The Amateur: Teder returns in third place!
The Amateur Championship concluded yesterday for Richard Teder (Estonian Golf & Country Club). A 2&1 semi-final defeat to Ireland’s Stuart Grehan meant the door to the final was closed, but Teder still set a new milestone. Grehan will face American Matt Moloney in the final, after Moloney defeated Germany’s Emil Riegger in the other semi-final. Results
One of the key moments of the semi-final came on the 11th hole, where the 33 year old Irishman, who spent several years playing as a professional before returning to amateur competition two years ago, made a chip-in birdie to take a one hole lead. Grehan also had excellent opportunities to extend his advantage on the 12th and 13th holes, but fortunately for us, he missed both times and the margin remained unchanged.
Richard managed to level the match on the 14th hole thanks to an error from his opponent, while on the 15th hole he was also fortunate that Grehan failed to convert a birdie putt from a reasonable distance. On the 16th hole, however, the opponent made a birdie, while Richard missed his putt, putting him one hole down again.
On the 17th, both players reached the green in two shots. Richard attempted to make a birdie from a fairly long distance, but his approach went slightly too far. When he then missed the following putt, the match was over.
Teder had previously reached the quarter-finals of the same tournament twice, but this time he overcame that hurdle, defeating American Reed Arnaldo 2&1 in the morning quarter-final. Results
The third-place finish also came with a prize for both semi-final losers, as the tournament does not feature a separate third-place playoff.
Teder’s comments after the tournament: “It was an honour to play in The Amateur Championship for the fourth consecutive year. I have always tried to get myself into good form for this week because it is the toughest tournament in amateur golf. I visited a putting coach for the first time in my life a week before The Amateur and immediately got my putting going. I had struggled on the greens for several seasons, but now, after learning AimPoint, I am able to compete with the best players in the world. I played very solidly in the semi-final, but unfortunately not a single putt went in, all of them ran just over the edge of the hole. My opponent was, of course, also a very experienced player, having even held professional status a few years ago, which certainly did not make my life any easier.”
Highlights from the quarter-finals and semi-finals via The R&A broadcast:
In the final, Irishman Stuart Grehan claimed victory, defeating American Matt Moloney in a 36-hole match on the final hole. Results
Highlights from the final via The R&A broadcast:
The full final:
The 131st edition of The Amateur Championship featured 288 players from 41 different countries. Royal Liverpool hosted the world’s best amateurs for a record 19th time, including the very first edition of the championship in 1885. Among the names on the list of past champions are Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal, Sergio García and Matteo Manassero. Royal Liverpool has also hosted The Open on 13 occasions. The oldest major championship in golf was last held there in 2023, when Brian Harman lifted the Claret Jug. The Amateur last returned to Royal Liverpool in 2000, when, to the delight of our northern neighbours, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen claimed the title.
