Henry Styles (Romford) and Lucy Jamieson (Heswall) were crowned 2025 English Amateur champions at the stunning Royal Liverpool.
In a 36-hole final, Styles defeated top seed Max Hopkins (Bishop’s Stortford) 5&4 to secure the title in its centenary year, while Jamieson, the local favourite, edged Droitwich’s Grace Bowen 3&1.
A former caddie at the venue, Jamieson received considerable support from her club, just a few miles south, as well as the wider Cheshire golfing community as a whole.
The emotions were clear throughout the final, not just because of the prestgious prize at stake, but the journey throughout the week.
After two stroke play rounds at Hoylake and Wallasey, Jamieson would qualify in 5th with Styles finishing on the number (-3) in 61st.
From there, the Heswall right-hander would play four match play rounds prior to the final, and the Essex County Champion playing five.
Nevertheless, both matches were played in a good spirit, with a strong and knowledgeable crowd following both groups.
And despite the bad weather that swept from the Irish Sea in the morning, the golf certainly shone through.“
It means so much,” said Styles, a GB&I selection in last year’s Jacques Leglise squad. “This was a big one on my calendar, and my goal was to qualify, which I just about made (61st out of 64), as I knew I had a chance.
“Growing up, I used to watch Tiger and Rory play around here, so to even get the opportunity to play here is fantastic, but to win is something special.”
Jamieson added: “It means the world, and it’s even more special that it’s here. Royal Liverpool is a little bit of a second home, so I’m happy.
“All the support this week was brilliant. Cheshire has been a massive part of my golf since I was young, plus all the support from Heswall has meant the world to me.”
Neither match was a foregone conclusion at the halfway point, but Styles was able to keep up the momentum.
Taking a 1-up lead on the sixth, the 19-year-old would win five out of the next six holes, and from there, would never relinquish the lead.
“Max is a fantastic player,” Styles said. “I played with him a few weeks ago, and I was in awe. I’ve always said ‘if I bogey the first, I’ll have a good day’ and I did. It ended up being a good day.”
Jamieson, meanwhile, held a slender 1-up advantage after 18 holes, but a Bowen fightback, which saw the Midlander win her first three holes of the afternoon, swayed the clash in her favour.
Like the gorgeous back-nine at Hoylake, there were plenty of twists and turns, with the ‘home girl’ succeeding after 35 holes.
“It was a really good battle with a lot of good golf,” smiled the 24-year-old. “There were a lot of good putts holed, too, so it’s great that I was able to get it in the end.”
Both now turn their attention to their different career paths. Styles is a student and member of the golf squad at the University of San Francisco, while Jamieson starts a new job in St. Andrew’s, Scotland, in two weeks.
“This was my last event over here, and I’m back in the US on the 17th. Hopefully, I’ll get a win out there too,” Styles claimed.
Jamieson concluded: “This really means a lot as it’s something I’ve worked hard towards. I start work a week on Monday and we’ll see what happens.”
Men’s Final
With the heavy rainfall, even keeping the England Golf staff inside, it was no surprise that the first birdie would come on the par-5 eighth.
Styles, who would lose the first, would secure that said achievement to go 2-up, before clinching two more at 9 and 10.
With five holes won out of six, the 2024 Sir Henry Cooper Junior Championship winner would be 4-up, although Hopkins would immediately fight back with wins on 11 and 12.
That result would stay all morning, as both players parred the remaining holes. The highlight, however, would be the 18th.
Styles, in his words, was ‘dead’, but a delicate chip from the back of the green, lander over a brow, found the surface and amazingly the hole. Hopkins, undeterred, would then roll his 50-footer into the heart of the cup, raising a smile at the craziness of the game. A birdie-half and straight into lunch.
The afternoon session was a game of quality, as Styles would make five birdies on the front nine, to Hopkins’ two. And with the 2-up lead, that felt enough as the Essex-native went through the turn, 5-up.
Hopkins did respond by taking the 11th, but another swift reply from Styles shut the momentum door, before securing the win on 14.
In closing, Styles would finish -5 in those 14 holes with six birdies and a bogey, Hopkins, meanwhile, would be bogey-free with two birdies. The Silver Medalist can be incredibly proud of his efforts this week, after leading the stroke play on -14, including a staggering -9 around Hoylake.
Women’s Final
Playing just 15 minutes behind, Jamieson and Bowen were also made to dig deep and get through the sticky weather.
Jamieson would win the first and hold a 1-up lead after 9, despite Bowen’s 2 on seven. In a tight affair, the lead would switch hands a couple of times, landing to all-square on 14.
The Cheshire native would birdie 15, the new signature hole, and 17, to go up 2-up before Bowen replied again with a win on the last.
That hole certainly gave the University of Stirling student encouragement, as she flew out of the blocks with three successive holes.
From 1-down at lunch, Bowen was 2-up after three, and things looked promising. But as the theme of the match continued, no lead was certain.
Jamieson would win 5 and six, plus 8 & 9 and 11 to go 3-up in front of the bumper crowd. Things were, at times, edgy, and when Bowen responded with wins on 12 and 13, the crowd could feel this enthralling contest going down to the wire.
Halved in pars on 14 and 15 kept the match 1-up to Jamieson, before an excellent birdie on 16 made the contest 2-up with 2 to play.
And with a horde of spectators jostling for position, they were treated to an excellent up-and-down from Bowen. The right-hander was long left of the raised green, but a cool up and down for four meant Jamieson had to seal the deal.
But with the former University of St Andrews student 10 feet, she kept her cool to hole a winning birdie putt.
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