Estonia will host its first ever professional golf tournament at the end of July when the HotelPlanner Tour arrives for the Infortar Estonian Challenge, and Richard Teder will be hoping to thrive on home soil.
Estonian Teder is most well known for qualifying for The 2025 Open Championship last year at Royal Portrush by pitching in from 50 yards in a four-man sudden death play-off during final qualifying at West Lancashire. It made him the first ever Estonian golfer to play in a Major Championship.
And with his home country set to become the 52nd nation to host a HotelPlanner Tour event in July, the 21-year-old is eager to impress.
“Estonia is hosting on the HotelPlanner Tour this year,” he said in April ahead of the Turkish Airlines Open on the DP World Tour.
“I'm going to get a wildcard there and hopefully I will play well. There are a lot of kids taking up the game now in Estonia, which is cool to see.
“It’s definitely nice being a motivation for all the young kids, so they can see that Estonians can actually do it. We can all get here no matter where you come from.”
Despite Teder missing the cut in Northern Ireland, he is hoping that the experience will help him as he looks to make inroads into the professional game - first this week at the Turkish Airlines Open on the DP World Tour, and then in Estonia later in the season.
“Definitely playing The Open has made this event much easier because I'm not as nervous,” he added.
“I feel pretty comfortable here around all these pros. Being the first Estonian at a Major and now being here is cool.
“The game is in the right spot, I think. Putting feels good. Course is wonderful. I mean, everything is in good shape for this week.
“This is a normal tournament for me, just trying to do my best, not give up, just give it my all and I'm sure I can compete with all these guys here.”
Teder has had an excellent amateur career, currently sitting at 159th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), having won four times over the last two years, with his most recent victory coming at the Turkish Amateur Open in February.
Two of these wins have notably come in his home country of Estonia, over both matchplay and stroke play formats – he also has three other top three finishes in the country.
Teder is only the second Estonian to play on the DP World Tour and will make his second HotelPlanner Tour appearance in July at Estonian Golf and Country Club, one of only seven golf courses in the country.
The Infortar Estonian Challenge will take place from July 30 – August 2, 2026.
