For immediate release: 15/01/26

England Golf names team for Costa Ballena Octangular

14 January 2026

England Golf has confirmed its six players for the first team event of the year at the Costa Ballena Octangular at Cadiz, Spain from 21-24 January.

Eliot Baker, Ben Bolton, Lewy Hayward, Max Hopkins, Tom Osborne and Jack Swift are named in the squad, who will be looking to emulate last year’s performance at Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club, with Rob Watts as Team Coach.

Since the event began in 2001, England have won seven times, in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2025.

England Golf Men’s Performance Manager Ben Gorvett said: “It’s a team of strong players who are proven winners in the 2025 season, and it’s a great opportunity to battle Europe’s finest golfers from the likes of Germany, Spain and Italy.

“The competition provides early-year competitive golf practise ahead of the season, in both team play and match play format, so we’re looking forward to trying to defend our title.”

Find out more about the players below.

Eliot Baker (Tiverton, Devon)

Won the 2025 Portuguese Amateur Championship
Won the 2025 Scottish Men’s Open Championship
Helped England win the 2025 Octagonal Match, the 2025 European Cup of Nations at Sotogrande (Spain), the 2025 biennial international match against Spain, and the 2025 Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
Part of the GB&I team which won the 2025 St Andrews Trophy against Continental Europe
Represented GB&I against the USA at the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point
Top-5 finish in stroke play stages of 2025 European Amateur Team Championship, and helped England Men to bronze medal
Finished tied-11th at 2025 World Amateur Team Championship to help England secure bronze medal
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

Ben Bolton (Enville, Staffordshire)

Part of the England team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match, 2025 biennial international match against Spain, and the 2025 Women's & Men's Home Internationals
Finished 2nd in the stroke play stages of the US Boys' Amateur Championship, before bowing out in the quarter-finals of the match play stages
Top-10 finish at 2025 Brabazon Trophy
Finished tied-9th in the individual stroke play stages of the European Boys' Amateur Championship
Represented GB&I at 2025 Jacques Leglise Trophy
Won the 2024 Spanish Boys’ Amateur Championship
Helped England pick up the silver medal at 2024 European Team Championship
Part of the England team which won the 2024 Boys’ & Girls’ Home Internationals
Represented GB&I in the 2024 Jacques Leglise Trophy
Represented England at 2024 Junior Golf World Cup in Japan, 2024 biennial England v France international match, and 2023 Octagonal Match in Spain
In 2024, 3rd-place finish at German Boys’ Open and Peter McEvoy Trophy, and top-10 finishes at Brabazon Trophy, Carris Trophy and Lytham Trophy
In 2023, won European Young Masters in Slovakia, Faldo Series Grand Final (UAE), Faldo Series England Midlands Championship, and Edge Golf Championship 4 (Portugal)
3rd-place at 2023 McGregor Trophy, 4th in 2024 Tillman Trophy

Lewy Hayward (Marlborough, Wiltshire)

Won the 2025 Walton Heath Trophy and the 2025 West of England Open Amateur Match Play
Helped England win the 2025 Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals
Runner-up in 2025 Irish Men’s Amateur
Top-10 finishes at 2025 Bernard Darwin Salver, Hampshire Salver and Midland Youths Amateur
Won the Junior European Open (Spain), West of England U18 Stroke Play, and Midland Youths Open Amateur in 2024
Helped England win the 2024 Girls’ & Boys’ Home Internationals
Top-5 finish at 2024 Carris Trophy and top-10 finish at 2024 English U25 Championship

Max Hopkins (Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire)

Runner-up at 2025 English Amateur Championship
Top-5 finishes at Berkshire Trophy, Lytham Trophy, and North of England Amateur
Tied-3rd finish at 2025 French International Championship
Top-15 finishes at 2025 Walton Heath Trophy and Peter Alliss Trophy
In 2024, finished in top-5 at Egyptian Amateur Open, Welsh Men’s Open Stroke Play and top-10 of North of Ireland Men’s Amateur

Tom Osborne (Lindrick, Yorkshire)

Part of the England team which won the 2025 Octagonal Match, 2025 European Cup of Nations at Sotogrande, the 2025 biennial international match against Spain, and the 2025 Women's & Men's Home Internationals
Finished 2nd at 2025 Lytham Trophy and tied-7th at Scottish Men's Open Championship
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

Jack Swift (North Foreland, Kent)

Won the 2025 Darwin Salver
Top-5 finishes at 2025 Peter McEvoy Trophy, German Boys' Amateur and Fairhaven Trophy (Boys)
Part of 2025 England’s Girls’ & Boys’ Home Internationals winning team
Represented England at 2025 Toyota Junior World Cup and European Boys’ Team Championship
3rd-place finish at 2024 GJG Portuguese Junior Classics
2nd-place at 2024 West of England U18 Championship
Top-10 finishes at 2024 Carris Trophy, English U18 Amateur Championship and Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters