Royal Trophy
title: "Royal Trophy" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["royal-trophy", "japan-golf-tour-events", "former-european-tour-events", "former-asian-tour-events", "team-golf-tournaments", "golf-tournaments-in-thailand", "golf-tournaments-in-brunei", "golf-tournaments-in-china", "recurring-sporting-events-established-in-2006", "2006-establishments-in-thailand"] topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Trophy" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox golf tournament"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Royal Trophy |
| location | 2013: Guangzhou, China |
| establishment | 2006 |
| final_year | 2013 |
| course | 2013: Dragon Lake Golf Club |
| par | 2013: 72 |
| yardage | 2013: 6968 yd |
| field | 16 (8 for each team) |
| format | Match play |
| month_played | December |
| final_champion | Europe |
| :: |
| name = Royal Trophy | image = | location = 2013: Guangzhou, China | establishment = 2006 | final_year = 2013 | course = 2013: Dragon Lake Golf Club | par = 2013: 72 | yardage = 2013: 6968 yd | field = 16 (8 for each team) | tour = | format = Match play | purse = | month_played = December | final_champion = Europe The Royal Trophy was a men's professional team golf tournament which was played between 2006 and 2013. The competing teams represented Europe and Asia. Eight man teams played a series of 16 matches involving foursomes, four-ball and singles for the right to hold a trophy donated by the King of Thailand.
The first four contests, from 2006 to 2010, were played at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. In 2011 the event moved to a different venue in Thailand and then moved to Brunei and China.
The Royal Trophy was one of several team golf tournaments between teams from different regions of the world started since the 1990s, inspired by the popularity of the Ryder Cup. In March 2014 the European Tour and the Asian Tour launched a new team tournament, the EurAsia Cup, also played between teams represented Europe and Asia. The Royal Trophy planned for December 2014 was cancelled and has not been held since.
Event history
Seve Ballesteros, a leading proponent of team golf competitions, captained the European team in the inaugural tournament, and Japan's Masahiro Kuramoto captained Asia. Europe's team included the highly ranked David Howell and Paul McGinley, and former World Number 1s Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam were Ballesteros's captain's picks. Europe won the inaugural event by 9 points to 7.
Europe retained the trophy in 2007 with a 12½–3½ victory. The 2008 event was due to take place from 11–13 January, but was postponed due to a 15-day period of national mourning for the King of Thailand's sister, and was ultimately cancelled. The third edition took place in January 2009 with the Asian team winning for the first time. In 2010, Europe regained the trophy, winning by the smallest possible margin, 8½–7½. Europe won again in 2011 but Asia won the trophy again in 2012 after a sudden-death play-off. Europe won the final edition in 2013, again by a small margin, 8½–7½.
Format
The Royal Cup involved various match play competitions between players selected from two teams of eight. The winner of each match scored a point for his team, with half a point each for any match that was tied after the 18 holes. The winning team was determined by cumulative total points. In the event of a tie (8 points each) the Royal Cup was decided by a sudden-death playoff.
::data[format=table] | Year | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Total Points | Morning || Afternoon || Morning || Afternoon || Morning || Afternoon | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2006-08 | 4 foursomes | 4 fourballs | 8 singles | | 16 | | 2009-13 | 4 foursomes | 4 fourballs | 8 singles | 16 | | ::
Results
::data[format=table]
| Year | Venue | Winning team | Score | Europe captain | Asia captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Tournament cancelled | ||||
| 2013 | Dragon Lake Golf Club, China | 8–7 | ESP José María Olazábal | KOR Yang Yong-eun | |
| 2012 | Empire Hotel and Country Club, Brunei | Asia | 8–8 | ESP José María Olazábal | JPN Naomichi Ozaki |
| 2011 | Black Mountain Golf Club, Thailand | 9–7 | SCO Colin Montgomerie | JPN Naomichi Ozaki | |
| 2010 | Amata Spring Country Club, Thailand | 8–7 | SCO Colin Montgomerie | JPN Naomichi Ozaki | |
| 2009 | Amata Spring Country Club, Thailand | Asia | 10–6 | ESP José María Olazábal | JPN Naomichi Ozaki |
| 2008 | Tournament cancelled | ||||
| 2007 | Amata Spring Country Club, Thailand | 12–3 | ESP Seve Ballesteros | JPN Naomichi Ozaki | |
| 2006 | Amata Spring Country Club, Thailand | 9–7 | ESP Seve Ballesteros | JPN Masahiro Kuramoto | |
| :: |
References
- (31 October 2008). "Asia gives thumbs down to Down Under proposal". [[Reuters]].
- (1 November 2006). "Ozaki to captain Asia against Seve's Europe at Royal Trophy". [[The Star (Malaysia)]].
- (4 January 2008). "Thailand Royal postponed due to death". [[The Australian]].
- (15 December 2014). "Royal Trophy 'postponed' just days before tee off". Yahoo.
- Asia won on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
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