Latest news with #amateur
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Soccer player's kick goes awry and hits unexpected target
In Los Angeles, California, an amateur soccer player scored a direct hit on July 12: a powerful shot went over the fence, and the ball hit a passing police car – his friend couldn't resist a playing a joke on him as a result.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The accidental golfer from Estonia making Open history
Richard Teder only started playing golf by chance after his auntie won some vouchers in a tennis competition. That was 14 years ago. And now, at the age of 20, he's making Open Championship history by becoming the first Estonian to play the sport's oldest amateur qualified in some style too, with a 70-yard chip-in to win a play-off in final qualifying at West Lancashire. "I've never lost in a play-off so I knew I was pretty safe," Teder laughed in the immediate shot - his second on a par-four hole - was an instant hit on social media and Teder himself can't stop watching it."I've watched it a million times," he told BBC Sport. "I watched it today. I just couldn't believe it went in." Final qualifying was held on 1 July so Teder has had a couple of weeks to get used to the fact he is teeing it up alongside 155 other players at Royal will tee off on Thursday at 10:42 BST alongside American Ryggs Johnston and Germany's Matthias Schmid."Being here is unbelievable – it's my favourite major by far, it's just awesome. It's the biggest tournament on the planet," he said."It's such an honour being the first Estonian be here and it will be loads of fun."There are only seven courses and around 4,000 players in Estonia and if his auntie hadn't won a tennis tournament when he was aged six, Teder accepts he would not be here this week."The prize was 10 vouchers," he said. "So it was completely random."By the age of 14 he was playing off scratch but said he only started gaining distance with his shots when he had a growth spurt at the age of he is undaunted by the prospect of the links golf challenge ahead, having grown up playing junior tournaments in Scotland and competed in three Amateur Championships at the seaside tracks of Royal St George's in Kent, Ballyliffin in Ireland and Hillside on the Southport coast."I'm trying to prove to myself that I belong here, which I believe I do," he said. "It's the six inches between the ears. I'm trying to gain experience and hopefully turn pro after this season."He narrowly missed out via the new global pathway last year but is chasing a spot on the DP World Tour's underling, the HotelPlanner Tour.A good showing this week will help that ambition as he soaks in the atmosphere on the Northern Irish there is one thing the man who learned English by "watching YouTube videos and stuff I picked up on social media" will be avoiding."I'm not having a kebab this week," he said referring to his celebratory meal after qualifying at West Lancashire."It was the only place that was open, I had two bites and threw it away, it wasn't very good."
Al Arabiya
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Estonia has a five-month season and a 20-year-old amateur at the British Open
No one could call Estonia an ideal breeding ground for golfers. The Baltic nation of 1.3 million people has just seven courses and as few as 3,500 registered golfers. Because of its climate, the golf season can last barely five months. Rising above these obstacles is Richard Teder. That this thin-as-a-rake 20-year-old amateur with a mullet, spectacles, and self-taught English from YouTube is playing at the British Open as the first Estonian to ever compete at a major golf championship is one of the most uplifting stories of this week at Royal Portrush. And he is experiencing pinch-me moments wherever he turns. 'Just being in the clubhouse and stuff, seeing Brooks Koepka and all these big, big names,' Teder says. 'It's so cool.' Teder's improbable path to the Open Championship began at the age of 6 when his aunt won a tennis tournament, earning a somewhat random prize: 10 golf passes. No one in the Teder family was into golf, so young Richard, who was just getting into sports at that point, was invited along. Golf soon overtook soccer as his chosen pursuit, and his mother decided to go all-in on Richard, taking him to Spain for months-long stretches during winters after he turned 12. 'For us in Estonia, the golf season starts in May,' he explained at the back of the ninth green during a practice round at Portrush. 'Obviously, there are some people who just play golf once the snow has disappeared. But that's not me.' It has required more than pure talent for Teder to make it to the Open Championship, though. He needed resilience, too, during 36-hole final qualifying at West Lancashire in early July after making a double-bogey at the last hole to drop into a four-man sudden-death playoff. At the third playoff hole, Teder holed out for eagle from 50 yards to secure a spot at Portrush. He clasped his face with his hands and was soon being carried horizontally on the shoulders of his jubilant caddie. 