England Golf has named its four-man squad for the European Cup of Nations at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, Spain.
The competition, which takes place from 26-29 March, will see 21 nations compete in stroke play format over 72 holes, and the team with the best three 18-hole scores from each of the four players count towards the team’s total.
The tournament is both a team and individual event, meaning the player with the lowest score over the course of the four days will win the individual prize.
England have won the competition 12 times since the first Nations Cup in 1998 – which is eight more than any other nation (Spain have won four), while previous individual championship winners include world superstars like Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry.
England Golf Hall of Famer Gary Wolstenholme MBE has been crowned champion four times, while other notable winners include Francesco Molinari, Marcel Siem, and England Golf’s current Performance Director, Nigel Edwards.
Tom Sloman (2019) and Todd Clements (2018) were England’s last winners of the event, although John Gough’s runners-up finish in 2023 helped England to their most recent Nations Cup title.
England Golf Men’s Performance Manager Ben Gorvett said: “We’ve had great success in the past at this event and we don’t want 2025 to be any different. We have a strong team, with Eliot Baker, Dan Hayes and Tom Osborne having already had a taste of winning this year, and they are complemented by our English Amateur champion, Harley Smith, on his return from injury.
“The team is ready to face the challenge that Sotogrande poses, and they are eager to complete against Europe’s finest golfers yet again.”
England Team
Eliot Baker, 22, Tiverton (Devon)
- Won the Portuguese Amateur Championship in February
- Part of the England Men's team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match in January
- Won the 2024 West of England Amateur Match Play
- Won the 2023 South East of England Links Championship, and finished 3rd in 2024
- Finished 4th at 2024 Brabazon Trophy and enjoyed top-10 finish at 2024 Tillman Trophy
- Represented England in biennial 2024 international match with France - - In 2023, enjoyed top-10 finishes at Lytham Trophy, Bernard Darwin Salver and the R&A Student Tour Series Final, as well as a 3rd-place finish at BUCS Stirling International
Dan Hayes, 18, Bramhall (Cheshire)
- Part of the England Men's team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match in January
- 3rd-place finish at 2025 Portuguese Amateur Championship
- Won the 2024 Carris Trophy and finished tied-2nd after going to a play-off in the 2024 English U18 Amateur Championship
- Won the 2024 Lancashire Links Trophy before finishing tied-2nd in the 2024 Brabazon Trophy, just a shot behind the winner, but did pick up the George Henriques Salver for being the leading under-20 player at the event - Represented GB&I in 2024 Jacques Leglise Trophy
- In 2024, represented England in Octagonal Match in Spain, Junior Golf World Cup in Japan, and European Boys’ Team Championship
- Represented England at 2024 Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
- Reached the quarter-finals of 2024 R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship
Tom Osborne, 23, Lindrick (Yorkshire)
- Part of the England Men's team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match in January
- Made the last 16 of 2024 R&A Amateur Championship and quarter-finals of 2024 English Amateur Championship
- Represented England at 2024 Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
- Top-10 finish at 2024 Brabazon Trophy
- Helped Yorkshire to the Men’s County Finals title in September 2023
- In 2023, won the Duncan Putter and Yorkshire Amateur Championship, and had top-10 finishes at Welsh Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship, Danny Willett Salver, Hampshire Salver and Tillman Trophy Tied-13th finish at January’s South American Amateur Championship
Harley Smith, 19, The Rayleigh Club (Essex)
- Won the 2024 English Amateur Championship at Seaton Carew
- Winner of 2024 Sunningdale Foursomes alongside England teammate Dylan Shaw-Radford
- Finished 2nd in 2024 St Andrews Links Trophy and 6th at 2024 Brabazon Trophy, plus three top-10 finishes in Portugal at start of 2024
- Represented England in 2024 European Team Championship and Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
- Represented England in Octagonal Match in Spain in 2023 and 2024, as well as in biennial match v France in May 2024
- Helped Essex win the 2024 Men’s County Finals for the first time since 2009
- Top-10 finish at 2023 Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship
- Represented GB&I in 2022 Jacques Leglise Trophy
The tournament is both a team and individual event, meaning the player with the lowest score over the course of the four days will win the individual prize.
