Yorkshireman Tom Osborne was crowned Spanish Amateur champion after defeating close friend and England men’s squad teammate Eliot Baker 3&2 in the 36-hole final at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro.
The pair, who reached the quarter-finals of the Sunningdale Foursomes as partners earlier this year, produced a compelling contest that swung dramatically at the halfway stage.
Tiverton-based Eliot struck first, moving 2up through 17 holes, but Tom clawed one back on the 18th. From there, Lindrick-based Tom seized control, winning the 20th and 21st holes to move ahead for the first time, before extending his lead to three at the 25th – an advantage he would not relinquish on his way to the 111th Copa del Rey title.
Tom’s victory capped an inspired week in one of Europe’s most prestigious amateur events, navigating two rounds of strokeplay before five matchplay wins across three days, none of which went to the 17th hole.
His route to the final included victories over England’s Charlie Rusbridge (3&1), the Czech Republic’s Hugo Mikl (4&2), Estonia’s Mattias Varjun (3&2), Germany’s Tjelle Rieger (5&3), and Denmark’s Oscar Risager Krzton (6&5).
Tom adds his name to a strong list of champions that includes Masters winners Sergio García and Danny Willett. He is the 11th English winner since 2000 – joining Richard Finch (2000), Tom Whitehouse (2001), Sam Hutsby (2006), John Parry (2007), Danny Willett (2008), Matthew Haines (2010), Laurie Canter (2011), Jack Hiluta (2011), Billy McKenzie (2018), and John Gough (2022).
The win is the biggest of the 24-year-old’s career to-date, though his form had been trending upward. He won all five of his matches for England at the 2026 Costa Ballena Octangular and was part of multiple victorious England teams in 2025, including the Octagonal Match, the European Cup of Nations at Sotogrande, the biennial international match against Spain, and the Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals. He also finished runner-up at the 2025 Lytham Trophy and T7 at the Scottish Men’s Open.
“I feel unbelievably happy and this is definitely one of my best performances,” said Tom. “It was nice to play against someone you’re friends with and I felt very comfortable this morning.
“As the day went on, it got a little bit more tense, but the game was still played in the best spirit and we both got the most out of ourselves. To win abroad has always been a goal of mine and to finally do it is very special. I knew it was coming but it was just a matter of when and thankfully it has come.
“As the week went on, I kept getting sharper with each round getting better. I didn’t play particularly great in the second round but other than that it was definitely the best I’ve ever played.
“The golf club is fantastic, the members were so welcoming all week, and the Spanish Federation were great too. It was a privilege to play at such a great golf course.
“I’ll have an early night, fly home in the morning and then probably walk my dog and maybe go fishing if the weather is good,” added Tom.
Eliot also arrived in Spain with an impressive résumé, having represented GB&I at the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point and helped secure the 2025 St Andrews Trophy. His standout 2025 season included wins at both the Portuguese Amateur and the Scottish Men’s Open.
