An nine-strong Irish contingent will tee it up in tomorrow’s Brabazon Trophy (English Men’s Open) at Moortown Golf Club all looking to become the first Irishman since Liam Nolan in 2023 to win the title.
West of Ireland champion Mark Cadden, David Howard, John Doyle, Gavin Tiernan, Matthew McClean, Keith Egan, Isaac Oliver and Jonathan Keane are part of a Golf Ireland squad and they are joined by Munster Strokeplay champion Paul Coughlan.
Fota Island star Howard came with a late run to almost force a play-off as Patrick Keeling took the honours in a thrilling finish at the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship in Seapoint a fortnight ago.
18-year-old Doyle featured in a Junior Ryder Cup and Amgen Irish Open last year. Thoughts of the upcoming leaving cert exams have been parked for this week and will make the trip along with Cadden (Roganstown) who won the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship earlier this season.
The 2026 Fairhaven Trophy Boys’ Champion, Oliver (Glasson), is another exciting young addition to the Irish contingent as is last year’s Amateur Championship finalist and Walker Cup player Tiernan (Co Louth), who is looking to get his season on this side of the Atlantic underway as he looks to state a claim for back to back GB&I appearances in September’s Walker Cup in Lahinch.
Biagio Andrea GAGLIARDI of Italy will be defending the title he won last year at Hankley Common Golf Club.
Other notable players competing include Eliot Baker (ENG), Andrew Haswell (ENG), Hamish Farquharson (AUS), Wolfgang Glawe (GER), Lewy Hayward (ENG), Tom Hughes (ENG), Kevin Jegers (EST), Luke Jenkins (ENG), R&A Boys champion GUS Lafeber (NED), Dawson Lew (CAN), Aaron Moody (ENG), Tom Osborne (ENG), Dylan Shaw-Radford (ENG), Harley Smith (ENG), Jake Sowden (ENG), Henry Styles (ENG), Erik Tjarnberg (SWE), Jamie Van Wyk (ENG) and Scott Woltering (NED).
The tournament gets underway on Thursday and will be played over 72 holes of stroke play with a cut falling halfway for the top-60 players and ties.
Scoring HERE
Leave a comment