A world-class field featuring golfers from 41 countries will gather at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire Golf Club from June 15-20 for the 131st Amateur Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in amateur golf.

The Championship returns to Hoylake for a record 19th staging, with 288 players competing to join a list of champions that includes Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal, Sergio Garcia, and Matteo Manassero.

One notable absentee is defending champion Ethan Fang of Oklahoma State. Fang captured the 2025 Amateur Championship title in dramatic fashion, earning exemptions into both the 2026 Masters and U.S. Open. While most champions return to defend their title, Fang's success has him competing at Shinnecock Hills this week in the U.S. Open, making him unable to defend the championship he won just 12 months ago.

The field features some of the strongest amateur talent in the world, including one player ranked inside the top 10 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), four inside the top 25, and ten inside the top 50. The numbers reflect the growing global demand to compete in one of amateur golf's most coveted championships.

"The Amateur Championship holds a special place in our sport and continues to attract talented players from all over the world," said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Chief Championships Officer at The R&A. "The Championship has a proud history dating back to 1885 and many of the game's greatest players have lifted this trophy before going on to enjoy successful careers. We are excited to see who will emerge from this year's field and add their name to that distinguished list." 

One highly ranked American and 45 of his fellow countrymen will also be among the contenders.

Kihei Akina (No. 22 WAGR) arrives after an outstanding sophomore season at BYU. The Hawaiian captured medalist honors at the NCAA Bremerton Regional and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors while helping lead the Cougars to another NCAA Championship appearance. Akina has steadily climbed the amateur rankings and enters Hoylake as one of the highest-ranked players in the field. 

England's Luke Poulter, son of Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, enters as the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 9 in the WAGR. Poulter enjoyed a breakthrough collegiate season at the University of Florida and recently represented Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup. Another American in the field, Parker Bell, is Poulter's University of Florida teammate and is ranked 96th in the WAGR.