Girls Amateur Championship

Last updated

Girls Amateur Championship
Tournament information
LocationUnited Kingdom
Established1919
Course(s)Various in United Kingdom
Organized by The R&A
Format Stroke play followed by match play
Current champion
Flag of Germany.svg Helen Briem

The Girls Amateur Championship is a golf tournament held annually in the United Kingdom. Girls need to be under 18 on 1 January in the year of the championship.

Contents

Until World War II the championship was organised by a series of magazines and always held at Stoke Poges Golf Club near Slough. it was first held in 1919, although an event was planned in 1914 but was cancelled because of the start of World War I. After World War II it restarted in 1949 when the Ladies Golf Union took over the event. It is now run by The R&A, following the merger with the Ladies Golf Union in 2017. [1]

Format

Currently the championship involves two rounds of stroke-play after which the 64 lowest scores compete in six rounds of match-play. Ties for 64th place are decided by countback. All match-play rounds are over 18 holes, except the final which is played over 36 holes, with extra holes played, if necessary, to decide the winner. Girls need to be under 18 on 1 January in the year of the championship.

History

The first attempt to run the event was in 1914, when The Gentlewoman magazine organised an event, for which Princess Mary, then 17, presented a trophy. The event was to have been played on 17 and 18 September at Stoke Poges Golf Club but was cancelled because of the start of World War I. [2]

The 1919 event was organised by Mabel Stringer, the sports editor of The Gentlewoman. [2] It was played on 17 and 18 September at Stoke Poges. 16 girls competed, having qualified through local events. Two rounds were played each day. The first winner of the Princess Mary trophy was Audrey Croft, from Ashford Manor, who beat Christina Clarke, from Reddish Vale, by 1 hole in the final. [3] The two finalists in 1919 met again in 1920, Miss Clarke winning this time at the 21st hole. [4] The first overseas winner was Simone de la Chaume from France, who beat Dorothy Pearson in 1924. [5] The 1926 championship was won by another French girl, Diana Esmond, who beat Margaret Ramsden in the final. Ramsden had beaten Esmond's sister, Sybil in the semi-final. [6] Diana Fishwick became the first two-time winner, winning in 1927 and 1928 while Pauline Doran won three times in a row, 1930, 1931 and 1932. Doran had beaten Dorrit Wilkins in the final in both 1930 and 1931 and beat Aline de Gunzbourg from France, in 1932. [7] [8]

1932 was the first year that The Bystander magazine organised the event. The Gentlewoman magazine had merged with Eve: The Lady's Pictorial, later to become Britannia and Eve, and the event had been known as the Eve's Girls Championship since 1927. Nancy Jupp became the youngest winner when she won the 1934 championship at the age of 13, beating Joan Montford, nearly five years older, in the final. [9] There was a French winner again in 1937, Lally Vagliano beating the defending champion, Peggy Edwards, in the final. [10] The 1939 championship was planned for September but was cancelled because of the start of World War II. The first England–Scotland match was held in 1935, on the Monday before the start of the championship. Scotland won by 5 matches to 2. [11]

The event was not restarted after the war until the Ladies Golf Union took over the organisation of the event in 1949. Played at Beaconsfield Golf Club, the tournament was won by Pam Davies, a Coventry medical student, who beat Arlette Jacquet, from Belgium, by one hole. [12] The first post-war overseas winner was Brigitte Varangot from France who won at North Berwick in 1957, beating the defending champion Ruth Porter in the final. [13] Varangot reached the final the following year at Cotswold Hills but lost to Tessa Ross Steen in the final. [14] It was not until 1969 that there was another overseas winner, Joyce de Witt Puyt, from the Netherlands, beating the Belgian Corinne Reybroeck in the final. Reybroeck had also been runner-up in 1968. Since 1969 the number of overseas winners has increased, outnumbering British winners, although two Scots, Jane Connachan and Mhairi McKay are the only girls since the war to win the championship twice. The event is now run by The R&A, following the merger with the LGU in 2017. In 2022 the final was extended from 18 to 36 holes.

