The R&A has confirmed a 288-player field from 41 countries for The 131st Amateur Championship, which runs from 15-20 June at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire on Merseyside. The field includes first-time representatives from Hungary and the United Arab Emirates, with Bence Bertenyi and Rayan Ahmed becoming their nations’ inaugural entrants.

A total of 607 entries were received from around the world. The R&A also described this year’s pre-qualifying field as the strongest on record, with 72 players competing at West Lancashire on Friday for the final 22 places.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Chief Championships Officer at The R&A, said, “The Amateur Championship holds a special place in our sport and continues to attract talented players from all over the world. With competitors from 41 countries and two outstanding host venues in Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire, we are looking forward to welcoming the next generation of amateur golfers to Merseyside.”

Field Strength and Key Names

The field includes one player ranked inside the top ten of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), four in the top 25 and ten in the top 50.

England’s Luke Poulter, ranked ninth, leads the field. He is joined by fellow Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team-mates Connor Graham (36th) of Scotland, Niall Shiels Donegan (31st) of Scotland and Ireland’s Stuart Grehan (56th).

South Africa’s Daniel Bennett (16th), American Kihei Akina (22nd) and Germany’s Tim Wiedemeyer (28th) also arrive after strong collegiate seasons.

Several players carry form from recent high-profile amateur events. Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki finished runner-up at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last October. South Africa’s Jack Buchanan is the reigning Africa Amateur champion, and France’s Lev Grinberg recently won the St Andrews Links Trophy.

Ireland’s Gavin Tiernan, runner-up in 2025, returns alongside Finland’s Veikka Viskari, Italy’s Riccardo Fantinelli and France’s Matthis Lefevre, all of whom reached last year’s match play stages.

A Record 19th Staging at Hoylake

Royal Liverpool hosted the inaugural Amateur Championship in 1885, when 44 players from 12 clubs contested a series of match play rounds. This year marks the 19th time Hoylake has staged the event, more than any other venue. Past champions at The Amateur include Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal, Sergio Garcia and Matteo Manassero.

West Lancashire, founded in 1873, was one of the 24 clubs that contributed to the purchase of the original Amateur Championship trophy in 1886. It hosts pre-qualifying and shares stroke play qualifying duties with Royal Liverpool.

How the Championship Works

The opening two days consist of 36 holes of stroke play spread across both courses. The lowest 64 scores and ties advance to match play, with each round played over 18 holes until the 36-hole final on Saturday.

What the Winner Gets

The champion earns exemptions into The Open, the US Open and a DP World Tour event, plus, by tradition, an invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament, provided amateur status is retained. The runner-up receives a spot in Final Qualifying and the Last Chance Qualifier for The Open, while all quarter-finalists earn Final Qualifying exemptions.

Stroke play qualifying begins on Monday at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire.