Switzerland
The weather that had threatened the European Amateur Championship at Golf and Country Club Zürich all week finally arrived on Day 4 with a marked temperature drop to 8 degrees Celsius accompanied by freezing rain. As snow fell on the Swiss Alps, the excellent scoring of Day 3 looked unlikely, although Niklas Regner (AUT) found his best form of the tournament to card the day’s lowest score – a 6-under 65. This elevated him from 23rd to 5th and, at -4, set an early mark, although seemingly too far from the leaders, Matthias Schmid and Nick Bachem, both from Germany, and both commencing the final day on -12.
Haider Hussain (ENG) also took control of the conditions to card a 67 to finish on -6, good enough, eventually, for third place. Marc Hammer (GER) and Paul Margolis (FRA) also significantly improved their standings with 68s.
The battle for the title between Bachem and Schmid remained. Bachem’s triple bogey at the 1st, followed by three further bogies on the front nine, tempered the intensity of the clash. Schmid remained solid, opening with five pars, but bogies at 6 and 9, reduced his lead to four.
When Bachem birdied the 10th and Schmid bogied the 11th, the deficit was reduced to an achievable three strokes, but Schmid then put the issue beyond doubt with an eagle at 12, and birdies at 13 and 14. Even with a double bogey at the long par-4 18th, Schmid finished three clear, successfully defending the title he claimed in Austria in 2019.
From left to right: Bachem (GER) – Matthias Schmid (GER) – Haider Hussain (ENG)