'It's the biggest tournament in the world – there's nothing bigger than this – so it's absolutely insane,' said Teder, who lives in Estonia's capital city, Tallinn. 'Everyone who plays golf back home knows what I've done and is very proud.' Estonia, which neighbors Russia and regained independence in 1991 after nearly 50 years of Soviet rule, has few well-known sports stars. Erki Nool won the decathlon gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Anett Kontaveit got to No. 2 in the world ranking in women's tennis before being forced to retire in 2023. Ragnar Klavan, a soccer player, was at English giant Liverpool from 2016-18. Indeed, coming first at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001 might be the country's most widely recognized victory. Now it's Teder's turn to take the stage, and it's a big moment for Estonia. 'He is the first one to ever play in a major, so it's hard to compare to anything else,' said Kristo Raudam, general secretary of the Estonian Golf Association. 'I think a lot of people who are interested in sports but haven't been interested in golf before will catch up with the news and maybe try to watch it.' If you do catch coverage of Teder, check out his drive. He says he'll be hitting it far, boasting of a carry of up to 300 meters (328 yards) – a distance which would put him up there with the longest on the PGA Tour. Otherwise, he'll just be having the time of his young life. 'I don't really watch golf, never really been to a golf tournament. So it's pretty cool to be here,' Teder said. 'It doesn't really feel real. But I know I belong here.'
Associated Press
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Estonia has 7 golf courses, a 5-month season and a 20-year-old amateur at the British Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — No one could call Estonia an ideal breeding ground for golfers. The Baltic nation of 1.3 million people has just seven courses and as few as 3,500 registered golfers. Because of its climate, the golf season can last barely five months. Rising above these obstacles is Richard Teder. That this thin-as-a-rake, 20-year-old amateur with a mullet, spectacles and self-taught English from YouTube is playing at the British Open as the first Estonian to ever compete at a major golf championship is one of the most uplifting stories of this week at Royal Portrush. And he is experiencing pinch-me moments wherever he turns. 'Just being in the clubhouse and stuff, seeing Brooks Koepka and all these big, big names,' Teder says. 'It's so cool.' Teder's improbable path to the Open Championship began at the age of 6 when his aunt won a tennis tournament, earning a somewhat random prize: 10 golf passes. No one in the Teder family was into golf so young Richard, who was just getting into sports at that point, was invited along. Golf soon overtook soccer as his chosen pursuit and his mother decided to go all-in on Richard, taking him to Spain for months-long stretches during winters after he turned 12. 'For us in Estonia, the golf season starts in May,' he explained at the back of the ninth green during a practice round at Portrush. 'Obviously there are some people who just play golf once the snow has disappeared. But that's not me.' It has required more than pure talent for Teder to make it to the Open Championship, though. He needed resilience, too, during 36-hole final qualifying at West Lancashire in early July after making a double-bogey at the last hole to drop into a four-man sudden-death playoff. At the third playoff hole, Teder holed out for eagle from 50 yards to secure a spot at Portrush. He clasped his face with his hands and was soon being carried horizontally on the shoulders of his jubilant caddie. 'It's the biggest tournament in the world — there's nothing bigger than this — so it's absolutely insane,' said Teder, who lives in Estonia's capital city, Tallinn. 'Everyone who plays golf back home knows what I've done and is very proud.' Estonia, which neighbors Russia and regained independence in 1991 after nearly 50 years of Soviet rule, has few well-known sports stars. Erki Nool won the decathlon gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Anett Kontaveit got to No. 2 in the world ranking in women's tennis before being forced to retire in 2023. Ragnar Klavan, a soccer player, was at English giant Liverpool from 2016-18. Indeed, coming first at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001 might be the country's most widely recognized victory. Now it's Teder's turn to take the stage and it's a big moment for Estonia. 'He is the first one to ever play in a major, so it's hard to compare to anything else,' said Kristo Raudam, general secretary of the Estonian Golf Association. 'I think a lot of people who are interested in sports but haven't been interested in golf before will catch up with the news and maybe try to watch it.' If you do catch coverage of Teder, check out his drive. He says he'll be 'hitting it far,' boasting of a carry of up to 300 meters (328 yards) — a distance which would put him up there with the longest on the PGA Tour. Otherwise, he'll just be having the time of his young life. 'I don't really watch golf, never really been to a golf tournament. So it's pretty cool to be here,' Teder said. 'It doesn't really feel real. But I know I belong here.' ___ AP golf:
