IRISH TRIO REACH AMATEUR MATCHPLAY AT ROYAL LIVERPOOL
Stuart Grehan was one of three Irish players to make it into the match play stages of the Amateur CHampionship at Royal Liverpool (Photo: R&A)
Three Irish players, Stuart Grehan, Keith Egan and Mathhew McLean, made it through the gruelling qualifying and into the match play stages of The 131st Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire Golf Club.
Grehan (Co Louth) was best of the Irish tied 14th on five-under after rounds of 70, 69. Egan (Carton House) was next one stroke further back after carding 72, 68, while Malone Golf Club’s McLean booked his place in the knockout on three-under with his 71, 70.
The cut mark fell at two-under where a total of 21 players had to endure sudden death this morning at Royal Liverpool where only 10 places were up for grabs. Co Louth’s Gavin Tiernan missed out.
Sweden’s Wilhelm Ryding topped the stroke play qualifying standings after an opening four-under-par 68 at Royal Liverpool followed by a five-under-par 67 at West Lancashire today to lead on nine-under.
“I’m very happy. I’ve played very well. The key to success has been playing smart. I’ve not hit a lot of drivers. I’ve mostly been hitting 2-irons off the tee just to avoid the bunkers. I think I’ve been in only one bunker and that was a greenside bunker,” said Ryding.
“In this type of golf, if you hit all the fairways then you’ll have plenty of opportunities. I’ve been good out of the rough when I did miss a fairway and my putting has been good. It’s all added up to a good couple of days. I’m just going to stick to my game and believe in myself.
“The rest can be scared because my game is hot. I’ve been playing some good golf recently and I’m going to keep playing good golf.”
That left the 21-year-old stroke clear of his compatriot, Edwin Askerfors, and the English trio of Ben Bolton, Edward Featherstone and Joshua McCartain. Ryding became the first Swede to win the stroke play qualifying phase since Daniel Jennevret took the top honour at Royal Troon in 2012.
Over 36-holes, Ryding recorded 14 birdies with seven of them arriving between the fifth and 16th holes in round two which lifted him to the top of the leaderboard.
Bolton may be based in Staffordshire, but he is also a member at Royal Liverpool and was more than comfortable in this golfing home from home.
In a neatly assembled, bogey-free round, the 18-year-old, a former Spanish Boys’ Champion, conjured six birdies including four in six holes on the back-nine as he breezed into the match play rounds.
The round of the day was produced by the highly talented South African, Malan Potgieter, who secured his match play berth with a rousing nine-under-par 63 at Royal Liverpool.
Potgieter had been facing an early exit after a first round 76 at West Lancashire left him playing catch-up.
“It's up there as one of my best rounds. I'm very proud of myself. I was under some pressure to perform because I really wanted to make the cut. It's my first time playing The Amateur Championship. I like match play a lot, so I really wanted to keep competing,” said Potgieter.
Scotland’s Connor Graham, who topped the qualifying standings in both 2025 and 2024, comfortably progressed on a five-under-par total after a 67 at Royal Liverpool.
With the qualifying mark for the leading 64 players and ties falling at two-under-par, last year’s runner-up Tiernan and the highest-ranked player in the field Luke Poulter both missed out.
The winner of Saturday’s 36-hole Final will secure exemptions into The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale next month, the US Open, and, by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament.
The Amateur Championship is one of the biggest and most prestigious amateur championships in the world and features a starting line-up of 288 players.
The first Amateur was held at Hoylake in 1885 where 44 players from 12 clubs competed. Some of golf’s greatest names have triumphed in the event, including Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal and Sergio Garcia.