Rounds of 68-69-69-67. That was the foundation—and the finish was even better.
Eliot Baker (Devon, England) capped his week with five consecutive birdies to claim the individual title at the European Nations Cup at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Sotogrande, Spain. His four-round total of 15-under 273 gave him a three-shot victory.
The closing stretch made the difference. With the tournament still within reach for others, Baker separated himself in emphatic fashion, turning a tight contest into a statement win over the final five holes.
Baker, currently No. 16 in the Golfweek AmateurGolf.com World Rankings, continues a strong run of form. He finished T4 at the 2024 Brabazon Trophy, reached the final 64 at the 2024 British Amateur, and added a T6 at the Tillman Trophy.
Scott Woltering of the Netherlands registered a runner-up finish at 12-under 276 with rounds of 67-68-70-71.
Ben Bolton (England) finished third at 11-under 277 (68-68-71-70), adding another strong performance for the English side. Defending champion Kevin Jegers (Estonia), a Middle Tennessee State graduate, finished T-14 at 1-under 287 (77-67-69-74).
The week belonged to England across the board.
Led by Baker, along with Bolton, Tom Osborne, and Kris Kim, England completed a wire-to-wire win in the team competition at 31-under. They posted the low team score on three of the four days and cruised to a 14-shot victory.
It marks England’s 14th European Nations Cup title, extending a dominant record that now puts them well clear of Spain, the next closest nation with four wins.