Results

YearVenueChampionScoreRunner-up
2023 Ganton Flag of Germany.svg Helen Briem 12 & 10 Flag of Spain.svg Martina Navarro Navarro
2022 Carnoustie Flag of England.svg Lottie Woad 7 & 6 Flag of Spain.svg Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio
2021 Fulford Flag of Scotland.svg Hannah Darling 2 up Ulster Banner.svg Beth Coulter
2020 Southport and Ainsdale Cancelled [15]
2019 Panmure Flag of Slovenia.svg Pia Babnik 4 & 3 Flag of Austria.svg Isabella Holpfer
2018 Ardglass Flag of Austria.svg Emma Spitz 2 & 1 Flag of Austria.svg Isabella Holpfer
2017 Enville Flag of England.svg Lily May Humphreys 7 & 5 Flag of Norway.svg Emilie Overas
2016 Royal St David's Flag of Italy.svg Emilie Alba Paltrinieri 4 & 3 Flag of England.svg Isobel Wardle
2015 West Kilbride Flag of Norway.svg Sandra Nordaas 2 & 1 Flag of Spain.svg Marta Perez Sanmartin
2014 Massereene Flag of Spain.svg Alejandra Pasarin 2 & 1 Flag of Germany.svg Chiara Mertens
2013 Fairhaven Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Jing Yan 1 up Flag of Italy.svg Roberta Liti
2012 Tenby Flag of England.svg Georgia Hall 6 & 5 Flag of Spain.svg Clara Baena
2011 Gullane No.1 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Margaux Vanmol 1 up Flag of France.svg Céline Boutier
2010 Royal Belfast Flag of France.svg Alexandra Bonetti 7 & 6 Flag of Italy.svg Laura Sedda
2009 West Lancashire Flag of France.svg Perrine Delacour 2 up Flag of England.svg Elizabeth Mallett
2008 Monifieth Links Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Laura Gonzalez Escallon 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Kelly Tidy
2007 Southerndown Flag of England.svg Henrietta Brockway 4 & 3 Flag of England.svg Kelly Tidy
2006 Portstewart Flag of Spain.svg Belén Mozo 3 & 1 Flag of Scotland.svg Sally Watson
2005 West Hill Flag of Sweden.svg Anna Nordqvist 2 & 1 Flag of Spain.svg Azahara Muñoz
2004 Lanark Flag of Spain.svg Azahara Muñoz 4 & 2 Flag of France.svg Valentine Derrey
2003 Newport Flag of Norway.svg Marianne Skarpnord 2 & 1 Flag of Spain.svg Beatriz Recari
2002 Sandiway Abandoned because of rain
2001 Brough Flag of Scotland.svg Clare Queen 1 up Flag of Spain.svg Carmen Alonso
2000 Blairgowrie Flag of Italy.svg Tullia Calzavara 1 up Flag of England.svg Rachel Bell
1999 High Post Flag of Norway.svg Suzann Pettersen 3 & 1 Flag of Germany.svg Miriam Nagl
1998 Holyhead Flag of England.svg Maria Beautell 4 & 3 Flag of Germany.svg Miriam Nagl
1997 West Kilbride Flag of France.svg Caroline Laurens 2 & 1 Flag of Germany.svg Miriam Nagl
1996 Formby Ladies Flag of France.svg Marine Monnet 4 & 3 Flag of France.svg Caroline Laurens
1995 Northop County Park Flag of France.svg Anne Thevenin-Lemoine 3 & 2 Flag of Sweden.svg Jessica Krantz
1994 Gog Magog Flag of France.svg Amandine Vincent 1 up Flag of England.svg Rebecca Hudson
1993 Helensburgh Flag of Scotland.svg Mhairi McKay 4 & 3 Flag of France.svg Amandine Vincent
1992 Northamptonshire Flag of Scotland.svg Mhairi McKay 2 & 1 Flag of Spain.svg Sara Beautell
1991 Whitchurch (Cardiff) Flag of Sweden.svg Maria Hjorth 3 & 2 Flag of Scotland.svg Janice Moodie
1990 Penrith Flag of Italy.svg Silvia Cavalleri 5 & 4 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Esther Valera
1989 Carlisle Flag of Scotland.svg Myra McKinlay 19 holes Flag of Sweden.svg Sofie Eriksson
1988 Pyle & Kenfig Flag of England.svg Alison MacDonald 3 & 2 Flag of Sweden.svg Jessica Posener
1987 Barnham Broom Flag of England.svg Helen Dobson 19 holes Flag of Italy.svg Stefania Croce
1986 West Kilbride Flag of Italy.svg Stefania Croce 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Sarah Bennett
1985 Hesketh Flag of England.svg Susan Shapcott 3 & 1 Flag of Scotland.svg Elaine Farquharson
