Opening Golf to the World
Boys' Amateur
Björnsson and Libera progress to Boys’ Amateur final
14 Aug 26
4 mins
Óliver Elí Björnsson of Iceland and Sweden’s Ludwig Libera will meet in the 36-hole Final of The R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship at Gailes Links.
Björnsson is blazing a trail for his country as the first Icelandic golfer to reach the Final of the under-18 championship, while Libera is the 12th Swedish finalist and will be aiming to become the nation’s sixth Boys’ champion. On a day of absorbing match play competition over the Ayrshire links, Björnsson earned his place the hard way, eventually defeating France’s Tao Pemerika at the 22nd hole. Given that the 16-year-old championship debutant began his stroke play qualifying campaign on Monday with a five-over-par 76, his progress to Saturday’s 36-hole Final has been remarkable. “I thought I was heading home early after that round,” admitted Björnsson, who mounted a fine recovery with a second-round 66 to progress to the match play stage. “After that opening round, I just tried to play as aggressively as possible and here we are. It’s a great feeling. “It’s my debut and I didn’t have high expectations coming into the week. I just wanted to make the cut and enjoy the experience at this level. I’m very proud to be the first Icelandic player to reach the Final and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Óliver Elí Björnsson and Ludwig Libera will go head-to-head for the prestigious Boys’ Amateur Championship trophy, played for annually since 1921.
There was nothing to separate Björnsson and Pemerika as they traded holes in a close match.
Pemerika, the European Young Masters champion, looked to be taking control when he birdied the 13th and 14th to turn a one-hole deficit into a one-hole advantage.
However, the 16-year-old Frenchman dropped a shot on the 16th to allow Björnsson to draw level and the pair remained all-square after 18 holes.
Both players had chances in extra holes, but Björnsson struck the decisive blow at the 22nd. After Pemerika played his second shot over the back of the green and pitched onto the putting surface, Björnsson holed a 20-foot birdie putt to secure victory.
Libera, meanwhile, was never behind in his semi-final against Italy’s Carlo Roman, taking the lead with a birdie at the 3rd before closing out a 3&2 win.
Roman struggled to find the birdies required to exert pressure on Libera - parring every hole from the 3rd - as his Swedish opponent extended his advantage to three holes with birdies at the 9th and 13th.
Sweden’s Ludwig Libera during his semi-final victory at Gailes Links.
When Roman was well positioned to reduce the deficit on the par-3 15th, Libera extinguished those hopes with a fine recovery shot.
Positioned left off the tee, the 18-year-old used the bank to good effect to leave himself a four-foot putt to save par and preserve his three-hole lead.
“That shot was almost too good to be true,” Libera admitted. “I thought I’d never have a chance of getting up and down from there but somehow I managed.
“It was a big moment to stay three up. I didn’t want to give Carlo an opening. In the circumstances, it was possibly my best shot of the week. It’s a dream to be in the Final.”
Earlier in the day, Libera defeated the number one seed, Cole Self, in their quarter-final tie.
Two down with six to play, Libera birdied the 13th and 14th to draw level before winning on the final green when Self’s short par putt to force extra holes lipped out.
Björnsson’s path to the last four was more straightforward, establishing a seven-hole lead through nine holes against Christian Photin Hansen of Denmark before securing a 4&3 victory.
As well as the Boys’ Amateur Championship trophy, the winner of Saturday’s Final will earn an exemption into The Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush as well as a place in Final Qualifying for The 155th Open at St Andrews.