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.

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..

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.

The 1919 event was organised by Mabel Stringer, the sports editor of The Gentlewoman. 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. The two finalists in 1919 met again in 1920, Miss Clarke winning this time at the 21st hole. The first overseas winner was Simone de la Chaume from France, who beat Dorothy Pearson in 1924. 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. 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.

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. There was a French winner again in 1937, Lally Vagliano beating the defending champion, Peggy Edwards, in the final. The 1939 championship was planned for September but was cancelled because of the start of World War II. The first England–Scotland girls match was held in 1935, on the Monday before the start of the championship. Scotland won by 5 matches to 2.

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. 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. Varangot reached the final the following year at Cotswold Hills but lost to Tessa Ross Steen in the final. 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. Stroke-play qualifying was introduced in 1986 with 16 players advancing to the match-play stage. 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-up2025 Conwy Lily Reitter 4 & 2 Charlotte Naughton2024 Alwoodley Havanna Torstensson 8 & 7 Matylda Krawczyńska2023 Ganton Helen Briem 12 & 10 Martina Navarro Navarro2022 Carnoustie Lottie Woad 7 & 6 Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio2021 Fulford Hannah Darling 2 up Beth Coulter2020 Southport and Ainsdale Cancelled2019 Panmure Pia Babnik 4 & 3 Isabella Holpfer2018 Ardglass Emma Spitz 2 & 1 Isabella Holpfer2017 Enville Lily May Humphreys 7 & 5 Emilie Overas2016 Royal St David's Emilie Alba Paltrinieri 4 & 3 Isobel Wardle2015 West Kilbride Sandra Nordaas 2 & 1 Marta Perez Sanmartin2014 Massereene Alejandra Pasarin 2 & 1 Chiara Mertens2013 Fairhaven Jing Yan 1 up Roberta Liti2012 Tenby Georgia Hall 6 & 5 Clara Baena2011 Gullane No.1 Margaux Vanmol 1 up Céline Boutier2010 Royal Belfast Alexandra Bonetti 7 & 6 Laura Sedda2009 West Lancashire Perrine Delacour 2 up Elizabeth Mallett2008 Monifieth Links Laura Gonzalez Escallon 2 & 1 Kelly Tidy2007 Southerndown Henrietta Brockway 4 & 3 Kelly Tidy2006 Portstewart Belén Mozo 3 & 1 Sally Watson2005 West Hill Anna Nordqvist 2 & 1 Azahara Muñoz2004 Lanark Azahara Muñoz 4 & 2 Valentine Derrey2003 Newport Marianne Skarpnord 2 & 1 Beatriz Recari2002 Sandiway Abandoned because of rain2001 Brough Clare Queen 1 up Carmen Alonso2000 Blairgowrie Tullia Calzavara 1 up Rachel Bell1999 High Post Suzann Pettersen 3 & 1 Miriam Nagl1998 Holyhead Maria Beautell 4 & 3 Miriam Nagl1997 West Kilbride Caroline Laurens 2 & 1 Miriam Nagl1996 Formby Ladies Marine Monnet 4 & 3 Caroline Laurens1995 Northop County Park Anne Thevenin-Lemoine 3 & 2 Jessica Krantz1994 Gog Magog Amandine Vincent 1 up Rebecca Hudson1993 Helensburgh Mhairi McKay 4 & 3 Amandine Vincent1992 Northamptonshire Mhairi McKay 2 & 1 Sara Beautell1991 Whitchurch (Cardiff) Maria Hjorth 3 & 2 Janice Moodie1990 Penrith Silvia Cavalleri 5 & 4 Esther Valera1989 Carlisle Myra