20th April 2024
Round 4
IRELAND (+4) held off a fast finishing SWITZERLAND (+5) to win the 2024 Men’s European Nations Championship at R.C.G. Sotogrande.
It was Ireland’s second victory in the competition following with their previous win which came in 2016.
Ireland Team (Photo: Golf Ireland)
WALES (+6) finished 3rd, SCOTLAND (+7) 4th and ENGLAND (+16) tied 7th.
Round 4 Team Results (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
James ASHFIELD (WAL) -5 won the Individual title at the European Nations Championship helped by a classy 69 in the final round.
Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) -3 finished 2nd and Lars VAN DER VIGHT (NED), Will HOPKINS (ENG) and Jack HEARN (IRL) -2 tied 3rd.
Tomi BOWEN (WAL) +5 tied 13th, Seán KEELING (IRL) +6 tied 17th and Matt MCCLEAN (IRL) +7 tied 19th all finished in the top 20 from the GB&I contingent.
James Ashfield (Photo: Golf Wales)
Round 4 Individual Results (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
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19th April 2024
Round 3
IRELAND (+1) for the second day running delivered the best team score with a +3 total to move into the overall European Nations Championship lead.
WALES (+5) are four shots behind them in 2nd but SCOTLAND (+10), hampered by the withdrawal of Connor GRAHAM due to injury, tumbled down the rankings to 5th with a +17 score on Day 3. The defending champions ENGLAND (+16) continue to disappoint, remaining tied 9th.
Round 3 Team Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
Jack HEARN (IRL) -5 moved to the top of the Individual leaderboard as he added a 71 (-1) to his consistent body of work in Sotogrande. Will HOPKINS (ENG) -3 moved up to 3rd whilst Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) & James ASHFIELD (WAL) -2 fell to tied 4th.
Spanish U18 Boys’ champion, Sebastian DESOISA +1 tied 11th, who is from Gibraltar and therefore British qualified continued to move up the leaderboard. He is one of the players invited to compete by R.C.G. Sotogrande. Seán KEELING (IRL) sits alongside Desoisa.
Round 3 Individual Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
ME
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18th April 2024
Round 2
SCOTLAND (-7) moved to the top of the leaderboard with a -2 team score. WALES (-6) are now tied 2nd, IRELAND (-2), who enjoyed a best of the day -7 team score, rose to 4th place whilst ENGLAND (+7) slipped to tied 9th.
Round 2 Team Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
Michele FERRERO (ITA) shot a 68 in Round 2 to move into 1st place in the Individual standings. James ASHFIELD (WAL) -6 2nd, Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) -5 3rd, Jack HEARN (IRL) -4 4th and Seán KEATING (IRL) & Will HOPKINS (ENG) -3 tied 5th are all within striking distance.
Round 2 Individual Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
ME
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17th April 2024
Round 1
At the end of Day 1 WALES (-6) led SCOTLAND (-5) at the top of the 2024 Men’s European Nations Championship leaderboard. ENGLAND (+4) were 5th and IRELAND (+5) tied 6th.
Round 1 Team Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
James ASHFIELD (WAL) and Gregor TAIT (SCO) shared the Round 1 Individual lead after opening with 5-under 67’s.
Tomi BOWEN (WAL) & Gregor GRAHAM (SCO) -3 tied 3rd and Jack HEARN (IRL) -2 7th were also in the top 10.
Round 1 Individual Scores (Graphic: RCG Sotogrande / Golfbox)
ME
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15th April 2024
The Men’s European Nations Championship (ENC) starts on Wednesday 17th April at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Southern Spain.
R.C.G. Sotogrande is the permanent home of the ENC and this will be the 16th playing of the event.
It is a 72 hole stroke play Team and Individual competition.
I will be providing daily reports once the Championship commences.
Real Club de Golf Sotogrande
Field
21 four-man teams (84 players) will play for the Team prize.
An additional seven players invited by both RCG Sotogrande and the Spanish Golf Federation will contest the Individual competition, making a total field of 91 players.
The following players have been selected to represent the four competing home nations in 2024: –
England – Will HOPKINS, Kris KIM, Dylan SHAW-RADFORD, Harley SMITH
Ireland – Hugh FOLEY, Jack HEARN, Seán KEELING, Matt MCCLEAN
Scotland – Connor GRAHAM, Gregor GRAHAM, James MORGAN, Gregor TAIT
Wales – James ASHFIELD, Tom BASTOW, Tomi BOWEN, Matt ROBERTS
A Women’s ENC, made up of three player teams, also takes place alongside the Men’s competition. Only England from the four home nations is among the ten team field this year.
Tee Times / Scores
Click here to view the – 2024 ENC Men’s Tee Times
Click here to view the – 2024 ENC Men’s Team Scores
Click here to view the – 2024 ENC Men’s Individual Scores
Format and Prizes
72 holes of stroke play, with 18 holes played daily, will be contested by all of the players. There is no cut.
In the Team event the best three 18-hole scores from the four players count towards the overall total.
In the case of a tie for 1st place a team member will be nominated and a sudden death play-off will be contested on the 9th hole. Other ties will be determined by a count back of the team score for the last 18, 27, 36, etc. holes.
The Individual prize is awarded to the lowest scoring player. Ties will be broken in line with the Team approach outlined above.
Winning Team members each receive a replica of the Nations Trophy. The Individual champion receives a trophy and a bright yellow jacket.
Venue and Course
Real Club de Golf Sotogrande was opened in 1964 and was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones. One of the best courses in Continental Europe it first held the Spanish Open in 1966, won that year by Roberto de Vicenzo.
