Wilhelm Ryding of Sweden topped the stroke play qualifying standings to advance into the match play stages of The 131st Amateur Championship on Merseyside.
After an opening four-under-par 68 at Hoylake’s historic Royal Liverpool course, which left him just one shot off the pace, Ryding fortified his position and moved to the top of the leaderboard with a five-under-par 67 at nearby West Lancashire today.
The 21-year-old’s nine-under-par 135 aggregate left him a stroke clear of his compatriot, Edwin Askerfors, and an English trio that features a standout local favourite.
Ben Bolton may be based in Staffordshire, but he is also a member at Royal Liverpool and looked more than comfortable playing in this golfing home from home on the Wirral peninsula.
In a neatly assembled, bogey-free round on his home course, the 18-year-old, a former Spanish Boys’ Champion, conjured six birdies, including four in six holes on the back nine, as he breezed into the match play rounds.
Ryding became the first Swede to win the stroke play qualifying phase since Daniel Jennevret took the top honour at Royal Troon in 2012.
Ryding’s considered approach brought plenty of rewards, and his 2-iron has been a useful club as he played for position off the tee and negotiated his way around the challenging local links courses.
Over 36-holes, Ryding recorded 14 birdies with seven of them arriving between the 5th and 16th holes in round two, which lifted him to the top of the leaderboard.
Royal Liverpool will always be associated with Roberto De Vicenzo, the decorated Argentinian who won The Open here in 1967.
In 2026, another impressive golfer from Argentina, Segundo Oliva Pinto, is hoping to write his own chapter in the Royal Liverpool story after qualifying for the match play stage of the Championship.
On a relatively benign day on England’s Golf Coast, Pinto, who enjoyed back-to-back top-ten finishes among the professionals on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this season, posted a six-under-par 66 to ease through on a six-under-par total.
Pinto was joined on that mark by Welshman, Tomi Bowen, who played his way into the qualifying places with an eventful eight-under-par 64 at Royal Liverpool.
The 23-year-old chipped in for a birdie from an awkward spot to the side of the 14th and then finished with a flourish by holing his wedge approach from 65 yards on the 18th for an eagle-two.
The round of the day was produced by the highly talented South African, Malan Potgieter, who secured his match play berth with a rousing nine-under-par 63 at Royal Liverpool.
Potgieter had been facing an early exit after a first-round 76 at West Lancashire left him playing catch-up.
A bold drive on the first hole of round two, which led to an opening birdie, provided the catalyst for a thrilling round, and eight more gains would follow as the 23-year-old equalled the Royal Liverpool amateur course record.
Scotland’s Connor Graham, who topped the qualifying standings in both 2025 and 2024, comfortably progressed on a five-under-par total after a 67 at Royal Liverpool.
Graham’s GB&I Walker Cup teammates at Cypress Point last year, Niall Sheils Donegan and Stuart Grehan, also ensured that they were in the top-64 qualifiers.
The qualifying mark for the leading 64 players and ties fell at two-under-par.
21 players, including the highest-ranked player Luke Poulter and last year’s runner-up Gavin Tiernan, are competing in a sudden-death playoff for ten places in the match play stage of the Championship.
The winner of Saturday’s 36-hole Final will secure exemptions into The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale next month, the US Open, and, by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament.
The Amateur Championship is one of the biggest and most prestigious amateur championships in the world and features a starting line-up of 288 players.
The first Amateur was held at Hoylake in 1885 where 44 players from 12 clubs competed.
Some of golf’s greatest names have triumphed in the event, including Bobby Jones, José María Olazábal and Sergio Garcia.
Spectators across Merseyside are welcome and can attend free of charge or people can watch the final two days live at home on R&A TV and YouTube.
Ryding Outlines Strategy and Tactical Approach to Hoylake Links
Wilhelm Ryding, Sweden, said:
“I’m very happy.
“I’ve played very well.
“The key to success has been playing smart.
“I’ve not hit a lot of drivers.
“I’ve mostly been hitting 2-irons off the tee just to avoid the bunkers.
“I think I’ve been in only one bunker and that was a greenside bunker.
“In this type of golf, if you hit all the fairways, then you’ll have plenty of opportunities.
“I’ve been good out of the rough when I did miss a fairway and my putting has been good. It’s all added up to a good couple of days.
“I’m just going to stick to my game and believe in myself.”
The tactical emphasis on avoiding the notorious fairway traps at Hoylake proved decisive during the opening stroke play rounds.
Maintaining position off the tee allowed the leading contingent to exploit the relatively calm afternoon weather conditions across the Merseyside coastline.
Tournament History and Elite Professional Major Championship Exemptions
As one of the premier fixtures in the global amateur calendar, the event continues to serve as an important springboard for future professional talent.
The substantial prize of securing spots at iconic majors like the upcoming Open at Royal Birkdale introduces high-stakes pressure to the knockout stages.
With the field now narrowed down through intense scoring and sudden-death tiebreakers, the match play bracket is set to deliver highly competitive head-to-head duels.
