Sean Keeling (IRL) and Rocio Tejedo (ESP) lead the race to qualify for the 2023 European Junior Ryder Cup Team.

12 spots for junior players (U18) are available in the European team that will take on the USA in Rome from 26 to 28 September ahead of the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup.

Three girls and three boys will be automatically selected for the team through the qualifying ranking, while six more players will be selected by captain, Stephen Gallacher.

The Portuguese International Amateur Championships, played at the end of January and early February, opened the qualifying race for both boys and girls. The Spanish International Amateur Championships, played last week, marked the second chance for players to score points for the ranking.

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Rocio Tejedo (ESP) made the perfect start to the girls’ qualifying race claiming the Portuguese International title. The Spanish player continued her good form in the ‘Copa S.M. La Reina’, where she reached the semi-finals. The T3 finish was enough to keep her lead at the top of the ranking.

Nora Sundberg (SWE) was the player of the week in Spain. The Swedish junior defeated the reigning European Ladies’ Amateur Champion, Savannah de Bock (BEL), in the final at La Reserva Club Sotogrande to climb to second position in the rankings.

Cayetana Fernandez (ESP), who narrowly missed out on the Portuguese title in a playoff, is currently third in the ranking, while Savannah de Bock holds fourth.

In the Boys’ Ranking, 16-year-old Sean Keeling (IRL) maintained his lead. The Irish junior finished third in the Portuguese International Amateur Championship last month, and continued his good form at Infinitum Golf in Spain. The Qualifying Ranking leader reached the third round of matches in the Spanish Amateur Championship but would lose on the 19th hole to the eventual champion, Nicola Gerhardsen (SUI).

Peer Wernicke (GER) was the top junior performer at the event. The German national team player made it all the way to the semi-finals in Spain but would also lose out to the eventual title winner. The performance lifted the German from 21st to 2nd in the Boys’ Qualifying Ranking.

Lev Grinberg (UKR) holds third position, and with it, the last automatic qualifying spot. The 15-year-old backed up a top-five finish in Portugal with a T17 finish in Spain.  

The next qualifying events for boys and girls are the French International Boys’ and Girls’ Championships, which will take place on Easter weekend from 6 to 10 April.

The full standings of both the boys and girls rankings can be downloaded below:

ABOUT THE JUNIOR RYDER CUP

The Junior Ryder Cup is a biennial international match contested between 12-player junior teams from Europe and the USA.

This year’s match will be held from September 26-28 in Rome. The first two days of play will be held at Golf Nazionale before the decisive singles matches are held at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the Ryder Cup venue, on the eve of the 44th edition.

ABOUT THE 2023 EUROPEAN JUNIOR RYDER CUP QUALIFYING RANKINGS

Three boys and three girls will earn places on the European Junior Ryder Cup team through a season-long ranking system, which has been organised by the European Golf Association. The remaining six players will be selected by Stephen Gallacher, the European Junior Ryder Cup Captain.

Boys and girls who are citizens of a European country as defined by the International Golf Federation’s Nationality Policy, under 18 years of age on January 1, 2023, and who are not enrolled to play college golf in the USA during 2023 are eligible to participate in the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup.

Players will earn points for the Rankings based on their finishing position in selected elite amateur events in 2023. These points will be allocated using the World Amateur Golf Ranking system, with each player’s best four results counting towards their final point totals. The qualification process will end following The R&A Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur Championships on August 20, 2023. The full list of events can be found below:

BOYS EVENTS

GIRLS EVENTS

*Points for the European Team Championships will be awarded based on finishing position in the stroke play qualifying only. The allocated points will be based on WAGR’s standard ‘power’ and distribution method.