The 2021 Junior Vagliano Trophy is set to take place this week at Hilversumsche Golf Club in the Netherlands.
The Junior Vagliano Trophy is an annual match between the top U16 girls from Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. Selection to play in the match recognizes the players’ outstanding achievements in the amateur game.
Originally scheduled to be played alongside its senior sister, the Vagliano Trophy, at Lausanne Golf Club, Switzerland in June, the match was postponed due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. It will be contested on Friday and Saturday (8 & 9 October) this week.
The two six-player teams will compete for a total of 18 points at Hilversumsche Golf Club. Three foursomes matches in the morning, and six singles matches in the afternoon on both days will decide who takes the trophy home.
The Continent of Europe side will look for their sixth straight victory in the match, having won all five of the editions played since the inauguration of the contest in 2011.
THE TEAMS
CONTINENT OF EUROPE
Five of the six Continent of Europe team players will compete in the match for the first time. Francesca Fiorellini is the only girl to have previously competed in the match, having helped her side to victory at the 2019 edition in England.
It won’t be the first time the players have competed on the same team however. All six of the Continent of Europe players were part of the victorious European side that overturned a four-point deficit to the USA at the PING Junior Solheim Cup last month.
The team will be captained by two-time European Mid-Amateur Ladies’ Champion, Myrte Eikenaar (NED).
"I am very excited about the team we have selected, which includes such amazingly young and talented players who have shown great form in national and international championships." said Eikenaar.
"There is little doubt that we will find strong competitors on the R&A side as well, but I know that our team will give it their all to win the Junior Vagliano Throphy. I look forward to welcoming the girls at the Hilversumsche Golf Club in The Netherlands to experience one of the most exciting matches of the year.”
Helen BRIEM (GER)
Cayetana FERNÁNDEZ GARCÍA-POGGIO (ESP)
Francesca FIORELLINI (ITA)
Constance FOUILLET (FRA)
Meja ÖRTENGREN (SWE)
Nora SUNDBERG (SWE)
GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND
The visiting team will be captained by former AIG Women’s Open champion, Janet Davies (ENG).
Ahead of the match Davies said, “We have a wonderfully talented group of players who are all delighted to be representing GB&I in what will be an exciting contest against the Continent of Europe in the Netherlands.
“I’m honoured to captain the GB&I team and to lead these young golfers in such a prestigious match which gives them a fantastic opportunity to compete against their peers from the Continent of Europe.”
Grace CRAWFORD (SCO)
Rosie BEE KIM (ENG)
Harriet LOCKLEY (WAL)
Katie POOTS (IRL)
Maggie WHITEHEAD (ENG)
Ellen YATES (ENG)
The players will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Solheim Cup stars Georgia Hall, Charley Hull and Emily Pedersen who have all formerly competed in the match.
Two of the 2019 Continent of Europe Junior Vagliano Trophy team players have gone on to win events on the Ladies’ European Tour. Slovenia’s Pia Babnik and France’s Lucie Malchirand have both claimed victories on the Ladies’ professional circuit this year.
2019 Junior Vagliano Trophy, Royal St. George's Golf Club, England, Continent of Europe Team
ABOUT THE JUNIOR VAGLIANO TROPHY
The Junior Vagliano Trophy is an annual junior girls match played between six-player teams from the Continent of Europe and Great Britain & Ireland.
First played in 2011, the match is now in its sixth edition. The contest was originally created as a junior version of the Vagliano Trophy, which is an amateur ladies match between eight-player teams from the Continent of Europe and Great Britian & Ireland.
The match has historically been played alongside its senior sister every other year, although will now be played annually.
A number of high-profile players have competed on both sides of the match in the past including Solheim Cup stars Georgia Hall, Charley Hull and Emily Pedersen. European Ladies’ Amateur Champions, Agathe Laisne, Bronte Law and Alice Hewson have all also competed in the junior version of the match before graduating to the womens’ teams.
The match takes places over two days, with three foursomes matches on both mornings and six singles matches on both afternoons. With 18 total points on offer, 9.5 points are needed to secure victory.
Draws, livescoring and updates can be found on the event webpage below:
2021 JUNIOR VAGLIANO TROPHY
