Portugal
The first event of the EGA’s 2025 championship season is set to begin at Quinta do Peru Golf & Country Club, Portugal.
The 2025 European Mid-Amateur Championships, open for elite amateurs aged 25-and-over, will be contested over three rounds of stroke play from Thursday to Saturday this week.
Here’s everything you need to know before the event gets underway on Thursday:
ABOUT THE EVENT
The event sees two separate European-titled tournaments, the European Mid-Amateur Men’s Championship and European Mid-Amateur Ladies’ Championship, contested in parallel over 54 holes of stroke play.
The men’s edition was inaugurated in 1991, with this year’s edition set to be the 35th. Formerly played on its own, the championship is now contested in conjunction with the women’s equivalent, inaugurated in 2019.
The tournament’s age limit was previously 30+ but was reduced to 25+ in 2021.
The field, with a maximum of 144 players (90 men and 54 women), is cut to 54 men and 33 women and ties after 36 holes.
Players not only compete for the European titles of their age-categories, but also exemptions into the European Amateur or Ladies’ Amateur Championships and US Mid-Amateur or Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship which are granted to the winners.
Medals are awarded to the top-three finishers in each tournament, and prizes are also presented to the top players aged 40-and-over.
With the second edition of the European Mid-Amateur Team Championships set to take place in September, players will have the extra motivation of proving themselves worthy of selection for their national teams.
THE VENUE
Quinta do Peru Golf & Country Club well set the stage for the competitors this week. The club is located in the beautiful Setúbal region of Portugal, nestled within the Arrábida Natural Park, just 30 minutes south of Lisbon. The club offers a stunning setting surrounded by rolling hills, lush forests, and views of the nearby Atlantic coast.
Opened in 1994, the 18-hole, par 72 golf course was designed by Pedro Vasconcelos and stretches over 6,170 meters from the back tees. The course is known for its challenging layout, featuring tight fairways, strategically placed bunkers, and large greens, all while being framed by the picturesque Arrábida mountains.
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS RETURN
The 2024 championships at Jurmala Golf Resort & Hotel in Latvia were played in challenging conditions, with spells of strong winds making the course even more demanding. In the men’s category, Austria’s Markus Habeler dominated the field, finishing as the only player with a total score under par (-8). His performance secured a comfortable 8-stroke victory over fellow Austrian Christopher Dlaska, who ended the tournament at even par.
On the ladies’ side, France’s Alexandra Farret claimed victory with a solid even-par total, edging out her compatriot Pauline Stein, who finished the week at +1 overall, to secure a one-shot win.
Both of last year’s winners will tee it up this week with the goal of defending their titles.
THE FIELD
144 players, consisting of 90 men and 54 women from 24 different countries, will compete for the European Mid-Amateur crowns this week.
Other than the defending champions, only one other former European Mid-Amateur winner will tee it up in Portugal. Germany’s Michael Thannhäuser lifted the men’s trophy in 2023 at Bogogno Golf Resort in Italy and will look to add a second title to his name this week.
Mattias Varjun will be the youngest player on the tee sheet at Quinta do Peru. Remarkably, the Estonian will reach the eligible age on the opening day of the championship, when he’ll celebrate his 25th birthday. Varjun is arguably also one of the most in-form players in the field this week, having recently finished third at the Brabazon Trophy in England.
Other notable players in the men’s field include Christopher Dlaska (AUT) and Jussi Sahravuo (FIN) who finished on the podium in Latvia last year.
On the women’s side, Pauline Stein (FRA) will tee it up looking to go one better than her runner-up finish in 2024. Likewise, Jessica Ross (IRL) and Céline Manche (BEL), who narrowly missed out on the title in a playoff in 2023 to Alena Oppenheimer (GER), will also be hoping to clinch the top spot on the podium come Saturday afternoon.
The full field can be found here :
LIVESCORING/ MEDIA
Tee times, livescoring, stats, media and more can be followed throughout the week on the championship webpages here:
European Mid-Amateur Men's Championship
European Mid-Amateur Ladies' Championship
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