Scottish events at the heart of new European Order of Merit Schedules
- Scottish Golf
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Two of Scottish Golf’s flagship events are among five top-level tournaments in Scotland that feature prominently in the newly launched European Amateur Order of Merit (EAOM) schedule for 2026.
The EAOM concept has been announced today by the European Golf Association (EGA) in collaboration with its member federations, including Scottish Golf, and is designed to strengthen the landscape of men’s and women’s amateur golf in Europe.
The Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open (Royal Troon, 17-19 April) and the Scottish Men’s Open Championship (Glasgow Gailes, 29-31 May) are included as key counting events during the 2026 pilot season in recognition of their elevated status on the international golfing calendar.
Three other prestigious events in the Home of Golf, hosted by the St Andrews Links Trust and The R&A, are also on the 2026 roster and highlight Scotland’s distinctive position in the delivery of internationally renowned amateur championships.
These are the St Andrews Links Trophy and the St Rule Trophy (both at St Andrews) and the Women’s Amateur Championship at Muirfield.
The EAOM aims to enhance the appeal of the international calendar for leading amateur players wishing to compete in Europe and promote the continent’s most prized amateur events.
Both the men’s and women’s series will run annually and feature approximately 15 established amateur championships each, hosted at leading venues across Europe in collaboration with national golf federations.
In addition to the European Amateur Order of Merit titles, and medals for the top three finishers, the EAOMs will offer attractive rewards in the form of playing opportunities.
The EAOMs will facilitate a direct, performance-based qualification method to some of Europe’s major amateur events such as the EGA European Amateur and Ladies’ Amateur Championships.
A full overview of available rewards will be published in due course.
The first counting events for both EAOMs will be the Portuguese International Amateur Championships in January and February, launching a competitive schedule that runs until late September.
The pilot season will be divided into three phases, the Front-Nine, Back-Nine, and Final Sprint.
The concluding Final Sprint series will offer elevated points and additional rewards to promote a compelling finish to the season.
Robbie Clyde, CEO of Scottish Golf, has welcomed the pilot programme and is proud that Scotland can play host to so many key events for men and women.
He said: “Alongside our European colleagues, we have been fully supportive of this new initiative. We’re excited at the prospect of adding a new dimension to two Scottish Golf events that are already mainstays on the international calendar.
“It’s also fitting that Scotland – as the Home of Golf – will stage five events in total, more than any other nation, in the inaugural year.
“Every year we take pride in welcoming players from around the world to Scottish Golf open events.
“In 2026 we look to forward to greeting familiar faces and newcomers alike as they fight for historic titles as well as new ranking points for the European Amateur Orders of Merit.”
EGA General Secretary Michael Thannhäuser commented: “The EGA is delighted to launch this exciting new project in collaboration with our member federations.
“By introducing a truly European order of merit, we’re providing a fair, consistent, and aspirational platform for leading amateurs in Europe.
“The EAOM will offer new motivation for players that wish to compete in Europe and bring added coherence to the European amateur schedule.
“We’d like to extend our thanks to the EGA’s member federations, who are the driving force behind this concept, for their support and collaboration”
The EAOM is open to players of all ages and nationalities, provided they meet all amateur status criteria.
Points will be awarded at each counting event according to finishing position, following a distribution model inspired by professional tours.
Each player’s six best results will determine their final ranking, and any player earning points in a counting event will appear automatically in the standings.