The R&A

Preston Stout, 22, of Richardson, Texas, has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading male in the 2026 World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®). The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2027 US Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links and The 155th Open at St Andrews. “Being named the McCormack Medal winner is a tremendous honour and one I'll never take for granted,” said Stout.

Ten golfers have been selected to represent Great Britain and Ireland against the United States of America in the 51st Walker Cup at Lahinch. The match will take place on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September against the backdrop of the picturesque north-west coast of County Clare, Ireland, with GB&I aiming to win the famous trophy for the first time since its 16½-9½ victory at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2015.

Fifteen golfers have been selected to play for Great Britain and Ireland in the Jacques Léglise Trophy and the Junior Vagliano Trophy in Ireland this week. Both junior international matches take place at The Island north of Dublin on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 August. The Jacques Léglise Trophy is a team encounter for boys aged 18 or under involving GB&I against the Continent of Europe.

Marta Muñoz is the new R&A Girls’ Amateur Champion after outlasting compatriot Marta Munoz in the 36-hole Final at Craigielaw. In the first all-Spanish final since the Championship began in 1919, 16-year-old Muñoz defeated compatriot Adriana Garcia Terol 3&2 in a tight match that could have gone either way. “I’m so so happy to have won this great championship because this just proves that all the work I have done this year has paid off,” Muñoz said.

Óliver Elí Björnsson saved his best until last as he won the 99th Boys’ Amateur Championship in dramatic fashion at Gailes Links. In a closely-fought, captivating contest with Sweden’s Ludwig Libera, Björnsson eventually won on the 37th hole and etched his name into the history books as the first Icelandic golfer to capture the prestigious prize. During a tense tussle of fluctuating fortunes, the tenacious Björnsson sealed the victory with a touch of brilliance.

Óliver Elí Björnsson of Iceland and Sweden’s Ludwig Libera will meet in the 36-hole final of The R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship at Gailes Links. Björnsson is blazing a trail for his country as the first Icelandic golfer to reach the final of the under-18 championship, while Libera is the 12th Swedish finalist and will be aiming to become the nation’s sixth Boys’ champion.

History will be made in the 36-hole Final of The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship at Craigielaw. For the first time since the Championship’s inception in 1919, two Spaniards will face off for the honour of lifting the prestigious Challenge Cup. Adriana Garcia Terol faces compatriot Marta Muñoz to see who will emerge victorious from an initial field of 144 players from 32 countries who started the week on the East Lothian coastline.

The Walker Cup is the pinnacle of men’s amateur golf. For Great Britain and Ireland Captain Dean Robertson, it is a match he knows well. As the first former professional golfer to captain the side, Robertson brings extensive experience to the team as he prepares his players for the 2026 match against the United States of America at Lahinch. With the GB&I team set to be officially announced on Tuesday 18 August, Robertson's focus is on shaping the ten players selected.

Lisa Coetzer is looking to add a second R&A title to her list of accomplishments after progressing to the quarter-finals of the Girls’ Amateur Championship at Craigielaw. The 16-year-old South African is the highest-ranked player among the remaining eight players at 236th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®). She took her place in the last-eight by beating Germany’s Julia Zimmermann 3&2 in their third-round contest.

Cole Self’s march through the Boys’ Amateur Championship field gathered pace as the number one seed eased into the quarter-finals at Gailes Links. On another perfect golfing day on the Ayrshire coast, Self made hay while the sun shone and swept to a 6&4 win over Spain’s Juan Miro Asorey in the morning’s second round ties before a 4&3 victory over Germany’s Maximilian Franck in the last-16.