The Swedish Match Play Championship is a golf tournament played since 1904, held for both men and women. It is the oldest and most traditional golf tournament in Sweden. The name SM is shortening in Swedish language for "Svenska Mästerskapet" (the Swedish Championship).

History

From the first tournament in 1904 (for men) and 1911 (for women) until 1983, it was an amateur tournament, from 1910 open only for Swedish citizens, and the winner was the official Swedish champion. Since 1984, except 1985, the tournament has been open to both amateurs and professionals and for foreign citizens. If a foreigner wins, the best placed Swedish player becomes Swedish champion of the year. The men's tournament is part of the Swedish Golf Tour since 1986 and the

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since 1999. It featured on the Challenge Tour between 1990 and 1999. The women's tournament is part of the women's Swedish Golf Tour since 1986. The first tournament was held 9–10 October 1904, organized by Göteborgs Golfklubb (Gothenburg Golf Club) at the newly built 6 hole Hovås Course. Only players from the home club took part, despite there were two clubs in the country, one in Stockholm also. From 1907 to 1966, the final in the men's tournament was played over 36 holes. In 1949 and in 1950, the men's tournament began with 36 holes stroke play, were the 8 best players qualified for the match play competition. From 1932 to 1983, the final in the women's tournament was played over 36 holes. In 2012 the format was again changed from pure match play to 36 hole stroke play followed by match play for the 32 best men and 16 best women respectively.SM Match Changes Format
Svensk Golf, 25 June 2012 In 2020, the men's and women's tournaments were, for the first time, played at different venues and at different dates. Most victories in the men's tournament are won by Elis Werkell, with six wins. Most victories in the women's tournament are won by Liv Wollin (née Forsell) with ten wins.

Swedish champion

Each year a Swedish champion award is given to the highest finishing Swede at the conclusion of the tournament. The Swedish Champion in the men's category has always came from the final match, except in 1997 and 2017, when

Raimo Sjöberg Raimo Sjöberg (born 25 September 1970) is a List of Swedish professional golfers, Swedish professional golfer. On the Challenge Tour, Sjöberg won the 1999 Gula Sidorna Grand Prix and finished runner-up at the 2002 Challenge de Espana, the 1998 ...

(1997) and

Joakim Rask Joakim "Jocke" Rask (born 8 January 1972) is a Swedish professional golfer. Rask's father, a scratch golfer, taught him to play as a six-year-old and he represented the Swedish boys' team. Rask concentrated on golf after an ice-hockey injury, and ...

(2017) finished as the highest finishing Swedes without making the final. In the women's category,

Karolina Andersson Karolina may refer to: People * Karolina (name) * Karolina (singer), singer/songwriter from Eilat, Israel Places * Karolina, Łódź Voivodeship (central Poland) * Karolina, Grodzisk Mazowiecki County in Masovian Voivodeship (east-central Poland) ...

in 2002,

Caroline Hedwall Caroline Ingrid Hedwall (born 13 May 1989) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the LPGA Tour. In 2013 she became the first player to win five matches in a single Solheim Cup event. As an amateur she w ...

in 2007 and Ellen Hutchinson-Kay in 2022 were crowned Swedish champions without winning the tournament.

Winners

Men's winners

Women's winners

Notes

References

{{reflist

External links

Coverage on the Swedish Golf Federation's official site: All winners (men)Coverage on the Swedish Golf Federation's official site: All winners (women)
Former Challenge Tour events Swedish Golf Tour events Swedish Golf Tour (women) events Golf tournaments in Sweden Recurring sporting events established in 1904 1904 establishments in Sweden