1984 Llandudno (Maesdu) Flag of England.svg Carol Swallow 1 up Flag of Scotland.svg Elaine Farquharson
1983 Alwoodley Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Evelyn Orley 7 & 6 Flag of England.svg Adele Walters
1982 Edzell Flag of England.svg Claire Waite 6 & 5 Flag of Scotland.svg Mary Mackie
1981 Woodbridge Flag of Scotland.svg Jane Connachan 20 holes Flag of England.svg Penny Grice
1980 Wrexham Flag of Scotland.svg Jane Connachan 2 up Ulster Banner.svg Laura Bolton
1979 Edgbaston Flag of France.svg Sophie Lapaire 19 holes Flag of England.svg Pat Smillie
1978 Largs Flag of France.svg Marie-Laure de Lorenzi 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Debbie Glenn
1977 Formby Ladies Flag of Scotland.svg Wilma Aitken 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Sue Bamford
1976 Pyle & Kenfig Flag of Scotland.svg Gillian Stewart 5 & 4 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Susan Rowlands
1975 Henbury Flag of Scotland.svg Suzanne Cadden 4 & 3 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lisa Isherwood
1974 Dunbar Flag of England.svg Ruth Barry 1 up Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Tegwen Perkins
1973 Northamptonshire County Flag of France.svg Anne Marie Palli 2 & 1 Flag of France.svg Nathalie Jeanson
1972 Royal Norwich Flag of Scotland.svg Maureen Walker 2 & 1 Flag of Scotland.svg Suzanne Cadden
1971 North Berwick Flag of Ireland.svg Josephine Mark 4 & 3 Flag of Scotland.svg Maureen Walker
1970 North Wales Flag of Jersey.svg Carol Le Feuvre 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Mickey Walker
1969 Ilkley Flag of the Netherlands.svg Joyce de Witt Puyt 2 & 1 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Corinne Reybroeck
1968 Leven Ulster Banner.svg Carol Wallace 4 & 3 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Corinne Reybroeck
1967 Liphook Flag of England.svg Penny Burrows 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Jill Hutton
1966 Troon Portland Flag of Scotland.svg Jill Hutton 20 holes Flag of England.svg Dinah Oxley
1965 Formby Ladies Flag of England.svg Anne Willard 3 & 2 Flag of England.svg Shirley Ward
1964 Camberley Heath Flag of England.svg Pam Tredinnick 2 & 1 Flag of Scotland.svg Kathleen Cumming
1963 Gullane Flag of England.svg Dinah Oxley 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Barbara Whitehead
1962 Alnmouth Flag of England.svg Susan McLaren-Smith 2 & 1 Flag of Scotland.svg Aileen Murphy
1961 Beaconsfield Flag of England.svg Diane Robb 3 & 2 Flag of England.svg Jean Roberts
1960 Kilmarnock (Barassie) Flag of England.svg Susan Clarke 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Ann Irvin
1959 Woolaton Park Flag of England.svg Sheila Vaughan 1 up Flag of England.svg Julia Greenhalgh
1958 Cotswold Hills Flag of England.svg Tessa Ross Steen 2 & 1 Flag of France.svg Brigitte Varangot
1957 North Berwick Flag of France.svg Brigitte Varangot 3 & 2 Flag of England.svg Ruth Porter
1956 Seaton Carew Flag of England.svg Ruth Porter 5 & 4 Flag of England.svg Annette Nicholson
1955 Beaconsfield Flag of England.svg Angela Ward 5 & 4 Flag of England.svg Alison Gardner
1954 West Kilbride Flag of England.svg Bridget Jackson 20 holes Flag of England.svg Dolores Winsor
1953 Woodhall Spa Flag of England.svg Susan Hill 3 & 2 Flag of England.svg Angela Ward
1952 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Ann Phillips 7 & 6 Flag of England.svg Suzanne Marbrook
1951 Gullane Flag of England.svg Jane Redgate 19 holes Flag of Scotland.svg Janette Robertson
1950 Formby Flag of Scotland.svg Janette Robertson 5 & 4 Flag of England.svg Ann Phillips
1949 Beaconsfield Flag of England.svg Pam Davies 1 up Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Arlette Jacquet
1939–1948: Not played
1938 Stoke Poges Flag of Scotland.svg Sheila Stroyan 4 & 3 Flag of England.svg Joan Pemberton
1937 Stoke Poges Flag of France.svg Lally Vagliano 5 & 4 Flag of England.svg Peggy Edwards
1936 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Peggy Edwards 3 & 2 Flag of England.svg Jacqueline Gordon
1935 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Peggy Falkner 1 up Flag of England.svg Joan Pemberton
1934 Stoke Poges Flag of Scotland.svg Nancy Jupp 3 & 1 Flag of Scotland.svg Joan Montford
1933 Stoke Poges Flag of Scotland.svg Jessie Anderson 5 & 3 Flag of England.svg Enid Pears
1932 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Pauline Doran 19 holes Flag of France.svg Aline de Gunzbourg
1931 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Pauline Doran 2 & 1 Flag of England.svg Dorrit Wilkins
1930 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Pauline Doran 19 holes Flag of England.svg Dorrit Wilkins
1929 Stoke Poges Flag of Scotland.svg Nan Baird 4 & 3 Flag of England.svg Sylvia Bailey
1928 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Daina Fishwick 3 & 2 Flag of England.svg Marion Jolly
1927 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Diana Fishwick 7 & 6 Flag of England.svg Irene Taylor
1926 Stoke Poges Flag of France.svg Diana Esmond 6 & 5 Flag of England.svg Margaret Ramsden
1925 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Enid Wilson 5 & 3 Flag of England.svg Katharine Nicholls
1924 Stoke Poges Flag of France.svg Simone de la Chaume 4 & 2 Flag of England.svg Dorothy Pearson
1923 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Mary Mackay 3 & 2 Flag of England.svg Barbara Strohmenger
1922 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Muriel Wickenden 4 & 3 Flag of England.svg Barbara Griffiths
1921 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Winifred Sarson 5 & 3 Flag of England.svg Marjorie Parkinson
1920 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Christina Clarke 21 holes Flag of England.svg Audrey Croft
1919 Stoke Poges Flag of England.svg Audrey Croft 1 up Flag of England.svg Christina Clarke

Sources: [16] [17]

Future venues

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References

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  4. "The Girls Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 17 September 1920. p. 14.
  5. "Girls Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 18 September 1924. p. 13.
  6. "The Girls' Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 16 September 1926. p. 3.
  7. "The Girls' Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 12 September 1931. p. 20.
  8. "Girls' Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 17 September 1932. p. 16.
  9. "Success of Miss Nancy Jupp". The Glasgow Herald . 15 September 1934. p. 3.
  10. "Girls' Title goes to France". The Glasgow Herald . 11 September 1937. p. 3.
  11. "Scots girls' success". The Glasgow Herald. 3 September 1935. p. 16.
  12. "British Girls' Champion". The Glasgow Herald . 10 September 1949. p. 2.
  13. "British Girls' Champion". The Glasgow Herald . 14 September 1957. p. 7.
  14. "Miss Steen Girls' Champion". The Glasgow Herald . 6 September 1958. p. 8.
  15. "Amateur Championships and Matches Update". The R&A. 22 June 2020.
  16. "Past Winners The Girls Amateur Championship" . Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  17. "Girls Amateur Championship Match Play Scoring". R&A. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  18. "Venues Announced for Amateur Championships in 2023 and 2024". The R&A. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.