The European Amateur Team Championship is a European amateur team golf championship for men organised by the European Golf Association which was introduced in 1959.
The championship was played in odd-numbered years from 1959 to 2007 and has been played annually since 2008 (with the exception of 2012).[1]
Format
1959–1965
Each team consisted of a minimum of six players, playing two rounds of stroke play, counting the four best scores for each team. The four best teams formed flight A, were the winner was determined by a round-robin system. All teams in the flight met each other and the team with most points for team matches won the tournament, using the scale, won 2 points, halved 1 point, lost 0 points.
1967–1975
Each team played one round of stroke play, counted the five best scores for each team. The eight best teams formed flight A, in knock-out match play over the next three days, teams being seeded based on their position after the stroke play.
1977–2019
Each team consisted of 6 players, playing two rounds of stroke play over two days, counting the five best scores for each team, and two foursomes and five single matches in the following knock-out play.
From 2013, the number of participating teams was limited to 16. A second division, named European Men's Challenge Trophy, was introduced, giving the participating teams the opportunity to qualify for next year's championship, by finishing top three, replacing the three last finishing teams in the first division.[2] The year after, the Challenge Trophy was renamed The European Amateur Team Championship Division 2.
2020
In 2020 only 14 team participated, each of four players. All competitors play a round of stroke play on the first day. The team score is based on the leading three scores of each team. After the first day, the leading eight teams compete in Flight A in knock-out match play over the next three days, teams being seeded based on their position after the stroke play. Contests consist of one foursome in the morning and two singles in the afternoon. If a match is level after 18 holes, extra holes are played to get a result, although if the overall result has already been determined later matches that are level after 18 holes are halved. The remaining teams, not qualified for Flight A, competed in a similar bracket in Flight B, to determine the final standings.
2021–present
Currently the championship is contested by up to 16 teams, each of 6 players.
The format consists of two rounds of stroke play, out of which the five lowest scores from each team's six players will count each day. The total addition of the five lowest scores will constitute the team's score and determine the teams qualified for the last three rounds of match play. Only teams in contention for a medal will play a match format of two foursomes and five singles, while the other teams will play a one foursome and four singles match format.
The top 13 teams qualify for next year's championship along with next year's hosting nation, if not among the top 13. The next year's field is filled with the top two, or three if host nation is already qualified, from last year's Division II.
