OK, my fellow golf lovers, settle in and grab your scorecards, because you’re about to witness a story that’s been years in the making.
Over at West Lancashire, history was made as Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) finally broke their losing streak and snagged the Junior Vagliano Trophy for the very first time.
That’s right, after 13 years of knocking on the door, they finally kicked it down and said, “We’ll take that, thank you very much!”
Now, let’s not gloss over the fact that this wasn’t just any win—it was a nail-biter, right down to the last putt. GB&I edged out the Continent of Europe by the slimmest of margins, 8-7, in what can only be described as a classic David vs. Goliath showdown.
The girls from GB&I had been on the receiving end of some tough love for seven straight years, watching their European counterparts stroll away with the trophy each time. But this year? Well, this year was different.
Irish captain Deirdre Walsh, who must’ve felt like she was herding cats at times, deserves a standing ovation for guiding her team to victory.
Last year at Royal Dornoch, they came close—agonisingly close—with a 9-9 draw. But as we all know, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. This year, though, they were ready to rewrite the script.
“This is unbelievable,” said Walsh, likely still pinching herself to make sure it wasn’t all a dream. “I’m absolutely delighted for the girls.
They believed in themselves, they really did, and they went out to win their own points. They didn’t run away with themselves, or get ahead of themselves.
They focussed on their own matches. They went out to do a job and they did it.”
The foundation for this historic win was laid in the morning foursomes. GB&I managed to keep things level, splitting the session 1½ points apiece, and that set the stage for a thrilling afternoon.
With a 5-4 lead heading into the singles, they needed three wins from six matches to finally get their hands on that elusive Junior Vagliano Trophy.
But when the Continent of Europe came storming out of the gates, winning the first three singles, things looked bleak.
Enter Olivia Costello from Ireland, along with England’s Lauren Crump and Charlotte McNaughton.
These three young ladies stepped up when it mattered most, delivering the points that sealed the victory and sent the home crowd into raptures.
Walsh pinpointed a crucial moment in the morning foursomes that might have been the difference-maker.
McNaughton and Costello were four down after just six holes in their match against the French duo of Louise Uma Landgraf and Alice Kong.
But instead of folding, they dug deep and clawed their way back to earn a vital half-point. “That halve was vital this morning, absolutely vital,” Walsh emphasised.
“It was a game changer because it gave us momentum for this afternoon. We went into lunch confident, knowing that we could win the cup for the first time. It made the difference.”
On the other side, European captain Myrte Eikenaar had to admit, “It was fine margins this week, but that half point in the morning foursomes was so important for GB&I.
It gave them the lead, and we had to fight harder. We gave it our best, but GB&I just had that edge, and they deserved to win.”
Meanwhile, over in the Jacques Leglise Trophy, it was business as usual for the Continent of Europe’s junior men, who secured their fifth straight win with a 12-10 victory.
GB&I’s boys were left to lick their wounds after losing all four of the morning foursomes matches, a hole they couldn’t quite climb out of despite a valiant effort.
Continent of Europe captain Pierre Relecom summed it up with a knowing smile, “There was magnificent golf this morning from both sides, but my team just played better.
It’s a huge thing to win the cup five times in a row. It proves the federations are doing a good job of bringing up some good golfers.”
Chris King, the captain for GB&I’s Jacques Leglise team, tipped his hat to the opposition, “You just have to take your hat off to Pierre and the Continent of Europe.
They played cracking golf, and it was a massive ask this afternoon to expect us to win seven of the singles.
These boys can take a lot of positives away from this. There were so many good performances. We had a lot of future stars here this week.”
So there you have it, folks. GB&I’s junior girls finally get to taste the sweet nectar of victory in the Junior Vagliano Trophy, while the Continent of Europe’s junior men continue to show they’re the team to beat in the Jacques Leglise.
But if this weekend proved anything, it’s that nothing is set in stone—except maybe the thrill of what’s to come next year.
