Due to Covid’s intervention, the World Pitch and Putt Strokeplay championships have not been

staged for seven years.

The fourth edition of the championships will be played at the Club de Campo Vigo in Galicia from
28th/30th June 2024. There will be one round on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday in this
72-hole event.

The 2013 and 2017 champions feature in the 2024 field.

John Walsh (Ireland) triumphed at Tambre in Galicia in very high temperatures nine years ago.

Ireland’s Liam O’Donovan was the victor at Imjelt, Norway in 2017. O’Donovan and Walsh actually
contested a play-off for the 2017 trophy.

Walsh also contested a play-off for the 2019 European Strokeplay championship at Dagenham, won
by compatriot John Cahill. He was also third in the inaugural World Strokeplay championship at La
Grande Motte, France in 2009 and a bronze medallist in the 2011 European Strokeplay
championship.

Twice Catalan Open winner, O’Donovan was European Strokeplay champion at Orvelte, Netherlands
in 2015.

Jorge Rodriguez Sarmiento (Galicia) is the reigning Basque Open champion while Hugo Espirito
Santo (Portugal) was runner-up in the 2024 Basque Open just as he was in the 2023 Galicia Open.

Eamon Gibney (Ireland) has helped his country to European Team championship and World Cup
glory and was 2014 Irish Open champion. Gibney placed fifth in the 2017 World Strokeplay having
finished in the top ten four years earlier.

Toni Armengol (Andorra) has been a central figure at international tournaments for the past two
decades. Toni won the 2019 Andorra Open.

Ireland’s Evan Carry, the 2022 Irish Open winner at Tullamore, was the most successful juvenile
player of all-time in Ireland.

Josep Iglesias Miralpeix (Catalonia) is a three-time International Open winner and has teamed-up
with Angel Navarro (Catalonia) in international Pairs successes.

2010 and 2016 Irish Open champion Frank Dineen (Ireland) finished eleventh at La Grande Motte in
2009 and tied 5th at Tambre. The Cork Inter-County player was fourth in the 2015 European
Strokeplay championship having been fifth in 2011.

Yann Le Tallec (France) has won five international Opens.

Multiple Irish champion John Ross Crangle (Ireland) finished tied 5th in the 2013 World Strokeplay
and third at Imjelt. A World Cup and European championship winner with Ireland, he was runner-up
in the 2011 European Strokeplay championship and third four years later.
Manuel Amor (Catalonia), co-captain of Team Europe for the Fernando Morgado Trophy match in
Chile against South America back in 2018, has seen considerable success in international Pairs
events.

Regular international Open winner, Ireland’s Ian Farrelly was the first-ever European Strokeplay
champion in 2011.

Two-time Dutch Open winner Marcel Ahuis (Netherlands) is sure to contend as is Denis O’Sullivan
(Ireland), 2023 Catalan International Pairs winner alongside John Walsh.

2018 Catalan Open champion Thomas Hanley (Ireland) is a probable challenger for the title as is his
regular Pairs partner Kieran Earls (Ireland), the 2023 WPPT Catalonia winner at Lleida.

Galicians Victor Rodriguez and Peter Mervin Henry triumphed in the 2022 Ourense International
Pairs.

Chile’s Gustavo Cortez, the 2019 Brazil Open winner, will represent South America.

Dutch native Rene Jan Bloem (Ireland) is the reigning Gelders International Open champion. He has
previously represented the Netherlands in the European Team championship helping the Dutch to
second place at Overbetuwe in 2005.

David Sexton (Ireland), runner-up in Catalan Open 2023, will be worth watching as will Galicians
David Sanchez and Pablo Rodriguez who were Ourense International Pairs winners three years ago.

Headline player in the ladies championship will be Esther de Schiffart (Netherlands). Serial
international Open winner Esther finished second to Ireland’s Chrissie Byrne in the 2013 Tambre
championship.

Maria Escudero Docampo (Galicia) won the recent Basque Open at Urduna while Begona Conde
(Catalonia) was Andorra Open runner-up a few weeks ago. Carmen Morales (Andorra) took third
place in that Andorra Open.

Mary Murray (Ireland) was the 2016 British ladies Open champion at Dagenham. Mary’s Irish
colleague Ailish Sexton was All Ireland Junior Strokeplay champion in 2012 and is a regular
contender on the Irish circuit.

PIlar Montero (Catalonia) has won international opens on two continents and is a proven performer
over many years. Pilar was runner-up in the 2022 European Seniors Strokeplay championship at
Hcap1.

Ypie Semplonius (Netherlands) took second place behind Esther de Schiffart at April’s International
Gelders Open at Strandhorst where Kim Kuijsters (Netherlands) was third.

Standout senior contender will be Catalan Amador Rodriguez who claimed Over-55 laurels in 2013
and 2017 and won the inaugural official World Senior Strokeplay championship in 2018 at Verin.

Former Irish Over-55 champion Weeshie Murphy (Ireland) took third place behind Rodriguez in that
Galicia hosted event six years ago.
Barry Morrissey (Ireland) claimed Over-55 honours at the 2020 Irish Open in Lough Owel.

Felix Eberle (Switzerland) was third in the 2018 Slovenia Open while his fellow countryman Dieter
Heutschi occupied a similar position a year later.

Juan Carlos Iglesias Surribas (Galicia) was second to Liam O’Donovan in the 2014 Galicia Open while
Daniel Fuentes (Galicia) took third in the 2023 renewal.