What you need to know about the Walton Heath Trophy 2026

Walton Heath has a rich history of playing host to a number of large golfing events.

The Ryder Cup visited here in 1981 after construction of The Belfry was delayed, the European Open was hosted five times between 1978 and 1991, as well the Senior Open Championship in 2011. 

Most notably, of late, the British Masters hosted by Justin Rose was staged here back in 2018. 

In fact, Walton Heath has also been a host venue for US Open Qualifying - most famously when New Zealander Micheal Campbell won the major in 2005, he did it via qualifying at Walton Heath, which was the first staging of the qualifying at the club.

But it's not just been part of the men’s game. Some high profile events in the women’s game have also visited the Surrey venue. The AIG Women’s Open being the highest profile of those in 2023. 

Not many may know, however, the rich history Walton Heath has in the elite amateur side of golf. 

The Walton Heath Trophy

Back in 2005, the heathland classic also introduced the South of England Amateur Championships - one of the premier fixtures in the elite amateur golfing calendar and during the subsequent years it developed into an extremely well attended and competitive event. It was later rebranded as the Walton Heath Trophy

The men play for the Michael Lunt Salver - a tremendous piece of silverware that encompasses the Eisenhower Trophy Gold medal that the late Mr Lunt won as a member of the Great Britain & Ireland team back in 1964. Michael was captain of Walton Heath in 2005 (as well as the R&A in 2006) when the event was born and he was widely regarded as one of the finest amateur golfers of his generation. 

At one stage, the Walton Heath Trophy featured as part of the England Golf Order of Merit and participation was considered essential for Walker Cup selection. 

Past winners of the Walton Heath Trophy include Ross McGowan, Danny Willett and Jack Senior, to name a few. 

Fast forward to 2024 and after successfully hosting the AIG Women’s Open the previous year, Walton Heath decided it was time to also include an event for elite female amateurs. 

This was largely spearheaded by the impressive Jill Thornhill. For those that don’t know, Jill is a former Curtis Cup player, past British Amateur Champion and most importantly for the launch of this event, the current Walton Heath Golf Club president.

Jill was present at a media day celebrating the Walton Heath Trophy which I was lucky enough to be present at. She spoke about the event with such passion and pride in what it has become, and you can really tell how genuinely important it is to both her, and the golf club itself.  

So, with that, the Jill Thornhill Rose was launched in 2024 that uniquely runs in tandem with the Michael Lunt Salver. 

When is The Walton Heath Trophy Being Played in 2026?

As an event, the Walton Heath Trophy now gives both men’s and women’s elite golfers the opportunity to compete in a 72 hole stroke play event, over four days - based on both the Old and New Courses - giving an experience that is delivered to a professional golf standard which not only showcases a premier venue, but also Walton Heath’s commitment to equality in competitive amateur golf and an opportunity to earn World Golf Amateur Rankings points. 

The 2026 playing of the event takes place from Tuesday 21st July to Thursday 23rd July, played over the Old and New Courses at Walton Heath. 

The first 36 holes will be played over the first two days, with competitors playing one round on each course. 60 players will qualify for the third and final day (40 men, 20 women) where 36 holes are to be played. The men play the New Course in the morning, followed by the Old in the afternoon, with the women playing the two courses the other way round. 

Entries for this year’s event are still open until Wednesday 1st July and anyone looking to enter can do so by visiting the following links: Michael Lunt Salver and Jill Thornhill Rose.