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see also: View results for British Boys Amateur, County Louth Golf Club
Dutch standout Guus Lafeber and Spain’s Yago Horno will battle for the Boys’ Amateur crown at County Louth after gritty semifinal
The R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in junior golf, attracting an elite international field to Great Britain and Ireland each year. This year’s championship is being played at the famed County Louth Golf Club, just north of Dublin, Ireland.
First played in 1921, the event boasts a list of champions that includes Sir Michael Bonallack, José María Olazábal, Sergio Garcia, Matthew Fitzpatrick, and other major champions. The winner earns exemptions into The Amateur Championship and Final Qualifying for The Open.
Guus Lafeber and Yago Horno will meet in the Boys’ Amateur Championship Final after hard-fought semifinal wins at County Louth. Lafeber edged American Kuan Zhou 1 up in a tense match that never saw more than a hole separate the pair. A par at the 15th gave the Dutchman the edge, and three halved holes sealed the narrow victory.
Horno, chasing Spain’s ninth title in the championship, rallied from 2 down after four holes to beat Sweden’s Oscar Stendahl 2 up. His short game proved decisive, highlighted by a delicate flop shot at the 10th to save par and a dramatic pitch-in eagle at the 18th to close out the match. Horno’s run also included a quarterfinal win over John Doyle, ending Ireland’s hopes of a home champion.
The final promises a clash of two in-form players: Lafeber arrives fresh from victory in the Dutch National Stroke Play, while Horno has already claimed the Spanish Amateur Match Play and Spanish U18 titles this year.
Top seed Kris Kim advanced comfortably, co‑medalist Callixte Alzas moved on with authority, and Ireland’s Adam Fahey thrilled the home crowd with the day’s biggest win. A slew of ties went deep, setting up a heavyweight Round of 32.
| Match | Winner | Score | Defeated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kris Kim (ENG) | 5&3 | Melker Bohlin (SWE) |
| 2 | Jorge Martin Sampedro (ESP) | 3&2 | Bruno Frontero (ITA) |
| 3 | Ben Bolton (ENG) | 19th | Ludwig Libera (SWE) |
| 4 | Denny Kloeth (NED) | 4&2 | Ondřej Šustek (CZE) |
| 5 | Spencer Davies (ENG) | 4&3 | Josh Thompson (ENG) |
| 6 | Konstanty Luczak (POL) | 1 up | Teerawut Boonseeor (THA) |
| 7 | Matouš Zach (CZE) | 19th | Lukas Nilsson (SWE) |
| 8 | Kuan Zhou (USA) | 5&3 | Oscar Couilleau (FRA) |
| 9 | Théophile Archer (FRA) | 2&1 | Bjarne Murr (GER) |
| 10 | Josh Stephens (ENG) | 1 up | Finlay Rennie (ENG) |
| 11 | Lev Grinberg (UKR) | 2&0 | Cornelius Farhang (NOR) |
| 12 | Alessio Brunella (ITA) | 2&1 | Anton von L’Estocq (GER) |
| 13 | Guus Lafeber (NED) | 2&1 | Juan Miro Asorey (ESP) |
| 14 | Mikkel Bergum Johansen (NOR) | 2&1 | Václav Svub (CZE) |
| 15 | Adam Fahey (IRL) | 6&5 | Finlay Galloway (SCO) |
| 16 | Mikuláš Vojtěšek (CZE) | 6&5 | Paul Martin (FRA) |
| 17 | Callixte Alzas (FRA) | 2&0 | Julien Dulait (BEL) |
| 18 | Oli Blackadder (SCO) | 2&1 | Harry Cox (ENG) |
| 19 | Alexis Barnetche (FRA) | 3&2 | Raul Gomez Montalva (ESP) |
| 20 | Kartik Singh (IND) | 3&2 | Edwin Askerfors (SWE) |
| 21 | Giovanni Bernardi (ITA) | 2&1 | Oscar Stendahl (SWE) |
| 22 | Thomas Kirchner Jr (ENG) | 1 up | Afonso Oliveira (POR) |
| 23 | Tom De Herrypon (FRA) | 1 up | Markús Marelsson (ISL) |
| 24 | Youp Orsel (NED) | 25th | Lauri Diener (GER) |
| 25 | Noah Peens (RSA) | 4&2 | Tim Brohl (GER) |
| 26 | Bernardo Pinheiro (POR) | 2&0 | Joel Himanen (FIN) |
| 27 | Samuel Marshall (ENG) | 4&3 | Filip Grave (SWE) |
| 28 | John Doyle (IRL) | 20th | Kinjiro Kato (JPN) |
| 29 | Dion Regan (WAL) | 3&2 | Harry O’Hara (CLAN) |
| 30 | Gonzalo Baños Ramos (ESP) | 4&3 | Oscar Lent (ENG) |
| 31 | Eskil Törefors (SWE) | 21st | Yago Horno (ESP) |
| 32 | Cole Self (ENG) | 20th | Stijn Egging (NED) |
Notes: Fahey’s 6&5 rout energized home support; Kim and Alzas stayed on course for a deep run; Zhou’s 5&3 over Couilleau impressed; six matches went beyond 18 holes, including Orsel in 25.