England have won the competition 12 times since the first Nations Cup in 1998 – which is eight more than any other nation (Spain have won four), while previous individual championship winners include world superstars like Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry.
England Golf Hall of Famer Gary Wolstenholme MBE has been crowned champion four times, while other notable winners include Francesco Molinari, Marcel Siem, and England Golf’s current Performance Director, Nigel Edwards.
Tom Sloman (2019) and Todd Clements (2018) were England’s last winners of the event, although John Gough’s runners-up finish in 2023 helped England to their most recent Nations Cup title.
England Golf Men’s Performance Manager Ben Gorvett said: “We’ve had great success in the past at this event and we don’t want 2025 to be any different. We have a strong team, with Eliot Baker, Dan Hayes and Tom Osborne having already had a taste of winning this year, and they are complemented by our English Amateur champion, Harley Smith, on his return from injury.
“The team is ready to face the challenge that Sotogrande poses, and they are eager to complete against Europe’s finest golfers yet again.”
England Team
Eliot Baker, 22, Tiverton (Devon)
- Won the Portuguese Amateur Championship in February
- Part of the England Men's team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match in January
- Won the 2024 West of England Amateur Match Play
- Won the 2023 South East of England Links Championship, and finished 3rd in 2024
- Finished 4th at 2024 Brabazon Trophy and enjoyed top-10 finish at 2024 Tillman Trophy
- Represented England in biennial 2024 international match with France - - In 2023, enjoyed top-10 finishes at Lytham Trophy, Bernard Darwin Salver and the R&A Student Tour Series Final, as well as a 3rd-place finish at BUCS Stirling International
Dan Hayes, 18, Bramhall (Cheshire)
- Part of the England Men's team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match in January
- 3rd-place finish at 2025 Portuguese Amateur Championship
- Won the 2024 Carris Trophy and finished tied-2nd after going to a play-off in the 2024 English U18 Amateur Championship
- Won the 2024 Lancashire Links Trophy before finishing tied-2nd in the 2024 Brabazon Trophy, just a shot behind the winner, but did pick up the George Henriques Salver for being the leading under-20 player at the event - Represented GB&I in 2024 Jacques Leglise Trophy
- In 2024, represented England in Octagonal Match in Spain, Junior Golf World Cup in Japan, and European Boys’ Team Championship
- Represented England at 2024 Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
- Reached the quarter-finals of 2024 R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship
Tom Osborne, 23, Lindrick (Yorkshire)
- Part of the England Men's team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match in January
- Made the last 16 of 2024 R&A Amateur Championship and quarter-finals of 2024 English Amateur Championship
- Represented England at 2024 Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
- Top-10 finish at 2024 Brabazon Trophy
- Helped Yorkshire to the Men’s County Finals title in September 2023
- In 2023, won the Duncan Putter and Yorkshire Amateur Championship, and had top-10 finishes at Welsh Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship, Danny Willett Salver, Hampshire Salver and Tillman Trophy Tied-13th finish at January’s South American Amateur Championship
Harley Smith, 19, The Rayleigh Club (Essex)
- Won the 2024 English Amateur Championship at Seaton Carew
- Winner of 2024 Sunningdale Foursomes alongside England teammate Dylan Shaw-Radford
- Finished 2nd in 2024 St Andrews Links Trophy and 6th at 2024 Brabazon Trophy, plus three top-10 finishes in Portugal at start of 2024
- Represented England in 2024 European Team Championship and Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
- Represented England in Octagonal Match in Spain in 2023 and 2024, as well as in biennial match v France in May 2024
- Helped Essex win the 2024 Men’s County Finals for the first time since 2009
- Top-10 finish at 2023 Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship
- Represented GB&I in 2022 Jacques Leglise Trophy
ENDS
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org