Alwoodley and Moortown to welcome Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur championships
The R&A
09 Aug 24
3 mins
West Yorkshire venues Alwoodley and Moortown host the R&A Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur championships respectively this week (12 – 17 August).
Leading players from across the world will chase both coveted titles, with 144 players in each field following a pre-qualifier for the boys’ championship.
First played in 1919, the Girls’ Amateur Championship is a highly coveted junior title with Alwoodley acting as host.Past winners include major champions and Solheim Cup players such as Anna Nordqvist, Suzann Pettersen, Azahara Munoz and Georgia Hall. More recently, Slovenia's Pia Babnik triumphed in 2019 and has already gone on to win on the Ladies’ European Tour.
Navarro Navarro returns
Spain’s Martina Navarro Navarro, runner-up to Helen Briem at Ganton a year ago, returns for another title pursuit. Sara Brentcheneff from France is the leading ranked player in the field, just outside 100 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®). Scotland’s Grace Crawford, a former winner of the R&A Girls’ U16 Amateur Championship, also competes. Given France’s Perrine Delacour, the 2009 Girls’ Amateur Champion, struck the opening tee shot in the women’s event at the Olympics in Paris, the field have much to aspire to.Alwoodley is regarded as one of Britain’s finest inland courses. It was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, the famed architect left a legacy of classic courses around the world – among them Augusta National, Cypress Point and Royal Melbourne.Richard Weeks, Secretary Manager at Alwoodley Golf Club, said, “We are excited to be hosting the Girls’ Amateur Championship and working together with The R&A. We are welcoming world class players from many different countries and we are sure they will enjoy the challenge our venue provides.”
Sustainability focus
For Alwoodley, the week also offers the chance to highlight their sustainability drive across a number of initiatives. The club have electric greens mowers running during championship week and a large installation of solar panels on their practice ground. Find out more here.The Boys’ Amateur Championship is also one of the most prestigious in junior golf.The international field attracts the best junior male golfers from around the globe and former winners include Sir Michael Bonallack, José María Olazábal, Sergio Garcia, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Adrián Otaegui, Tom Lewis and David Howell.Spain’s Jorge Siyuan Hao reached the quarter-finals two years ago at Carnoustie and will aim to enjoy another fine week. Scotland’s Aidan Lawson is the top-ranked player in the field.
Ryder Cup link
Moortown has a rich history, including hosting the first-ever Ryder Cup match on British soil in 1929 (the home team led by George Duncan triumphed 7-5 over Walter Hagen’s USA side) and staging many other professional and amateur tournaments.Peter Rishworth, Secretary at Moortown, said, "‘Everyone at Moortown is delighted to be hosting the R&A Boys' Amateur Championship for the fifth time this week, welcoming an elite field of the finest male junior golfers from around the world."The course is in fine condition and it will provide an excellent but fair challenge to the field. The variety of the layout and recent restoration works will make for exciting golf as the Championship evolves into the knockout stages. We wish all the boys the best of luck for the week ahead." At both championships, various exemptions are on offer to the victors come Saturday afternoon, including a spot in the 2025 Augusta National Women's Amateur for the winner of the Girls' Amateur.