Medalists: Kris Kim (ENG, Wentworth) and Callixte Alzas (FRA) at -11 (133) with matching 67–66. One back: Noah Peens (RSA) and Théophile Archer (FRA) at -10 (134). Cut: E (144); top 64 advance.
Form Watch: Kim seeks a rare second Boys’ title; Alzas arrives hot off the Carris Trophy win. Depth behind them is strong with Lafeber (-9), Regan/Bernardi/Davies (-8), and a T9 pack at -7 including Zach, De Herrypon, Törefors, Fahey, and Grinberg.
| Start | Player A | Country/Club | vs | Player B | Country/Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | Kris Kim | England / Wentworth | v | Melker Bohlin | Sweden |
| 08:09 | Jorge Martin Sampedro | Spain | v | Bruno Frontero | Italy |
| 08:18 | Ben Bolton | England / Enville | v | Ludwig Libera | Sweden |
| 08:27 | Denny Kloeth | Netherlands | v | Ondřej Šustek | Czech Republic |
| 08:36 | Spencer Davies | England / Wallasey | v | Josh Thompson | England / Wentworth |
| 08:45 | Konstanty Luczak | Poland | v | Teerawut Boonseeor | Thailand |
| 08:54 | Matouš Zach | Czech Republic | v | Lukas Nilsson | Sweden |
| 09:03 | Oscar Couilleau | France | v | Kuan Zhou | Burhill |
| 09:12 | Théophile Archer | France | v | Bjarne Murr | Germany |
| 09:21 | Josh Stephens | England / Moortown | v | Finlay Rennie | England / Centurion Club |
| 09:30 | Lev Grinberg | Ukraine | v | Cornelius Farhang | Norway |
| 09:39 | Alessio Brunella | Italy | v | Anton von L’Estocq | Germany |
| 09:48 | Guus Lafeber | Netherlands | v | Juan Miro Asorey | Spain |
| 09:57 | Mikkel Bergum Johansen | Norway | v | Václav Svub | Czech Republic |
| 10:06 | Adam Fahey | Portmarnock (IRL) | v | Finlay Galloway | Scotland / St Andrews |
| 10:15 | Paul Martin | France | v | Mikuláš Vojtěšek | Czech Republic |
| 10:24 | Callixte Alzas | France | v | Julien Dulait | Belgium |
| 10:33 | Oli Blackadder | Scotland / Deeside | v | Harry Cox | England / Welwyn Garden City |
| 10:42 | Alexis Barnetche | France | v | Raul Gomez Montalva | Spain |
| 10:51 | Kartik Singh | India | v | Edwin Askerfors | Sweden |
| 11:00 | Giovanni Bernardi | Italy | v | Oscar Stendahl | Sweden |
| 11:09 | Afonso Oliveira | Portugal | v | Tom De Herrypon | France |
| 11:18 | Markús Marelsson | Iceland | v | Youp Orsel | Netherlands |
| 11:27 | Lauri Diener | Germany | v | Noah Peens | South Africa |
| 11:36 | Tim Brohl | Germany | v | Bernardo Pinheiro | Portugal |
| 11:45 | Joel Himanen | Finland | v | Samuel Marshall | England / St Neots |
| 11:54 | Filip Grave | Sweden | v | John Doyle | Fota Island |
| 12:03 | Kinjiro Kato | Japan | v | Dion Regan | Wales / Cilgwyn |
| 12:12 | Harry O’Hara | Clandeboye | v | Gonzalo Baños Ramos | Spain |
| 12:21 | Oscar Lent | England / Walton Heath | v | Eskil Törefors | Sweden |
| 12:30 | Yago Horno | Spain | v | Cole Self | England / Ringway |
| 12:39 | Stijn Egging | Netherlands | v | Opponent? | — |
After the opening round of stroke play qualifying, four players share the lead at six-under-par 66:
Just one shot back is a strong chasing pack at five-under-par 67, including 2023 champion Kris Kim (England), who is aiming to become the first repeat winner in 61 years. Other names at -5 are Kuan Zhou (England), Denny Kloeth (Netherlands), and Callixte Alzas (France).
With the top 64 advancing after stroke play, the leaderboard is packed with international talent and sets up an exciting second round.
The Boys’ Amateur Championship has stood for over a century as a proving ground for the future stars of the game. Its challenging links venues demand creativity, adaptability, and mental toughness—skills essential for both the amateur and professional ranks.
For many competitors, it is a first taste of top-tier international competition, with the match play stages providing a crucible where champions are forged. The winner’s exemptions into The Amateur Championship and Final Qualifying for The Open make the event a pivotal stepping stone toward the highest levels of golf.
256 players compete in the Championship which is match play and concludes with a 36 hole Final. Age Qualification - Under the age of 18.
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