From Tallinn to The Open: The Self-Taught Estonian Who's Shocked the Golfing World

When you think of The Open Championship, you picture windswept dunes, galleries wrapped in waterproofs, and generations of players teeing it up with history on the line. What you probably don’t imagine is a 20-year-old amateur from Estonia, a country with only a handful of golf courses and no track record in major championships. Yet, that’s exactly the story unfolding at Royal Portrush this week, as Richard Teder makes history in the most unlikeliest of ways.

Teder isn’t just playing in his first Open — he’s the first Estonian ever to do so. And his route to golf’s most iconic tournament reads more like a Hollywood script than a standard tour pro résumé.

Raised in Tallinn, Teder’s first exposure to golf came thanks to a voucher his aunt won in a raffle. From there, the obsession began. Estonia, with just seven golf courses in the entire country, doesn’t exactly scream “major golf pipeline,” but the limitations didn’t matter. By the age of 13, he was already playing off scratch. A year later, he shot 64. Not bad for someone who was, by his own admission, learning mostly through trial, error and YouTube.

In fact, YouTube didn’t just teach Teder about swing mechanics. It also taught him English. Alongside video games, it became his second tutor — crucial for a young golfer trying to navigate international competition without a traditional support structure.

Unlike many promising amateurs, Teder didn’t go the well-trodden route of a U.S. college scholarship. Instead, he stayed focused on local and European amateur circuits, quietly building up experience on links courses — the very kind he'll face this week in Northern Ireland. That experience paid off handsomely during Final Qualifying at West Lancashire, where he holed out from 90 yards for eagle in a sudden-death playoff. It was a shot that not only booked his place in The Open but cemented his name in Estonian sporting folklore.

What makes Teder’s story even more compelling is his attitude. There's no bravado. No expectation. Just excitement to be part of something he’s admired from afar for years. When asked what he expects from the experience, he doesn’t talk about making the cut or beating big names. He talks about enjoying it. Absorbing it. Learning from it.

It’s this perspective that might just give him an edge. Portrush is a demanding test, even for seasoned pros. But Teder’s combination of natural power, relaxed mindset, and familiarity with unpredictable links conditions could surprise a few more people before the week is out.

And if he does pull off something special? He’s already thinking about what comes next. Turning pro might be on the horizon, but not before soaking up every second of this once-in-a-lifetime moment. There’s even talk of the HotelPlanner Tour — a launchpad that’s helped many non-traditional talents find their way into the pro ranks.

In an era where professional golf is dominated by finely tuned machines and data-driven prep, Teder’s story is refreshingly organic. It’s a reminder of the purest essence of the game: one person, one ball, one belief that they belong.

Whether he makes the weekend or not, Richard Teder has already changed the landscape of Estonian golf forever. He’s also given fans across the world something rare — a new name to root for, and a story worth sharing.