McKinlay 19 holes Sofie Eriksson1988 Pyle & Kenfig Alison MacDonald 3 & 2 Jessica Posener1987 Barnham Broom Helen Dobson 19 holes Stefania Croce1986 West Kilbride Stefania Croce 2 & 1 Sarah Bennett1985 Hesketh Susan Shapcott 3 & 1 Elaine Farquharson1984 Llandudno (Maesdu) Carol Swallow 1 up Elaine Farquharson1983 Alwoodley Evelyn Orley 7 & 6 Adele Walters1982 Edzell Claire Waite 6 & 5 Mary Mackie1981 Woodbridge Jane Connachan 20 holes Penny Grice1980 Wrexham Jane Connachan 2 up Laura Bolton1979 Edgbaston Sophie Lapaire 19 holes Pat Smillie1978 Largs Marie-Laure de Lorenzi 2 & 1 Debbie Glenn1977 Formby Ladies Wilma Aitken 2 & 1 Sue Bamford1976 Pyle & Kenfig Gillian Stewart 5 & 4 Susan Rowlands1975 Henbury Suzanne Cadden 4 & 3 Lisa Isherwood1974 Dunbar Ruth Barry 1 up Tegwen Perkins1973 Northamptonshire County Anne Marie Palli 2 & 1 Nathalie Jeanson1972 Royal Norwich Maureen Walker 2 & 1 Suzanne Cadden1971 North Berwick Josephine Mark 4 & 3 Maureen Walker1970 North Wales Carol Le Feuvre 2 & 1 Mickey Walker1969 Ilkley Joyce de Witt Puyt 2 & 1 Corinne Reybroeck1968 Leven Carol Wallace 4 & 3 Corinne Reybroeck1967 Liphook Penny Burrows 2 & 1 Jill Hutton1966 Troon Portland Jill Hutton 20 holes Dinah Oxley1965 Formby Ladies Anne Willard 3 & 2 Shirley Ward1964 Camberley Heath Pam Tredinnick 2 & 1 Kathleen Cumming1963 Gullane Dinah Oxley 2 & 1 Barbara Whitehead1962 Alnmouth Susan McLaren-Smith 2 & 1 Aileen Murphy1961 Beaconsfield Diane Robb 3 & 2 Jean Roberts1960 Kilmarnock (Barassie) Susan Clarke 2 & 1 Ann Irvin1959 Woolaton Park Sheila Vaughan 1 up Julia Greenhalgh1958 Cotswold Hills Tessa Ross Steen 2 & 1 Brigitte Varangot1957 North Berwick Brigitte Varangot 3 & 2 Ruth Porter1956 Seaton Carew Ruth Porter 5 & 4 Annette Nicholson1955 Beaconsfield Angela Ward 5 & 4 Alison Gardner1954 West Kilbride Bridget Jackson 20 holes Dolores Winsor1953 Woodhall Spa Susan Hill 3 & 2 Angela Ward1952 Stoke Poges Ann Phillips 7 & 6 Suzanne Marbrook1951 Gullane Jane Redgate 19 holes Janette Robertson1950 Formby Janette Robertson 5 & 4 Ann Phillips1949 Beaconsfield Pam Davies 1 up Arlette Jacquet1939–1948: Not played1938 Stoke Poges Sheila Stroyan 4 & 3 Joan Pemberton1937 Stoke Poges Lally Vagliano 5 & 4 Peggy Edwards1936 Stoke Poges Peggy Edwards 3 & 2 Jacqueline Gordon1935 Stoke Poges Peggy Falkner 1 up Joan Pemberton1934 Stoke Poges Nancy Jupp 3 & 1 Joan Montford1933 Stoke Poges Jessie Anderson 5 & 3 Enid Pears1932 Stoke Poges Pauline Doran 19 holes Aline de Gunzbourg1931 Stoke Poges Pauline Doran 2 & 1 Dorrit Wilkins1930 Stoke Poges Pauline Doran 19 holes Dorrit Wilkins1929 Stoke Poges Nan Baird 4 & 3 Sylvia Bailey1928 Stoke Poges Daina Fishwick 3 & 2 Marion Jolly1927 Stoke Poges Diana Fishwick 7 & 6 Irene Taylor1926 Stoke Poges Diana Esmond 6 & 5 Margaret Ramsden1925 Stoke Poges Enid Wilson 5 & 3 Katharine Nicholls1924 Stoke Poges Simone de la Chaume 4 & 2 Dorothy Pearson1923 Stoke Poges Mary Mackay 3 & 2 Barbara Strohmenger1922 Stoke Poges Muriel Wickenden 4 & 3 Barbara Griffiths1921 Stoke Poges Winifred Sarson 5 & 3 Marjorie Parkinson1920 Stoke Poges Christina Clarke 21 holes Audrey Croft1919 Stoke Poges Audrey Croft 1 up Christina Clarke

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Future venues 2026 - Craigielaw Golf Club 2027 - Burnham & Berrow Golf Club

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