The EGA is delighted to announce a talented line-up of players for the 2024 Continent of Europe Junior Vagliano Trophy Team.
The six players will look to defend the trophy against Great Britain & Ireland at West Lancashire Golf Club on 23 and 24 August.
Selection to play in the biennial match, for female junior (U16) golfers, recognizes the players’ outstanding achievements in their young amateur careers.
THE SELECTIONS:
Olivia Holmberg (SWE)
Alice Kong (FRA)
Louise Uma Landgraf (FRA)
Nagore Martinez Salcedo (ESP)
Martina Navarro Navarro (ESP)
Lily Reitter (FRA)
As is common in the match, being for U16 players, all six members of the team will be representing the Continent of Europe for the first time.
Uncommonly however, half the team will be made up of golfers from the same country. Three French players, who all recently competed together for France in the European Girls’ Team Championship, have been selected for Myrte Eikenaar’s team.
Louise Uma Landgraf is the highest ranked player of the French trio, and the team, currently ranked 113th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Despite being just 15-years-old, Louise earned a call up for the French women’s Espirito Santo Trophy team last year and has won The U16 Girls’ Amateur championship and Annika Invitiational Europe this season.
The youngest player on the team, Alice Kong, also had one of the most impressive recent performances. Yet to reach her 15th birthday, Alice earned a solo-fifth finish at the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship in Finland at the end of July against one of the strongest field’s in women’s amateur golf.
Martina Navarro Navarro (ESP) is also in strong form heading into the match. The Spanish junior earned a silver medal at the European Young Masters in Slovakia 10 days ago, helping Spain to a runner-up finish in the team category.
EXPERIENCED CAPTAIN RETURNS TO LEAD A ROOKIE TEAM
The Continent of Europe team will be led by non-playing captain, Myrte Eikenaar (NED) for the fourth consecutive year.
The former Dutch international has won the European Mid-Amateur Ladies’ Championship twice, and is undefeated in the match as captain.
“I am very much looking forward to lead this talented young team from the continent of Europe in this year’s Junior Vagliano Throphy” said Eikenaar.
“All players have already shown great form over the summer and as a team we will try our best to win the Throphy over at West Lancs later this month.”
“Getting to represent the continent of Europe is an amazing experience. Having the chance to form a team with girls from other countries and making friendships and memories for a lifetime is priceless.”
Eikenaar is also captain of the European Patsy Hankins Trophy team, and guided 12 of Europe’s best female amateur players to their first ever win against Asia-Pacific in Spain last year.
WEST LANCASHIRE TO HOST EUROPE’S BEST JUNIOR BOYS AND GIRLS
Founded in 1873, West Lancashire is one of the oldest golf clubs in England and boasts one of the most natural and testing layouts found anywhere in the British Isles. Located on one of the best-known stretches of land in world golf, West Lancashire sits mere kilometres away from Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool.
Regularly ranked amongst the 100 best courses of GB&I, West Lancashire will host both the Jacques Léglise Trophy (U18 boys) and the Junior Vagliano Trophy (U16 girls) in parallel later this month.
As a typical links layout, the course will arguably give home-advantage to the GB&I side, who are looking claim their first ever victory in the match.
ABOUT THE JUNIOR VAGLIANO TROPHY
The Junior Vagliano Trophy is an international match played every year between elite female junior golfers from the Continent of Europe and Great Britain & Ireland.
The match was inaugurated in 2011 as a junior version of the Vagliano Trophy. It was originally played every other year, like the Vagliano Trophy, but since 2021 has been played annually together with either the Jacques Léglise or Vagliano Trophy matches
The match takes place 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.
The contest is jointly organized by the European Golf Association and The R&A. The EGA selects the Continent of Europe side, while the GB&I team is chosen by The R&A. Identical matches between the two regions also exist for men (St Andrews Trophy), women (Vagliano Trophy), and boys (Jacques Léglise Trophy), the latter of which will be contested in parallel to the Junior Vagliano Trophy at West Lancashire.
The Continent of Europe has historically dominated the match. Of the eight editions contested so far, the European side has won seven. The last two editions of the match have been extremely tight however. The GB&I side got within just two points of their oppontents for the first time in 2022, while the most recent match finished in a tie.
