Estonian Amateur Open by Tallink brings reigning European champions to Estonia
Tomorrow early morning, the XXIII Estonian Amateur Open by Tallink will get underway, bringing together a strong international field at Estonian Golf & Country Club. Among the competitors are national team players from Italy, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Türkiye, Malta, as well as Estonia and its neighboring countries. In total 135 players representing 14 different nations will tee it up this week.
Let’s first take a look at the men’s field.
The Italian lineup includes three players who were crowned European Team Champions last summer: Giovanni Daniele Binaghi (WAGR 370), Michele Ferrero (374), and Biagio Andrea Gagliardi (581). Of the three, Binaghi has shown the best form this spring, recently winning the highly competitive Italian Amateur Open (which Ferrero won a year earlier) and finishing fourth at Sotogrande. Gagliardi completed his sophomore season at Florida Atlantic University and recorded several top-five finishes early in the college season. Last year he captured the prestigious The Brabazon Trophy, but this season he finished tied 31st. Lapo Francesco Bisazza has also impressed with top-10 finishes at both the Italian and Austrian Amateur Opens this year.
Among the Belgian representatives, Liam Bentein and James Skeet competed last week in the Belgian event on the DP World Tour, although without notable success. Bentein was the only returning player from Belgium’s victorious European Men’s Team Championship Division II squad last year.
Finland’s best-known name currently is Lauri Rosendahl (952), who won the prestigious Lytham Trophy a few weeks ago. Attention should also be paid to the young Migel Mutikainen, runner-up at the Fairhaven Trophy and Konsta Jutila, who has already enjoyed several strong performances in professional events this season.
Switzerland’s most successful player so far this year has been Miles Wennestam (851), who recently finished tied seventh in Austria.
Türkiye’s team leader is Ibrahim Tarik Aslan, who finished 11th in Estonia last year and recently competed alongside Teder at the Turkish Airlines Open on the DP World Tour. In Türkiye, the Estonian edged the Turkish player by one stroke.
The Estonian field features the full core of both the men’s and junior national teams. Defending champion (and also winner in 2020) Kevin Christopher Jegers (150, Niitvälja Golfiklubi) will have the honor of hitting the opening tee shot tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Ten minutes later, last year’s runner-up and 2023 champion Richard Teder (203, Estonian Golf & Country Club) will begin his round. Last year’s third-place finisher and 2022 winner Markus Varjun (537, Niitvälja Golfiklubi) starts in the third group. Ralf Johan Kivi (461, Niitvälja Golfiklubi) tees off in the fourth group, followed by Mattias Varjun (309, Niitvälja Golfiklubi) in the fifth. Closing the field in the final group will be Carl Hellat (1166, Niitvälja Golfiklubi).
The winner of the men’s tournament will earn a wildcard entry into the Infortar Estonian Challenge, Estonia’s event on the HotelPlanner Tour.
In the women’s competition, the battle is expected to once again come mainly between Estonia and Türkiye.
The highest-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking is Sude Bay (231), who finished runner-up in Estonia last year, losing to Anete Liis Adul (Estonian Golf & Country Club) by just one stroke. Bay recently finished third at the Slovenian Amateur Championship and won silver medals with the Turkish national team at last season’s European Small Nations Team Championship. Ada Narin (725) recently won the Turkish Junior Championship, while Ada Zorbozan finished third in the same event.
While the men’s championship features three former Estonian winners, even fewer Estonian women have managed to keep the trophy at home. The only previous women’s champion in the field is defending champion Anete Liis Adul, who also won the title in 2023. None of the other Estonian players in the field have previously finished inside the top three, but this year presents a strong opportunity to change that. The leading Estonian contenders are expected to be Kirke Kiige (926, Estonian Golf & Country Club), Kristella Sikk (1136, Niitvälja Golfiklubi), and Iiris Mätas (1257, Rae Golfiklubi).
Results:
