The 14th Hickory Grail, Rya GK, Sweden

2025 Hickory Grail: An Historic Triumph at Rya

In a dazzling display of vintage golf mastery, Team Europe crushed Team USA with a commanding 27.5 to 7.5 victory at the 14th Hickory Grail, held at the scenic Rya Golf Club in Helsingborg, Sweden.

The Hickory Grail is more than a competition—it’s a tribute to the roots of golf and the camaraderie that binds players across generations and continents. This year’s event at Rya was unforgettable.

Set against the stunning coastal backdrop of Öresund, Rya Golf Club provided a challenging and picturesque venue for this celebration of golf’s heritage. The course’s unique blend of seaside and parkland holes tested players’ precision and creativity, honoring the traditions of the game. The week long gale force westerly wind proved an additional challenge especially on the seaside holes.  Special to the Hickory Grail the course routing was modified to make matches start and finish in the absolute vicinity of the clubhouse veranda. The re-routing proved to give an additional challenge to the rounds where players had to start with the iconic short par three 4^th over a pond and with a howling side wind just to follow up with four long par 4’s, a long par 3 and a new long par 4 straight into the wind. The first nine holes of the round were indeed a match determining challenge.

Despite week long torrential rains leading up to the event, Head of Greens Sean Gilmour and his team, presented a course in immaculate condition. Fairways were firm and running, greens absolutely true and fast. We had the opportunity to play a course in sublime condition! The Club made us feel extremely welcome through providing week long exclusivity to the course and a never ending smiling support to all our needs. Catering was immaculate from the halfway house hotdog through lunches to dinners and drinks – all served with a smile.

Led by European captain Jonas Fack, the home team delivered a performance for the ages, just losing five of 35 matches. Ten European players didn’t lose a match, six of them didn’t lose a point. The American captain Mark Wehring secured three wins of a total five for the away team. Notably the US Hickory Team sported their first playing lady in Alexnadra Voight-Shelley who secured her first rookie point in winning the singles against Jenny Hunt on the 18^th green.

Tuesday, practice and Flag raising ceremony day. Players were greeted to the range in a howling gale force westerly wind under heavy skies promising nothing but rain. Practice rounds commenced in mixed fourballs, and it did not take long for the rain to start. Upon reaching the hilltop on the way back the wind reached storm strength, and the rain was both heavy and horizontal. Most people were sensible enough to walk in and cross their fingers in hopes of a Flag raising ceremony that would not rain away. Miraculously, an hour ahead of ceremony start and as the brass band took position on the 17^th tee, the rain vanished. Blue skies, sunshine but still the relentless gale of the sea. Flag raising to national hymns proved challenging in the strong wind but the ceremony went well to the gratitude of assembled players, functionaries and patrons. Post ceremony Team Europe hosted welcome party and pairings for the first match day rounded of day one.

Wednesday, seven matches fourball format. Slightly lighter skies but still overcast and an imminent threat of rain. The westerly wind was strong as ever showing no signs of folding down. As the brilliant starter, Mr Jörgen Linse, announced the first pairs of 14^th Hickory Grail on tee the rain begun. Luckily it didn’t last long but it was enough to leave a warning of its presence.  Team Europe got off to a flying start winning the first five matches before the Americans won the sixth match just to see Europe secure the last and final match making day one a huge European success with a 6 – 1 lead.

Thursday, fourteen matches foursomes format over two sessions. Bright skies, a touch of sunshine and a bit of warmth in the still howling westerly wind. Again a hot start for Team Europe securing big wins in the three top matches before Team US won the fourth. Europe took the remaining three ending the morning session with another 6 – 1 win. After lunch, reflections and regrouping another seven foursome matches to play. This time Europe won the first four matches before losing the fifth to the Americans before winning the final two winning yet another session 6 – 1. Standings after two days 18 – 3 to Europe, a lead that could not be caught up.

Friday, fourteen matches singles format. Awakening to clear blue skies, sunshine, warmth and hardly no wind at all – benign condition and totally unlike previous days. Team USA suffered from an injury why the last singles match convivially was tied and never played. The thirteen played singles were tighter with four tied matches and two American wins to the seven European victories. The singles ended in a 9.5 – 4.5 victory for Team Europe.

With the total score of 27.5 – 7.5 the European victory was a fact. The significant winning margin was for sure contributed to by the Viking gods sending relentless, unforgiving and merciless westerly winds that was better mastered by links course fostered Brits and Scandinavians.  

The over all standings after the 14^th Hickory Grail is 7 – 7. With the rather large European win the over all won points standing dramatically changed from a ten points American lead to a ten points deficit as Team Europe leads 164.5 – 154.5.

The 2025 edition reaffirmed the Grail’s status as the world’s most prestigious hickory golf event, uniting continents in a celebration of golf, history, sportsmanship and heart. The 14^th Convivial Dinner, held in Clubhouse, rounded off a remarkable Grail. The Ralph Livingston III medal was rightfully awarded Ross Hays for his outstanding contribution to hickory golf, to camaraderie over continents and unmatches sportsmanship.

We do look forward to the 15^th edition of the Hickory Grail in 2027.

Match results: