Formby Golf Club will celebrate the 125th Anniversary of its inauguration with a welcome return of The Amateur Championship in 2009 after a break of 25 years.
In association with West Lancashire, Formby is one of six venues named by The R&A, to host championships and international matches in 2009, the others being Sunningdale (New Course), Royal St George’s, Prestwick and Prestwick St. Nicholas, Blairgowrie (Rosemont) and Ganton.
In 1984 when The Amateur Championship was played for a third time at Formby, it produced a classic final in which Jose Maria Olazabal defeated Colin Montgomerie 5/4 in the final. With that victory, Olazabal became one of three of the best known names in golf to win there, coming after American Walker Cup player Bob Dickson in 1967, the same year that he won the U.S. Amateur, and Reid Jack, one of Scotland’s finest ever players in 1957.
The Boys Home Internationals will be played at one of Surrey’s finest clubs, Sunningdale New Course, while competitors in the Boys Championship will be set a challenge of an entirely different nature at Royal St George’s. While the Sandwich based club has hosted The Open Championship and Amateur Championship many times, this will be the first time that any R&A boys event has been played over its testing and exposed links.
Prestwick, one of the oldest clubs in the world and the founding club in 1860 of The Open, has also been graced by many R&A Championships and now it will host the Seniors Open Amateur Championship for a third time. 1991 was the last time the over-55’s competed there and then, it was the irrepressible Charlie Green who at 59, won his fourth successive Seniors title in his record breaking tally of six. Prestwick St Nicholas will be jointly hosting the Seniors.
Blairgowrie’s tree-lined Rosemount course will host the 2009 British Mid-Amateur Championship and the Jacques Leglise Trophy, played between boys of GB&I and the Continent of Europe will take place at Ganton, venue in 2003 of the third successive win by GB&I over the U.S. in the Walker Cup.
2009 Venues & Dates
The Amateur Championship, Formby and West Lancashire, 15-20 June
The Boys Home Internationals, Sunningdale (New Course), 4-6 August
The Boys Amateur Championship, Royal St George’s, 10-15 August
The Seniors Open Amateur Championship, Prestwick and Prestwick St Nicholas, 6-7 August
The British Mid-Amateur Championship, Blairgowrie (Rosemount), 12-16 August
Jacques Leglise Trophy, Ganton, Date TBC
Contact:
David Hill
Director of Championships
Rhodri Price, Manager
Championship Operations
The R&A
Tel: (44) 1334 460000
