The Brabazon Trophy: All you need to know This year will see Moortown host the Brabazon Trophy for the sixth time which equals Hollinwell for the most times a club has staged the Championship. The first came in 1957 and the most recent in 2009, the club’s centenary year, when Ireland’s Niall Kearney picked up the stylish trophy – on the same day that Shane Lowry won the Irish Open while still an amateur. What is the Brabazon Trophy? It is English Men's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship and is open to male amateur golfers of all nationalities. This year the leading amateurs from the Home Nations will tackle the Alister MacKenzie design as well as players from all around the world – Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE and Zimbabwe – with Finland’s Lauri Rosendahl, the winner of the Lytham Trophy earlier this month, in the field. The Championship is sponsored by Turkish Airlines and runs from Thursday to Sunday. The youngest player in the field is Wentworth's 14-year-old Lucas Weisberg (pictured) who came through the Southern Qualifier at Royal Ashdown Forest. What is the format? The Championship is played over 72 holes of stroke play over four days with a field of 144. After 36 holes the leading 60 players and ties will then progress to the weekend. When did the Brabazon first take place? The Championship began at Royal Birkdale in 1947 as the English Amateur International Trophy. The following year the trophy was donated by Lord Brabazon of Tara, a pioneer aviator, MP, accomplished golfer and Captain of The R&A. The event became known as the Brabazon Trophy and, although its official title of the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship was introduced in 1957, the championship is still best known as the Brabazon. Which famous players have won it? Two Masters champions have won the Brabazon. Sandy Lyle won it twice in 1975 and 1977 while Charl Schwartzel was victorious in 2002. Other notable champions include Peter McEvoy, Rodney Foster, Gordon Brand Jr, Ronan Rafferty, Peter Baker, Peter Hanson, Ignacio Garrido before, more recently, Jordan Smith, Ben Schmidt,and Sam Bairstow also picked up the trophy. Amateur legend Sir Michael Bonallack won it on four occasions, the most anyone has been successful. There have also been a collection of notable runners-up including Geoff Ogilvy, Graeme Storm, Andy Sullivan, Cameron Davis and Harry Hall who shot a 63 around the corner at Alwoodley in 2019. Who won it last year? Italy’s Biagio Andrea Gagliardi was crowned the first Italian winner of the Brabazon after finishing the four rounds at Hankley Common on eight-under. What does the winner receive? Aside from the trophy the Championship is part of the European Golf Association’s Order of Merit and the winner also receives an exemption into a HotelPlanner Tour professional event later in the year. Are there any local players in the field? There are three Moortown players; Thomas Barnes Grimes and Oliver Cage, who are both at college in the States, along with Josh Stephens who came through the qualifying at Bishop Auckland.