Royal Malta Golf Club is proud and excited to host the 2026 European Team Shield Championships, one of the most significant international golf events ever to take place in Malta. The championship will bring together 18 nations and 96 players, accompanied by their coaches, captains and delegates. The official programme begins on Tuesday 28 July, with the competitive action taking place from Wednesday 29 July to Saturday 1 August. Organised by the European Golf Association, the European Team Shield was established in 2016 to give smaller and emerging golfing nations the opportunity to compete at international level. The championship plays an important role in developing golf throughout Europe, while allowing players to represent their countries in a highly competitive team environment. The 2026 event will be the 12th edition of the championship, with Royal Malta Golf Club hosting both the men’s and women’s competitions. Malta’s teams Malta will be proudly represented in both championships. The Malta men’s team will consist of Andrew Borg, Oliver Davis, JJ Micallef and playing captain Ruud Critien. The team will be coached by Nicholas Zaher, assisted by Andreas Schwab. The Malta women’s team will feature Eliana Buhagiar, Laya Cristina, Serena Falzon Sant Manduca and Filipps Schulze Doering, under the captaincy of Noah Gratil. We wish all the players and officials representing Malta the very best as they prepare to compete on home soil. Showcasing Royal Malta Golf Club Hosting a European Golf Association championship represents a major milestone for Royal Malta Golf Club and provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase our course, facilities and hospitality to an international audience. Considerable work has been undertaken across the Club in preparation for the event. This includes the major course investment completed in 2025, when all 18 greens were reconstructed to USGA specifications and officially reopened in September. Since then, our agronomy team has continued working tirelessly to ensure the course is presented to the standard expected for international championship golf. Preparations have also involved our staff, committee members and volunteers across every area of the Club. Speaking at the official press conference, RMGC Vice-Chairman Victor Satariano highlighted the extensive improvements made to the course in recent years and expressed his confidence that the championship will provide an important showcase for both Royal Malta Golf Club and Malta. An important event for Maltese sport The selection of Malta as host reflects the country’s growing reputation for successfully organising major international sporting events. Representatives from SportMalta highlighted the importance of attracting high-quality international competitions to the islands. Events of this nature help raise local sporting standards, encourage greater participation and provide valuable benefits for Malta’s sports tourism sector. Marsa Sports Club Chairman Godwin Borg also recognised the continued investment being made across the wider sports complex and wished the Malta Golf Association every success in staging the championship. A full week of international golf The championship programme will begin on Tuesday 28 July with the official practice round, team captains’ meeting and opening ceremony. Competitive play will then begin on Wednesday 29 July, culminating in the final matches and presentation ceremony on Saturday 1 August. Throughout the week, Royal Malta Golf Club will welcome players, officials and supporters from across Europe. It promises to be a memorable celebration of international golf and a proud occasion for everyone connected with the Club. We would like to thank the Malta Golf Association, the European Golf Association, SportMalta, Marsa Sports Club and everyone involved in bringing this prestigious championship to Malta. Special thanks must also go to our staff, agronomy team, committee members, sponsors and volunteers. Their dedication and support have been instrumental in preparing the Club for an event of this scale. We look forward to welcoming all 18 participating nations to Royal Malta Golf Club and proudly showcasing our Club and our country on the European golfing stage. Further details can be found in the Times of Malta coverage of the official press conference.