Six England players in GB and I team of nine for Vagliano Trophy at Malone, Belfast
Six England players have been selected for the GB andI team of nine to face the Continent of Europe in the Vagliano Trophy at Malone, Ireland, from June 26-27.
They are: Gemma Clews of Cheshire (image © Leaderboard Photography), Hayley Davis of Dorset, Alice Hewson of Hertfordshire, Bronte Law of Cheshire, Meghan MacLaren of Northamptonshire and Singapore-based Charlotte Thomas.
The Vagliano team, just announced by the LGU, will be completed by the Irish players, world number one Leona Maguire and Olivia Mehaffey, and by Chloe Williams of Wales
In addition, two England teenagers have been picked for the junior match, which is played simultaneously. They are Hollie Muse of Lancashire and Emily Price, who represents Warwickshire. Sammy Fuller of Surrey and Cloe Frankish of Kent are the reserves.
The other junior team members are: Mairead Martin and Annabel Wilson of Ireland and Hazel MacGarvie and Shannon McWilliam of Scotland.
The Vagliano Trophy team captain is Elaine Farquharson-Black and Claire Coughlan-Ryan will be the junior team captain. Lincolnshire’s Helen Hewlett is the manager for both teams.
Elaine Farquharson-Black, who played in two winning GB and I Vagliano teams said: “In recent years, Europe has had the upper hand, but I am feeling very excited about our team. We have the world numbers 1 and 3, in Leona Maguire and Bronte Law, but importantly we have strength in depth with players who have already shown that they can perform consistently well on the world stage.
“I am particularly pleased that Alice Hewson and Olivia Mehaffey who were in my Junior Vagliano team at Chantilly two years ago have made the progression to the senior team. Hopefully we will have a strong home support to cheer the team to victory.”
This will be the 29th Vagliano Trophy match. The Continent has won the last four matches but GB and I lead 16-12 overall.
The Vagliano team is made up of four automatic selections from the World Amateur Golf Ranking, two from the LGU Order of Merit and three wild card picks. The junior team is picked by a selection panel.
The England players:
Gemma Clews, 20, (Delamere Forest) has a perfect record of five wins from five international matches played so far this year, one against France and four in the recent England v Spain international. She was also in England’s winning team at the 2014 ladies’ Home Internationals. This season she has successfully defended the Delamere Comboy scratch tournament and had top five finishes in the Helen Holm Scottish stroke play, The Leveret and the Hampshire Rose.
Hayley Davis, 22, (Ferndown) is the English women’s stroke play champion and has previously held the English women’s amateur and girls’ titles. She topped the individual leaderboard in qualifying for the 2014 European team championship. She is a student at Baylor University, Texas, winning three times on the US women’s college circuit and has just helped her team to become runners-up in the NCAA Division 1 Championship. She has represented GB&I in the Vagliano Trophy and the Astor Trophy and is ranked 23rd in the world.
Alice Hewson, 17, (Berhamsted) was in England’s winning team at the recent international against Spain. She has also won the Hampshire Rose this season. Last year she won the Critchley Salver and the U18 prize at the St Rule Trophy and helped England to victory in both the girls’ and ladies’ Home Internationals. She has represented GB and I in the Junior Vagliano Trophy and is currently second on the LGU order of merit.
Bronte Law, 20, (Bramhall) is currently third in world amateur rankings and has represented GB and I in two Curtis Cup teams, the Vagliano Trophy and the Astor Trophy. She is the English women’s amateur champion and won the individual bronze medal at the 2014 women’s World Amateur Team Championship. She is a student at UCLA in California and has won three times on the US women’s college circuit and helped her university to reach the NCAA Division 1 championship.
Meghan MacLaren, 21, (Wellingborough) charged to victory in the 2014 British women’s stroke play championship, playing the final 36 holes in nine-under par. She has also won the Irish stroke play and French U18 titles. She is a student at Florida International University and has won seven times on the US college circuit and helped her team to reach the NCAA Division 1 Championship. She is 18th in the world rankings.
Charlotte Thomas, 22, (Sentosa) played in the 2014 Curtis Cup match and made her debut as an England international in last year’s European ladies’ team championship. She is a student at the University of Washington in Seattle and has won twice on the US women’s college circuit. In 2013 she won the English mid-amateur championship and was runner-up in the English stroke play.
Hollie Muse, 15, (West Lancashire) helped England beat Spain in the recent mixed international and this season has won the Scottish U16 championship and The Leveret. She also helped England win the team event at the Fairhaven Trophies and tied second in the girls’ championship. She was in England’s winning teams at both 2014 ladies’ and girls’ Home Internationals.
Emily Price, 15, (Cleobury Mortimer) is the English U15 girls’ champion and took third place in this year’s Scottish U16 stroke play. She represented England in the recent U16 international against Spain and won three of her four matches. She has also helped England to beat Switzerland U16s.
Sammy Fuller, 16, (Roehampton) returned from injury this season to tie for the Irish U18 stroke play, but lost a title play-off. She has represented England in the girls’ Home Internationals and GB&I in the junior Vagliano.
Cloe Frankish, 16, (Chart Hills) has had top ten finishes this season in the Irish women’s stroke play and the Scottish U16s. She has represented England in Nations Cup teams and last year she tied second in an event on the WPGA One Day Series.
Lyndsey Hewison
Press Officer
England Golf
pr@englandgolf.org
07825 752 193
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