 and 2002, as well as the Home Internationals and the Senior Ladies British Open Amateur.