R&A announces Amateur venues for 2004

The 250^th Anniversary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 2004 will be commemorated by playing the Amateur Championship at St Andrews.

The Amateur has been played over the Old Course on 15 previous occasions and has a list of winners which includes many of golf’s greatest names. This list includes Bobby Jones who, in 1930, achieved the Grand Slam, winning the Open and Amateur Championships of both Britain and the United States.

In 2004, the Amateur will be played from 31^st May to 5^th June over the Old and Jubilee courses. In 1981, the last time the Championship was played at St. Andrews, Philippe Ploujoux of France beat American Joel Hirsch 4/3 in the final.

Over the years, Hirsch has been a regular competitor on these shores and is currently the holder of the Seniors Open Amateur Championship, a title he won last year at Gullane and also in 1996 at Blairgowrie. The Seniors will be hosted by The Berkshire from 4^th to 6^th August, 14 years after Charlie Green won the third of his record breaking six Senior Open Amateur titles there. Philippe Ploujoux, the 1981 Amateur Champion, went on to join Piguy Sport, a leading French distributor of golf equipment.

Other courses announced for 2004 Amateur Championships include Royal Liverpool, the venue for the 2000 Amateur, which will host the British Mid-Amateur from 11^th to 15^th August. Conwy will host the Boys Championship which will be played from 9^th to 14^th August and Royal Dublin will follow Portmarnock, the 2000 venue, as the second Irish course to host the Boys Home Internationals.

Finally Nairn, the successful venue for the 1999 Walker Cup, will host both the St Andrews and Jacques Leglise Trophies on 27^th and 28^th August.

Royal & Ancient Golf Club www.RandA.org