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lottie Woad to turn professional after missing out on £500,000 in a fortnight
Lottie Woad was presented with the LPGA elite amateur pathway flag after coming third at the Evian Championship, but could not accept the prize money - Getty Images/Paul Devlin Lottie Woad is poised to turn professional in the next few weeks after missing out on a near-£400,000 payday at the Evian Championship. England's amateur sensation almost became the first player in the non-paid ranks to win a major in almost 60 years. Woad, the 21-year-old from Surrey, shot a brilliant 64 at the French course overlooking Lake Geneva to finish on 13-under and missed a play-off eventually won by Australian Grace Kim by a single shot. Advertisement It was a stunning performance on Sunday from the golfer whom Karen Stupples, the former Women's Open champion, told Telegraph Sport earlier this year 'is the best UK prospect since Rory McIlroy'. If Woad had already signed the forms to turn professional, she would have received a life-changing cheque for finishing in a tie for third. On the back of her victory at the recent Irish Women's Open, it means her amateur status has cost nigh on £500,000 in July alone. Little wonder, therefore, that insiders insist she will jump before the Women's Scottish Open takes place in a fortnight, with Royal Porthcawl hosting the Women's Open the following week. Woad claimed after her heroics in the fourth of the female's majors that she will make up her mind in the forthcoming days, but sources are adamant that the switch is a formality. Woad waited after her Ireland only success because she required just two more points to qualify for a full US Tour card in the LPGA elite amateur pathway programme and so would not have to endure Q-school at the end of this season. As the amateur world No 1 who won the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2024, it was only a matter of time before the Florida State University student accumulated enough credits in LEAP to join the likes of Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and countrywoman Charley Hull on the premier circuit. Woad is on the books of Excel Sports, the heavyweight US agency that oversees the careers of Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas and Michelle Wie, and it is understood that there are already lucrative sponsorships in place. Advertisement 'I'm going to discuss it with my family and coaches,' she said. 'It has always been in my dreams to play on the LPGA Tour and I'm grateful for the opportunities of the programme. I'm very excited for the future.' Woad is expected to join the premier circuit in the next few weeks - Getty Images/Stuart Franklin Woad will head to the South Wales coast for the Women's Open as one of the favourites to prevail. Certainly, she will not be overwhelmed by the challenge and after the last few weeks, why should she? 'I was trying to be in contention and winning this, so it will be the same there,' Woad said. Kim's first major success came courtesy of two eagles at the par-five 18th in three attempts. In regulation, the 24-year-old hit her approach to 18 inches to force the shoot-out with world No 2 Jeeno Thitikul. And when the players returned to the same hole, chipped in for a birdie from a prohibitive position to ensure the contest against the Thai stayed alive. Advertisement All it took then was for Kim to hole a 12-footer for another three on that closing hole to grab the glory. 'I don't know what just happened,' Kim, the world No 99, said. 'I couldn't breathe on that last putt – I could barely see. My caddie told me it was straight and I just did what he said. Yeah, it just all happened so quickly.' McIlroy second at Scottish Open At the Scottish Open, there was another world No 2 outshot by an outsider when Rory McIlroy finished second to the world No 158, Chris Gotterup. The pair went out in the final round at the Renaissance Club sharing the lead, but although McIlroy's 68 was perfectly respectful, the American's 66 took the spoils and the £1.2 million winner's cheque. It was an impressive display by Gotterup, who also earned a place at this week's Open at Royal Portrush. Rory McIlroy said he was happy despite not winning the Scottish Open - PA/Malcolm Mackenzie However, McIlroy was far from discouraged with his share for second with England's Marco Penge as he eyes the Claret Jug in his native Northern Ireland. Advertisement 'No trophy, but no frustration, really,' he said. 'I'm really happy with where everything is. Looking forward to getting to Portrush tonight and getting out on to the golf course early tomorrow and turning my attention to that. I feel like I've got out of this week everything that I wanted.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
