The EGA is delighted to announce a talented line-up of players for the 2024 Continent of Europe Jacques Léglise Trophy Team.
The seven players, to be joined by two final selections at a later stage, will look to defend the trophy against Great Britain & Ireland at West Lancashire Golf Club on 23 and 24 August.
Selection to play in the biennial match, for male junior (U18) golfers, recognizes the players’ outstanding achievements in their young amateur careers.
THE SELECTIONS:
Neo Berg (SWE)
Giovanni Binaghi (ITA)
Nils-Levi Bock (GER)
Oscar Couilleau (FRA)
Lev Grinberg (UKR)
Louis Klein (CZE)
Hugo Le Goff (FRA)
Hugo Le Goff and Lev Grinberg, foursomes partners at last year’s match, are the only two returning players from the 2023 winning European team. The other five will represent their continent for the first time, with the exception of Giovanni Binaghi, who helped Europe to their first Junior Ryder Cup win in 19 years last September alongside Grinberg.
Oscar Couilleau and Hugo Le Goff are fresh from team golf success and will look to carry that momentum into this year’s Jacques Léglise Trophy match. The French duo led France to the gold medals at the European Boys’ Team Championship in Austria last week.
Neo Berg has also earned a gold medal at the European Boys’ Team Championship, but with Sweden in 2023. He famously won the title with a holed 30-foot putt for birdie on the second extra hole in his decisive singles match, against none other than soon to be teammate, Oscar Couilleau.
Two more players, to be announced after the Boys' Amateur Championship, will be selected at a later stage.
The team will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and José María Olazábal who have all formerly represented the Continent of Europe in the match.
The event also boasts a strong history of former participants on the GB&I side including Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Danny Willett, Justin Rose, Luke Donald and many others.
A NEW CAPTAIN
The Continent of Europe team will be led by non-playing captain, Pierre Relecom for the first time.
Relecom takes over the reins from Joachim Fourquet, who became the team’s most successful captain in the event’s history last year with a fourth consecutive victory.
Fourquet will be succeeded by another former member of the Jacques Léglise Trophy team who returns as captain more than 20 years on after playing in the match. Relecom, who has represented Belgium numerous times on the international stage, competed in the Jacques Léglise Trophy as a junior in 2003.
Impressively, he has won all possible national championship categories in Belgium, at U14, U16, U18, U21, Men’s, Foursomes, and interclub levels. The Belgian played professionally for nine years, with a Challenge Tour victory and multiple European Tour seasons on his golfing CV before regaining his amateur status in 2019.
“I'm honored and thrilled to be able to lead a team of young and promising talents in an event that ranks high in my heart” said Relecom.
“The memories I was able to create in the Jacques Leglise Trophy are there for life and that's what this event is about to me, building cross-border friendships.”
WEST LANCASHIRE TO HOST EUROPE’S BEST JUNIOR BOYS AND GIRLS
Founded in 1873, West Lancashire is one of the oldest golf clubs in England and boasts one of the most natural and testing layouts found anywhere in the British Isles. Located on one of the most famous stretches of land in world golf, West Lancashire sits mere kilometres away from Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool.
Regularly ranked amongst the 100 best courses of GB&I, West Lancashire will host not only the Jacques Léglise Trophy but also the Junior Vagliano Trophy (U16 girls) in parallel at the end of August.
As a typical links layout, the course will arguably give home-advantage to the GB&I side, who are looking to end a 4-year winning streak by the Europeans.
ABOUT THE JACQUES LÉGLISE TROPHY
The Jacques Léglise Trophy is an annual match played between nine-player teams of junior (U18) male golfers from the Continent of Europe and Great Britain & Ireland.
The match takes place over two days, with four foursomes matches on both mornings, eight singles matches on the afternoon of the first day, and nine singles matches on the afternoon of the second day. With 25 total points on offer, 13 points are needed to secure victory.
The contest is jointly organized by the European Golf Association and The R&A. The EGA selects the Continent of Europe team, while the GB&I team is chosen by The R&A. Identical matches between the two regions also exist for men (St Andrews Trophy), women (Vagliano Trophy), and girls (Junior Vagliano Trophy). The latter of which will be contested in parallel to the Jacques Léglise at West Lancashire this year.
The match can trace its origins back to 1958, when a one-day match between Europe and a combined English and Scottish team was played immediately before the Boys’ Amateur Championship. The England and Scotland team dominated to such an extent that the match was discontinued in 1966. It was rejuvenated in 1977 when the Jacques Léglise Trophy was presented by Jean-Louis Dupont, a renowned French amateur champion and former president of the EGA and French Golf Federation, and has been played every year since.
The GB&I side have historically had more success in the contest since 1977, although four conseuctive victories from the Continent of Europe team suggests the away side will likely enter this year’s match as favourites.
Up until 1995 it was played over one day in connection with the Boys’ Amateur, and since 1996 it has been played separately as a two-day match.
A number of high-profile players have represented both sides in the match, including Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, José María Olazabal, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and many more.