In 1970 The Sherry Cup, the precursor of the European Nations Cup / Championship, was established. Former Individual winners of this include Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia. (see below for the full list of past Individual winners).
In 1973 a Women’s event started to be played alongside the Men’s.
In 1983 Sotogrande hosted the Spanish Amateur Championship with Jose Maria Olazabel victorious.
Sotogrande was awarded royal patronage by HM King Juan Carlos I in 1994.
Between 1996 and 2001, in tandem with nearby San Roque GC, the course hosted the European Tour’s Qualifying School.
In 2006 The Sherry Cup was rebranded as the European Nations Cup and in 2017 become known as the European Nations Championship played for the Sotogrande Cup.
In 2011, ahead of it’s 50th anniversary, the Club decided to embark upon a major course renovation appointing Roger Rulewich and David Fleury. With the work on greens, bunkering and drainage taking place in 2015 and early 2016 the ENC moved temporarily to the nearby La Reserva Club de Golf for two years. Since 2017 the competition has been played on the renovated course.
The Black Tee Championship Course at Sotogrande plays 6,492m with a par of 72. The front nine measures 3,163m and the back 3,329m.
Weather Forecast
The forecast looks good albeit as always the winds will be a factor, particularly during the afternoons. This can cause problems given the numerous water hazards on the course.
Wednesday 17th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 23°C; Wind E 15mph
Thursday 18th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 21°C; Wind E 15mph
Friday 19th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 20°C; Wind E 30mph
Saturday 20th – Sunny Intervals Temp. Min. 15°C / Max. 19°C; Wind SE 40mph
Past ENC Winners
The home nations have an excellent record, particularly in recent years, in this event.
Team Competition
2023 England 2023 ENC Team Results
Dylan Shaw-Radford, Josh Berry, John Gough & Arron Hill-Edwards (Photo: Josh Berry)
2022 Spain 2022 ENC Team Results
2021 Cancelled
2020 Cancelled
2019 England 2019 ENC Team Results
2018 England 2018 ENC Team Results
2017 Wales 2017 ENC Team Results
2016 Ireland 2016 ENC Team Results
2015 England
2014 Scotland
2013 England
2012 France
2011 England
2010 England
2009 England
2008 Scotland
2007 Denmark
Past Sherry Cup Team Winners (started 1998)
2006 Spain
2005 Spain
2004 England
2003 England
2002 Wales
2001 England
2000 England
1999 Germany
1998 Spain
Individual Competition
2023 Albert Hansson (SWE) 2023 ENC Men’s Individual Results
Hansson beat England’s John Gough in a sudden death play-off-to win the Individual title after both players finished on 286 (-2).
Albert Hansson (Photo: Swedish Golf Federation)
2022 Jaime Montojo (ESP) 2022 ENC Men’s Individual Result
Montojo won the Individual competition beating teammate Luis Masaveu in a play-off after both finished on 288 (Ev).
2021 Cancelled
2020 Cancelled
2019 Tom Sloman (England) 2019 ENC Individual Results
Tom won the Individual competition with a 294 (+6) total. His final round 77 looked like it would cost him the title but an eagle on 14 and three closing pars ended up being sufficient as is nearest challengers faltered on the demanding Sotogrande course.
2018 Todd Clements (England) 2018 ENC Individual Results
Todd secured the Individual title with rounds of 69 73 71 and 70 for a 283 total (-5).
2017 Jack Davidson (Wales) 2017 ENC Individual Results
Jack won the Individual European Nations Cup title by 4-shots last year. Rounds of 70, 70, 70 and 73 (-5), which included 20 birdies and 2 eagles, gave him his second major title in less than a month. He had won the Spanish International Amateur a few weeks before.
2016 Jack Hume (Ireland) 2016 ENC Individual Results
In winning the Individual Jack Hume played one of the best rounds of amateur golf in the world in 2016 at La Reserva. His 64 in Round 2 was an astonishing 8 shots better than any other player in the field.
2015 Mario Galliano (Spain)
2014 Guido Migliori (Italy)
2013 Adrien Saddier (France)
2012 Robin Kind (The Netherlands)
2011 Julien Brun (France)
2010 Nino Bertasio (Italy)
2009 Sam Hutsby (England)
2008 Shane Lowry (Ireland)
2007 Rory McIlroy (Ireland)
Past Sherry Cup Individual Winners
2006 Nigel Edwards (Wales)
2005 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
2004 Francesco Molinari (Italy)
2003 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
2002 Lee Harpin (Wales)
2001 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
2000 Gary Wolstenholme (England)
1999 Marcel Siem (Germany)
1998 Sergio Garcia (Spain)
1997 Sergio Garcia (Spain)
1996 Alvaro Salto (Spain)
1995 José María Zamora (Spain)
1994 Francisco Cea (Spain)
1993 Francisco Valera (Spain)
1992 Frederic Cupillar (France)
1991 Padraig Harrington (Ireland)
1990 Alvaro Prat (Spain)
1989 Diego Borrego (Spain)
1988 Yago Beamonte (Spain)
1987 Yago Beamonte (Spain)
1986 Borja Queipo de Llano (Spain)
1985 José L. Padila (Spain)
1984 John Marks (England)
1983 José L. de Bernardo (Spain)
1982 Borja Queipo de Llano (Spain)
1981 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1980 Jesús López (Spain)
1979 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1978 José L. de Bernardo (Spain)
1977 F. Jiménez (Spain)
1976 Alberto Croze (Italy)
1975 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1974 Veit Pagel (Germany)
1973 Alberto Croze (Italy)
1972 E. de la Riva and J. Gancedo (Spain)
1971 Alberto Croze (Italy)
1970 Henric Adam (England)
ME.
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